We were very eager to get Frank's work onto our gallery walls and its no question as to why! His fluid brush strokes make his work instantly recognisable and give his paintings a captivating presence. His artist biography gives you insight into his background and training but we recently got in touch with Frank to find out a bit more about his lifestyle, process and even his music tastes so that you can get to know this exceptional wildlife artist a bit better. We enjoyed his somewhat humorous answers which are in-keeping with our outlook here at Evergreen.
Tea or Coffee?
Coffee because I love it, but tea after 1pm because my inner insomniac throws a party after too much caffeine.
Sweet or Savoury?
I am more of an ‘and’ kinda guy.
Are you a messy or tidy artist?
Tidy, but unbelievably I still manage to get paint on my clothes.
What is your go to artist/song/playlist whilst painting?
Dire Straights and Hans Zimmer when the chips are down but I switch between listening to talks, music, and radio to keep it interesting. And the occasional epic movie soundtrack if I really need inspiration for the last bit of finishing on a piece.
What is your favourite animal to paint, why?
I love horses and African wildlife, but recently painted my first tiger - and I absolutely loved it! I’ll definitely do more soon...
On average, how many hours do you spend on each piece?
About 20 hours, depending on size. Could be more. But never less.
Describe a day in the life of Frank Pretorius.
I drag myself out of bed at 6am for an hour’s worth of exercise, followed by well-deserved coffee and rusks whilst doing a 30min drawing. I will then work on whatever is on the easel for the rest of the day. And with the new lockdown, an hour of Year 3 maths with our little one - riveting stuff. Repeat.
What are you working on at the moment?
I am currently busy with Rhinos on two square canvases.
What can we expect from you in the future?
Style wise I am trying to simplify and loosen up more while leaving just enough realism to emerge from a rather abstract construct. Easier said than done though.
Is there anything people may not know about you?
Sometimes it feels like I spend longer staring at the canvas than actually painting...
Any hidden talents, an interesting hobby or perhaps a bucket list?
I’m very much an outdoors kinda guy - I flew powered paragliders, finished the Cape Epic mountainbike race and hope to do an ‘artist residency’ somewhere in the world. My wife tells me I have supernatural coffee making skills. Not sure if it’s just sweet talking, but it’s working.