Ever wondered about the artist who gives classes at the charming coffee shop, Blessings, in Melkbosstrand?
Dirk Jonker is one of Melkbosstrand’s local treasures, who happens to be a professional actor as well as an art teacher.
He has appeared in supporting roles in the South Africanseries Broken Vows and the hit series Scandal as well as in several local and international commercials.
“I’ve always had a strong interest in the arts. As a child people concurred that my musical talent came from my father, whose organ music elevated church services, and my drawing talent from my mother an illustrator and desktop publisher whose art and crafts decorated my childhood home. She inspired me to continue drawing and designing in publications,” Jonker says.
His creative arts abilities came from observation and emulating his parents.
“I believe it’s the foundation of learning and a survival strategy in all children. My skills are the result of many hours of lessons and solitary practise and not a genetic gift. I am fortunate to be blessed with excellent eyesight, a healthy body and a family with the resources enabling me the opportunity to learn and practise. It wasn’t a great sacrifice to keep pursuing my passion even if it was occasionally solitary.”
After relocating to the Cape, he acted in several international series including American Monster, historic documentaries about Theodore Roosevelt and Abraham Lincoln. He is also an actor in independent films and an active member of Milnerton Players.
He says his greatest weakness is social media. “Marketing people always want me to claim to be an expert at just one thing. I can’t seem to do that.”
Pursuing the arts
Jonker arrived in Cape Town in pursuit of a career in the performing arts but during Covid, was forced to seek alternative income streams. Recently he built a faithful following as a professional portrait photographer and presents classes in Lino Cut Printing, Rock Painting and Calligraphy at Blessings.
“We develop the skills we work on and some of us find alternative ways to use experience with specific skills to accelerate learning in similar areas. I credit my piano lessons with demonstrating that we can benefit from repetition and exposure to other people’s art form. My workshop participants learn that: there is no cheating in art. Copy anyone while you practise, if fact, you should. Just ensure that the work you sell is different”
Toward the end of lockdown, Jonker perfected his pottery skills, completing classes and overcame several challenges, whilst exploring his wheel work.
“I‘ve become proficient at creating thrown stoneware bowls on sale at Maak Mooi in Melkbosstrand. When practising on the wheel, I let the clay decide what it wants to be,” he says.
“Some days I make egg cups, other days I might be inspired to create large bowls on sale at Blessings and online.”
During the past few years, Jonker started working with The Artists Way, and joined watercolour painting classes discovering another art form.
“This led to my original art greeting cards: small watercolour paintings, in picture card frames. Watercolour, water soluble markers and gouache on watercolour paper, die-cut picture cards. As a photographer, I developed methods to accurately photograph my own artwork for re-use as digital assets in my graphic design practice”.
Jonker says he is looking forward to creating portraits and photographing the art for the Melkbos Ateljee Art Show.
