Conrad Theys, well known for his Namaqualand landscapes featuring Quiver trees, was born in 1940 in Montagu, Western Cape but grew up in Loeriesfontein in the North Western Cape. After matriculation, he completed his teacher training in 1961 and then went on to pursue art. During 1969 and 1970, he was mentored by Gregoire Boonzaier and became a full time artist in 1974. In 2004, an honorary doctor