John relaxing at home in his workshop.

John van der Westhuizen. 
Master Craftsman.
This website :-  johnvanderwesthuizen.weebly.com

John was born in beautiful Stellenbosch and served a five year apprenticeship in carpentry.  The man has sheer God-given talent.  He was influenced by the beauty of Stellenbosch, its old homes and farms and has recreated much of the furniture that was found in those old homesteads.  John has traveled all over South Africa, Zimbabwe and Zambia  and has lived in these countries as well.  The bush and it's trees have always had a great attraction for John and in his younger days he did many excursions (an adventurer you might say) into the bush to look for beautiful indigenous woods, he however has a great love for trees and has always been kind to the environment in his search for wood. 

To write a complete profile for John would take a very long time.  He has done extensive work for companies, sports teams, private homes, government officials, sports figures and his work can be found in throughout South Africa, Canada, America and the United Kingdom.  His work ranges from wooden eggs to trophies (all sorts) to recreated antiques, exclusive furniture, grandfather clocks to guitars and everything in between.  John is viewed as arguably one of the top ten master craftsman in South Africa.  There is nothing he cannot create out of wood.  He is a perfectionist of the highest caliber and has extremely happy client's all over the world.  His talents include drawing, drafting, he can design and build a house from start to finish, upholstering, engraving, carving, restoring antiques, metal work.  He has worked with many materials including bone and ivory which have been incorporated into his work.   John has also done many animal carvings from the guinea fowl to the elephant. 

The walking sticks on this website are extremely noteworthy.  Mr. Nelson Mandela owns two of these beautiful sticks and one of them is in the collection of the late Queen Mother of England.  

John is my father and at this stage I am trying my best to obtain the hundreds of photo's, newspaper cuttings and letters from satisfied client's.  This artist should go down in the history books.  He is a unique, interesting, outgoing person with a love of life, the bush and his wood and his work is the best I have ever seen.  Some say he is the best craftsman in South Africa.  So I ask the viewer to bear with me while I obtain what I can from a career that has spanned sixty years.  But it will be an interesting journey for me and I look forward to doing it.

Feel free to contact me on the contact page and I will get back to you.



Caroline Street 
Daughter. 
http://www.carolinestreetart.com/index.html


P.S. The chessboard and pieces that appear at the top of the page was crafted  by John.  These are inlays of different indigenous woods and the chess pieces were also made by him.  This chess set and table is in a private collection. 

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