PIETER MOLENAAR
"Autumn"
Pieter Molenaar, "Autumn," 2003, oil, 14" x 18".
PIETER MOLENAAR
By Beverly Cramp
In his intense use of oil paint, it is obvious that Pieter Molenaar admires the Old Dutch Masters of his home country. But there’s something more to the work of this artist who moved to Canada in 1979. “My style is realistic and a little bit impressionistic,” Molenaar says. It’s a popular combination judging by his sales at Tsawwassen-based Marshall Clark Art Gallery where Pieter is the top-selling artist – “70 paintings in the last three years,” he says of his landscapes, seascapes and cityscapes. Molenaar started painting at the age of 12 and his talent was evident early. He attended art school in Amsterdam where he won many prizes for his work. Although he has studio space in the Marshall Clark Gallery, Molenaar prefers to work from his home, “with the cat, coffee brewing and music on,” he says. Molenaar’s latest paintings will be shown at Marshall Clark from May 28 to June 18, 2004. Pegasus, Salt Spring Island; Masters Gallery, Calgary, and Charisma Gallery, Abbotsford, also represent Molenaar.