Brushes and Beads: Making Your Art Work for You

(By Kimberley-Rose Madzima)

For Juliana Bonita Fredericks, art is more than just expression. It is intention, innovation and a way to build something meaningful. Along the way, she’s learned a key lesson for any creative, to treat her art not just as a passion, but as a business. From charcoal portraits to sustainable jewellery, her work reflects what it truly means to make creativity work for you.

“I studied Visual Arts at COTA, where I explored different disciplines of art, including drawing and jewellery design. After winning the De Beers Shining Light Awards in my first year, I naturally gravitated more towards jewellery, particularly specializing in creating sustainable pieces using plastic bottles.”

From Concept to Creation

Her creative practice combines traditional techniques with modern digital tools.

“I have also expanded my practice into digital design using a computer-aided design program called Rhino 8 to develop high jewellery pieces which helps refine ideas before production to avoid unnecessary material cost.”

Fredericks’ process begins with emotion, whether it’s the mood behind a portrait or the concept for a jewellery piece.

“For my portraits, I think about a mood or story behind the face before I even start drawing. I gather references, sketch it out and slowly build depth using layers of charcoal. For my jewellery, I experiment with materials, like recycled plastic, cut, shaped and transformed into petals before assembling them. Rhino helps refine forms for more intricate designs.”

The Reality Behind the Art

But creativity comes with costs. Materials, tools, production, packaging, transport and branding all factor into bringing a piece to life.

“I manage it by planning ahead and being intentional with my spendings, sometimes one part of my practice funds the other. I source materials affordably and in some cases like using recycled plastic I turn low-cost materials into high value pieces.’’

“I price my work carefully to reflect both the cost of production and the time and skill involved. When possible, I reinvest income from sale back into my practice so I can continue producing new work. It’s really about balancing creativity with sustainability.”

Making Art Work

Since graduating, Fredericks has turned her art into income through commissioned portraits, selling original artworks, creating jewellery pieces, exhibitions and events where her work can reach a wider audience.

“The journey has been challenging and rewarding. Building a name takes time, consistency and resilience. I’ve learned to be patient, adaptable and to treat my art not just as a passion but also as a business.”

Juliana Bonita Fredericks is a visual artist and jewellery designer. You can find her on instagram @julsart.official