Duggie du Toit

Lights and shadows out of the heart of the Free State! This old master whispers new life in old classical techniques. Born in 1943 in Johannesburg, Duggie du Toit, South Africa’s own Rembrandt, uses natural light, “as light defines, form and structure,” and rich earthly colours pronounces his still-life’s and portraits of a time long gone.

This humble, quiet master describes his work as classical impressionistic and believes that if painting becomes easy, it is a sign that the artists is not working on his restrictions. Though he paints less, he concentrates on quality….. and he still has a lot that he wants to express on canvas.

His interest in art started in his twenties while working in the mines. For three years he sent his work to a college in Westport, Connecticutt USA and later studied through the College for Famous Artist in Westpark. He describes his work as classical impressionistic and his preferred medium is oil. He uses interesting themes like vegetables, fruit, old bottles, music, portrait and figure studies. The work is pronounced in its rich earthly colours.

Dougie taught himself by doing intensive studies on techniques of artists such as John Singer, Anders Zorn, Rembrandt and Vermeer, Sorolla and have mastered the technique of using light and darkness in his paintings so to create an image of something that is real and alive.

His overseas market consists mainly of tourists who buy his work at embassies and from various art galleries in South Africa. His work is popular among local and foreign investors.

“Ek ag my gelukkig dat ek die ondersteuning van die publiek en galerye gekry het. In die laaste paar jaar gee ek meer privaat onderrig, en skilder minder, maarkonsentreer meer op kwaliteit. As skilder maklik word, is dit ‘n gevaar teken dat ‘n kunstenaar nie aan sy beperkinge werk nie. Daar is so baie wat ek nog op doek wil vaslê……….”