Born in 1952 in Cape Town and of modest beginnings, Derric has always been aware of his artistic tendency. It was not, however, always celebrated by his parents. Their only reference to art as a profession was related to old rumours of starving painters.
Following humble beginnings, Derric has emerged as one of the true heavyweights of the local and international art scenes. Having always felt a profound connection to the natural environment since early childhood, this versatile and prolific artist draws his inspiration from the abundant beauty found in the African landscape, as well as the rich variety of people, fauna and flora inhabiting it. To the delight of audiences at home and abroad, his broad brush strokes and sometimes abstract visual intensity, coupled with ingenious inpressionist flair, continues to capure the true aesthetic essence of this rugged continent. It all started at the age of ten when he completed his first pencil drawing, and his career later followed the commercial and manufacturing world of the creative arts.
After attending art school and specialising in graphic art, van Rensburg’s career followed the commercial and manufacturing world of the creative arts, but it did not satisfy him. His wife encouraged him to pursue a career in painting in 1986 when he progressed to teaching art before becoming a professional artist in 1986 .He has contributed richly to the development of emerging artists in South Africa, not only through teaching art as a profession, but also through numerous workshops and private tutorials across the country. Derric’s career truly began to flourish when the couple moved to Greyton in the Overberg in 1990.
An artist’s haven, Greyton is a tranquil little town in the Riviersonderend mountain valley. Derric began to paint the Overberg region using acrylics instead of watercolours. Painting local landscapes of wheat fields and vineyards was the tipping point that opened his art to a much larger audience.
“My style is impressionism and the influence of the Overberg and its patchwork of colours inspired me then, as it still does now. I am forever grateful for the six years spent in that area. Living in the Overberg had a great impact on me and will always be evident in my work,” explains van Rensburg. This is why his Overberg paintings are referred to as his trademark.
Other inspirations that had a major impact on Derric’s aesthetic style were Van Gogh and Rembrandt. “Van Gogh because I enjoyed his life stories and the visual diary he left to the world, and Rembrandt because he was a craftsman and draughtsman of huge proportions,” imparts van Rensburg. South African artists who have left an indelible impression on Derric include Pieter Wenning and Hugo Naude.
Over the years, Derric has exhibited many times in South Africa, Portugal, England, Italy, Australia and Germany. Most of his commissions are placed by multinational corporate clients, which include First National Bank, South African Airways, Transnet, Liberty Life, Price Waterhouse Coopers, Reebok, Ernst & Young, Alexander Forbes, BP and Mobil, as well as a number of South Africa’s best known hotels.Van Rensburg’s work can be found at a number of galleries across the country. He is represented in the Cape by Red The Gallery in Steenberg, Dante Art Gallery in Somerset West, the Lynn Schaefer Gallery in Knysna, Carmel Art Gallery in Greenpoint, as well as the Robertson Gallery. Art lovers from Gauteng can find his work at Alice Art Gallery in Roodepoort, and those further afield can find his work at the Kotze Art Gallery in Bloemfontein.
He expresses the idea that “My art is not only representative of who I am but of all who have been in and out of my life – my parents, siblings, wife, friends, children, grandchildren and even those who challenged me and my art form.” Derric understands that his work transcends his sense of personal identity; it is not only representative of who he is, but of all of his experiences. Just as light and the changing seasons have conceived his landscapes, so too have his experiences and loved ones coloured and shaded his art.