Mysterious woman forces journalist to go back to art

Derek Worlalorm-Johnson is a prominent face in news anchoring in Ghana after having stints with NET2 television, Viasat 1 and now Joy News on Multi-TV.

In the shadow of his unique deep voice, is one talented chap who is blessed with the skill of giving a perfect depiction of life’s beauty and mysteries on canvas.

Well, for the many who do not know, Derek was born an artist but his lust for journalism swayed him from that childhood love to a field he is now well known for.

“I am not going to say I’ve made the right decision or the wrong decision for going into journalism and maybe stray away from art and now coming back to it,” he said in an interview with Myjoyonline.com.

Mysterious woman

Turning his back to his love for years, a strange email from a mysterious woman gave him an unexpected wake up call – the results have left many in awe.

Derek recounted that, “I had a mail directed to me by someone I did not know; I never got to meet her, we’ve never spoken before. We now chat but I’ve not had the time to see her in person.

“The mail states that ‘God has given me a talent which is my very being but I left it off, I should go back to it’. At that time if I should say I could really portray a picture on a canvas vividly, I would lie to you though I still had the trait of being an artist,” he added.

In his quest to heed the anonymous letter, he enrolled at the Ghanatta College of Art and Design to pursue a diploma course to perfect his handiwork. Even though he completed in 2001, he ‘sadly’ went back to journalism.

Within the past six months, however, Derrick has swung into action doing what he loves most – art – to prove to people that he is not just a journalist “but a true product of the creative industry as well.”

A unique pen artist

Derek is not your regular artist. Apart from the use of acrylic paint, charcoal and pencil; he is a real gem who has carved a niche for himself by using a common pen to draw: “It’s not like I trace over after using a pencil, I go straight to the canvas with a pen. I draw from imagination and that looks real.”

According to him, he gets a sense of fulfillment when people acknowledge his pen work: “it’s actually a good feeling when people get to know that you can use pen to craft a story on canvas. It gives me some kind of fulfillment not just the money.”

When it comes to using acrylic paint, he does surrealism, a form of abstract which is a fusion of realism and abstract – the subconscious and the ‘unsubconscious’ of the mind – is what is put together to create surrealism.

Derek says there is no specific timeline to finishing an artwork considering the fact that he constantly pays attention to detail. One painting can take up to a month but his longest work, inspired by the mother, took three years to complete.

The journalist cum artist said he gets his inspiration for his works from people, nature and society.

Priceless art at Joy FM

He currently has some of his works on display at the reception of Joy FM. He has stocked the front desk area with 19 paintings and already four have been bought with renowned playwright, Uncle Ebo Whyte being his first customer.

Derek stressed: “People who know me to be a journalist or a news anchor have no slightest notion that I can use pen to create a story on canvas but when they are coming here [Joy front desk], they are coming to see something that they’ve not seen before. My pen work is in a unique form.”

myjoyonline