Welcome. This is a brief overview of the things I work with. For more detail or photographs, please use the menu above.
Journals — I have been journaling for a number of years on various topics. Along the way I developed planning documents and a mentoring system that will appear as journal entries. Some of the more unusual or possibly controversial pieces will also find a place here. Writing books is part of the same impulse; I have already published three. I am currently finishing a short book called “The Buck”. At the end of the Journals page there is a link if you wish to comment on any particular entry.
Paintings — I have painted for many years and show only a selection of my work in the Paintings section. I work mainly in oils, though I also draw and experiment with other media. You are welcome to contact me about a commission or available pieces. I keep a separate art blog at Wessel’s art blog and appear on artandartists.co.za. I am also featured in the third edition of The Collector’s Guide to Art & Artists in South Africa (ISBN 978-620-61386-6).
Kaizen Karate — I still practise karate after more than twenty years and remain grateful to all my senseis. If you are interested in training or simply want to know more, the Karate page has the details.
Jazz Guitar — I love playing jazz guitar and owe a good deal to my teachers on TrueFire and to my brother, who introduced me to the platform. I have written more than ten songs and musical pieces. The Jazz Guitar page has more.
Other interests
Programming and websites — I design and host websites. This site itself was put together by me with the help of Grok. Other sites include albertonkarate.co.za, saska.co.za, shiyiwahealth.co.za, isivunofin.co.za and several private digital platforms running on SQL databases. Languages and tools I work with: HTML, CSS, PHP, some JavaScript, Basic, Visual Basic, PureBasic, QBasic, SQL, star-diagram database design, data mining, Python and Julia. I currently also make use of AI tools such as Grok and Claude.
Book restoration — I am grateful to DS. Dr. Jordaan for first teaching me the craft of restoring old books, especially Bibles, and of turning paperbacks into hard-cover volumes. It remains a very relaxing practice.
Languages — I enjoy languages and have studied French (speaking, reading and writing) and I am a student of Hebrew. I have also done some French-to-English translation work for institutions in South Africa.