About Us

About Lillian Gray Art School

Welcome to the online home of Lillian Gray (Pty) Ltd.   Lillian Gray is a multi-passionate artist-entrepreneur. Founded by Lillian Gray in 2016 the team has grown extensively since then. The business is multi-faceted. Please click on the area of interest to you below.

The Artist

Lillian Gray is a contemporary South African Fine Artist. She internationally recognised with international art exhibitions in London, New York and Florence. She believes in creating unique art pieces that will serve as art investments for her clients. She is a lover of business and art and loves empowering people. Lillian Gray founded this school as a way of empowering young South African artists. 

The School

At our school, we offer weekly art classes in Johannesburg. We are suited for the beginner student as well as the advanced art student. We teach adults, teens, tweens, kids and toddlers. We offer a broad range of other artistic events such as Paint Nights, Workshops as well as Corporate Team Building activities and year-end functions

The Shop

We have our very own online art supplies store to offer starter products and kits to our students. We also sell these bespoke Art Supplies at our studio. All products have been hand-chosen and used by Lillian. We have supplies for Watercolour, Acrylic, Charcoal, Pencil Drawing, Clay, Oil Paints as well as products aimed at children starting their creative journey. You can visit our online shop here.

Meet the team

Lillian

Lillian Gray
Founder; Co-owner

Lillian Gray started teaching art in 2015 and established the Lillian Gray Art School with her husband in 2016. They built the larger studio space and completed it in 2017. Lillian studied at Stellenbosch University, Stellenbosch Design Academy, and Stellenbosch Business School. She is an internationally recognised artist with exhibitions in New York, London, and, most recently, in Barcelona in 2022.  She is best known for her contemporary oil painting portraits.

Lillian loves empowering people through art, teaching them new skills, and creating a love for art history. She is currently living in Munich, Germany, and is working on developing lots of new worksheets and YouTube videos about South African and African artists. She is also translating her current content into German. Lillian hopes to start teaching art to small groups of kids in Munich.

View Lillian’s art on her website, Facebook and Instagram. Watch courses, interviews, and Art History videos on our YouTube channel.

Visit Lillian Gray's WEbsite
Adelle

Adelle Jansen van Rensburg
Co-Owner; ADULT AND Tweens Art Teacher Ages 9-12

Adelle is our resident Tweens and Adult teacher. She has loved art her whole life and loves connecting with kids and all humans. She is a self-taught artist and had her first International Exhibition in Barcelona in 2022. She is most known for her bold-style portraits. Each week Adelle develops new skills in her students, whether in drawing, clay, lino, or painting. Adelle is passionate about teaching and loves to see her students grow lesson by lesson.

Adelle’s love for psychology and human development also comes in handy. She hosts our corporate team-building events. Adding a touch of conscious living exercises.  As stated, Adelle loves teaching kids art and has a unique touch and way of teaching with our Tween students. She regularly hosts our Paint Nights at our studio with fun art themes like Mexican – Frida Kahlo, Starry Starry Night – Van Gogh, etc.

See some of Adelle’s art on our website and on her Facebook and Instagram.

Read more about Adelle

The Team

Grizelda

Grizelda Liebenberg
Administration

Meet Grizelda – The Organised Heart of Our Studio

Grizelda has been managing administration at the studio for over eight years, and she truly is the “left brain” of our office. With incredible attention to detail, she keeps everything organised and ensures all the behind-the-scenes admin runs smoothly and stays up to date.

She’s also the welcoming face at the studio and the friendly voice on the other end of the phone. If you’ve contacted us to organise classes, book outings, purchase products, or ask a question, chances are Grizelda was the one helping you.

Grizelda oversees the entire client experience, making sure every interaction with our Art School is smooth, clear, and enjoyable. She is often the first person to respond to your queries, guiding families and students through everything they need. Quite simply, she is the backbone of our Art School, keeping everything running efficiently behind the scenes.

While she may not call herself an artist, Grizelda is creative in her own way, making thoughtful and creative decisions every day. She is loyal, determined, and incredibly hard-working, and we are so grateful for the dedication she brings to the team.

Grizelda officially joined our team on 1 September 2017, and the studio would not be the same without her. 

Jemma Coulson
Assistant Marketing Manager, Teens and Adult Teacher

Meet Jemma – Inspiring Our Teen Artists

Jemma joined our team in 2021 as our Tween Art Teacher, and quickly became a valued member of the studio. Today she leads our Teenage Art Program full time, guiding students through exciting and more advanced areas of art such as visual diaries, art history, exhibitions, oil painting, advanced projects, and portfolio preparation.

Jemma also plays an important role behind the scenes as our Assistant Marketing Manager, where she manages our social media and online communication, helping us share the creativity and energy of our studio with our wider community.

She holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Education (cum laude), with Art History as her main subject, and brings over five years of teaching experience across different age groups, including extensive experience in Visual Arts education.

Jemma considers herself a self-taught artist who loves exploring a variety of mediums and experimenting with different artistic styles. Her curiosity and passion for creativity inspire the students she teaches, and she is deeply committed to helping young artists develop their skills, find their style, and grow in confidence.

We are so fortunate to have Jemma mentoring and inspiring the next generation of artists in our studio! 

Patience

Patience Ncube
Youngsters Art Teacher Ages 4 - 8

Patience is the wonderful teacher who leads our youngest artists, and she truly brings the magic to the classroom. With her gentle nature and warm heart, she surrounds our little ones with kindness, encouragement, and lots of smiles. She creates a space where children feel safe to explore, imagine, and create. Through playful learning and creativity, she helps them grow their skills across different art mediums while also developing their fine motor coordination and social confidence.

Patience is passionate about learning and growing in her field. Since 2019, she has completed several additional courses, including certificates in Au Pairing and Pediatric to Child First Aid. She has also completed a course in OT Development for Kids, giving her even more tools to support our young creatives.

When she’s not inspiring tiny artists, Patience is the magic-maker behind the scenes for our events. She takes care of all the hospitality details to make sure everything runs smoothly. She also holds a diploma in Reception and Bookkeeping.

Patience has been a treasured part of our studio family for over six years, and we honestly can’t imagine the studio without her joyful spirit and caring touch. 

Alexis Gould
Tween art teacher Ages 8 - 12

Meet Alexis – From Student to Superstar Teacher!

Talk about a full-circle moment! Alexis first walked through our studio doors years ago as one of our tween and teenage art students, sketchbook in hand and creativity to spare. Fast forward to today, and she’s back — this time at the front of the classroom!

After completing her Art Degree in design and Illustration, Alexis has officially joined our team full-time as our art teacher for ages 9 to 13. And we couldn’t be more excited.

Having grown up in our program, Alexis knows our curriculum inside out. She understands exactly what it’s like to be one of our students and brings that perspective into every class she teaches. Her lessons are packed with creativity, encouragement, and the kind of insider tips only someone who’s been through the program herself can give.

Alexis is not only incredibly skilled in design and illustration, but she’s also a fantastic mentor for young artists. Her energy, patience, and passion for art make her a super effective and valued member of our team.

We love seeing former students return as teachers — it’s the best kind of success story. And we know our 9–13 year old artists are going to learn a lot (and have a lot of fun) with Alexis leading the way!

Welcome back, Alexis — we’re so proud to have you on the team! 

Sandi Mojo
Teaching Assistant

Meet Sandi – The Heart of Our Studio

Sandi is our wonderful Teaching Assistant and the helping hand that keeps everything running smoothly around the studio. From the moment the day begins, she’s busy behind the scenes making sure our classes are set up and ready, with all the materials and supplies our students and teachers need.

Sandi works closely alongside Patience, supporting our younger artists with kindness and care. With her big heart and gentle nature, she creates a calm and welcoming environment where every child feels safe, supported, and encouraged.

She has a special love for working with clay and painting, and she enjoys sharing that creative enthusiasm with our students.

You’ll often find Sandi as the friendly face at our gate, greeting students as they arrive and making sure everyone enters and leaves the studio safely.

Sandi also plays a big role in the hospitality and events side of the studio. From preparing for special events to decorating the space, she adds those thoughtful touches that make our studio feel warm, beautiful, and organised.

Simply put, Sandi helps make our studio the welcoming and creative place our students love to be! 

Photos of our art studio