Casey van der Leek is a versatile, totally self-taught artist working in oil, watercolour, pencil  and red chalk, and although better known for his Cape landscapes, he is equally adept at creating seascapes and wildlife. 

He does not merely want to reproduce what he sees, but convey emotion through subject matter; be it  the solitude of a windswept coastline battered by a stormy sea or a sunflower field indicative of the fragility and beauty of life. The treacherous coast around Cape Point, where the sea is master and where many ships have succumbed, remind us of the vastness and power of the elements.

 The oil painting West Coast Fog, Yzerfontein (see Gallery) is also further expression of his fascination with the sea and this part of the world.  

  Sunflower Field near Fouriesburg, Free  State 

Subject to introspection and prone to dwelling on the context of humanity in an apparently vast cosmos, Casey is in awe of the beauty and power of nature. With this said it is understandable why he was able to relate to artists' like Rembrandt, Van Gogh, Cézanne and Picasso. Iconic works from the latter's Blue & Rose Periods add to the understanding of the human psyche as highlighted by his predecessors. Thus primarily being a landscape artist, the context of humanity's existence is brought to the fore.  The light from a lighthouse compared to the fiery rays of a rising sun or the smalll farm houses dwarfed by towering peaks bring  upon  us a  sense of  humility. 

Being the great grandson of Tinus de Jongh, it was only natural that his artistic evolution would develop along similar lines and his great uncle, Gabriel de Jongh, had a very strong influence in shaping his outlook and vision from his formative years as a young boy. Casey van der Leek is highly proficient at sketching and since his early years he has built up a broad knowledge base, appreciation and understanding of the works of other artists. His technical mastery ranges from oils, watercolours to pencil and chalk and over a wide range of subject matter.  

The Franschhoek Valley is home to wine estates such as La Motte, L'Ormarins, Bellingham, Le Rhône, Basse Provence and the only olive farm, La Bri.      

He has a definite liking for the more temperamental moods of nature and these have an 'agitated' quality to them; a stormy, Cape winter sea churned up by the Northwester; morning mist in the Slanghoek Valley; sunlight breaking through storm clouds in the Hex River Valley; a sunflower field rustling in the wind under a threatening sky. Of course the wildness of Africa is unique and unforgettable ;from the majestic Victoria Falls to the savannahs of Kenya the wildlife exist in all their brutal beauty.

       Dovecote at Meerlust, Stellenbosch (pencil)

"I experience a period of frightening  clarity in those moments when nature is so beautiful. I am no longer sure of myself, and the paintings appear as in a dream"             -   Vincent van Gogh  

Sunrise, Cape Agulhas