I grew up at the Lake of Constance in Switzerland.

I was fortunate that part of my schooling was provided by a Waldorf School where I was taught that developing the artistic, creative faculties is equally as important as developing the mental, intellectual disciplines.

I spent four years studying fine art – first at a small art school in Zurich which specialized in the exploration and development of the experimental art founded by Marcel Duchamp – then at the Academy for Fine Arts in Vienna, Austria, where I tried to improve my technique in oil painting and pick up some of the tricks of the then famous hyperrealism movement.

I traveled for two years in the USA where I managed to survive on my paintings, working as a chef in a Brooklyn seafood restaurant and as a timber cutter in the snowy mountains near Flagstaff, Arizona.

Then I decided to study art therapy in Bad Boll, Germany, where I explored in depth the influence of art on human development, health and wellbeing.

I first came to South Africa in 1982 where I deepened my knowledge of art therapy by working for a while in the Camphill movement, working with disabled children and adults.

Next, I took up a post as art and craft teacher at the Waldorf School in Constantia, Cape Town, where I also taught woodwork which is an old passion of mine, with a well equipped wood workshop at my disposal. There I started to explore my curiosity about sound in wood and started to build wooden musical instruments like guitars, lyres, marimbas, flutes and recorders. This turned into a little business.

Two growing children increased the demand on my financial resources and after another curious turn in my destiny I found myself getting involved in computer programming, website and pc graphics development which I love and hate at the same time. (The speed of new technical development is just too hectic and a pain to keep up with!)

I feel very privileged that institutions and corporations like CDRA are interested in my take on art, creativity and development and that they invite me to run art and craft workshops for their staff meetings and training courses.
Thank you!

Urs Hauptle

Zeekoevlei, 27th November 2007

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