It’s kind of dark in The Sovereign Room, but I think these pictures of Derek turned out ok.
The dim lighting certainly hasn’t dimmed that contagious smile! I don’t think anything could!
My first encounter with Derek was at LU Radio. He was being interviewed as a special guest by a programmer; he showed me the children’s book that he wrote and the children’s toy that he made.
I found a picture of the book:
A delightful, easy-to-read, and strikingly illustrated story of the universe exploding into existence.
Originally from the Seychelles Islands, Derek has been all over the world. He studied Fine Arts in France and Germany and then continued his education in England.
He worked in Montreal before settling in Thunder Bay with his family. Alright, that’s not ALL over the world. Close enough.
Derek is a father to three and believes very strongly in encouraging the youth to express themselves through art.
An artist himself, Derek has worked with young offenders in rehabilitation facilities and halfway houses, elderly patients in long-term care, school children in a classroom setting, and more.
Derek uses his talents in pottery, painting, writing, hand-drumming, toy making, up-cycling, and language to reach out to young minds and minds in need of artistic and spiritual stimulation.
Derek understands how powerful music and art can be and loves helping people of all ages tap into their inner artist.
Let’s see that smile again…
If you want to make art, you just need to get started. Figure out what medium speaks to you and begin. There are no negatives in artistic exploration. Derek believes this and wants you to as well!