The artist who really wants to teach

ANGELIQUE ELLIS

World-renowned artist David Thorpe, 66, who recently returned to Hout Bay after living in Plettenberg Bay, hopes to get all of Hout Bay painting and draw- ing.

He previously lived in Empire Avenue in Hout Bay between 1976 and 1979 before moving to Plettenberg Bay.

Mr Thorpe has had a lu- crative career as an artist. Some of his accolades include being the art director of Topsport, Huisgenoot, Fair Lady and Cosmopolitan magazines. He has also helped to produce the largest visual art bank in the world and was involved with the illustrations in a coffee table book. His art hangs in hundreds of homes around South Africa, Australia, the UK, Germany, Holland and America.

Over the years, Mr Thorpe has continued to paint and exhibit. “I am constantly painting, but what I really want to do is teach art,” he says. He returned to Hout Bay to be closer to his daughter and granddaughter and have access to more galleries, as there aren’t many in Plettenberg Bay.

He specialises in oil, water colours and acrylic painting and has inspired hundreds of students over the years through his work and art les- sons.

“The people I usually teach are those who feel they have a need to express themselves through art.

“They don’t necessarily have to have any artistic ability, but I begin with the basics such as drawing objects through methods I have learnt over the years.

“It is not about talent, it’s about certain things you need to know before you draw. It’s amazing to see people who never thought they could draw, producing fantastic work in just two to three months. That’s the enjoyment I get out of it. I try to tailor the courses around what students would like to draw or paint”.

His work is being exhibited at the Cape Gallery in Church Street, Cape Town. He does commissions and is passionate about painting pictures of the interiors of homes.

To learn more about David Thorpe’s classes and his art, call 082 3788 065, email davidthorpe 059@gmail.com or you can visit www.davidthorpe.co.za