Q. Introduce yourself — who you are and what you do?

A. My name is Erik Renssen, I am a Dutch artist (born in 1960) who enjoys painting, sculpting, and making graphic works on paper. For 12 years we have had our own gallery – located in the heart of the Art District of Amsterdam – which is run by my, wife, muse, and manager, Suzka Renssen. She is the one at Spectrum to welcome you to Booth S302.

Q. What is your background?

A. I have been drawing and painting for over 30 years now. However, I worked for 11 years in an architect’s office – painting only in my free time– before I decided to dedicate all my time to the arts. The last 4 years of my architectural career were quite intense, simultaneously studying at the Wackers Art Academy of Amsterdam in the evenings. In my current work, you can see my love for Architecture and Art combined in my cityscapes.

Q. How do you work?

A. Most of my work is done in my studio in our garden, a peaceful place, along the waterside. My paintings are done in oil, my drawings in charcoal, and my sculptures in bronze, white marble, or black granite. I like to work on the tones of Jazz music so the rhythm leads the way. When I start I have an idea of what I want to make but this can change totally in the process. My best pieces come to life on the easel when I get into a nice, creative flow. I love to work in oil as I can apply a layer over layer and mix the most beautiful colors.

Q. What art do you most identify with?

A. My work is much inspired by Picasso, Braque, Matisse, and van Gogh. I just love the old-fashioned Mastership and enjoy the playfulness of their artistic languages. Many of the objects in my work come from my own surroundings. When we have a family of owls in our garden, you will see owls appearing in my work. And when I meet someone with spectacular blue eyes or distinctive features I may use that. My family also resides in my paintings, like my son playing the grand piano. That way I write my own stories in a mix of existing artistic idioms.

Q. What artist(s) inspires you?

A. Any artist that works with passion and conviction. You need to make what you want only and not listen to others too much. Only if you are stubborn you can stay true to yourself and the best way for you to express yourself is only to be decided by you. Of course, your ideas can evolve…

Q. What is the best advice you’ve received?

A. Most people told me to hang on to my safe job and not follow my dreams… I am very happy I did not listen and that my wife Suzka believed in me. Now we are living our dream, inspiring many others on the way. My international collectors from all continents give me the recognition I need to always keep improving my work.

Q. When you are not working, where can we find you?

A. In our garden, listening to the birds. We have a wildflower garden full of busy bees and insects I love to watch. I have a deep-rooted passion for biodiversity in nature and am concerned for our planet.

Q. What does exhibiting at Spectrum Miami 2021 mean to you?

A. I am particularly looking forward to the reactions to my new white marble and black granite sculpture collection. We have been dearly missing US citizens traveling to Europe in the past two years. So we are very happy to be back in Florida where so many of our loyal collectors reside. We also hope to meet many new people enjoying my art.

The post Meet the Artist: Renssen Gallery appeared first on Art Business News.

Q: Introduce yourself – who are you and what do you do?

A: My name is Erik Renssen, I am an artist living just outside of Amsterdam. I was born in The Netherlands in 1960.

Q: What is your background?

A: At the time, my parents thought it was better to do architecture instead of Art School, so I studied architecture and worked at an architects office for 11 years! In the evenings, however, I always painted and attended Art School at a later age. In the end I proved my parents wrong, art turned out to be a good career path for me and it made me a very happy man.

Q: How do you work?

A: I spend my days painting, drawing, sculpting and making traditional prints like lithographs and linocuts.
My studio is situated on the waterside in our garden. We (my wife Suzka who runs our gallery in Amsterdam and our kids) live in a small village called Broek in Waterland.

When making a painting I start with a base layer and make my sketches with charcoal straight on the canvas. I then go over it time after time until I am satisfied and have the right composition.

Then slowly the color palette starts coming to me and I begin applying the colors, layer over layer, scratching away and adding patterns as I move along. I sometimes look at my canvas through a mirror to check if it is ‘right’ or I’ll put the canvas upside down. It is helpful to see it from another perspective. My signature comes last, when I am happy with the result and consider the painting finished. This is an exciting moment, letting the painting go off into the world.

When stone printing I work in Amsterdam, at one of the last traditional stone print studios in the Netherlands. Drawing an image on a stone, printing on paper by hand, stone after stone, color after color to obtain the end result.

It may take me 2 months to finish an edition of artwork and things can be challenging till the very end. It is only with the last, dark, and most often black layer that the lithography gets its definition. All is possible till then. When a lithography turns out beautifully it feels like a victory.

Same goes for linocutting. Although I do the actual cutting with sharp knives in my studio, using the ‘lost method’, an invention of Picasso, cutting all layers from only one slate. I take the linoleum slate back and forth to and from the traditional print studio situated in the attic of a monumental house in Amsterdam where the traditional presses are.

Q: What art do you most identify with?

A: The works of Pablo Picasso and his contemporaries like Braque, Matisse and Modigliani. From earlier times I like to study Vincent van Gogh and Cézanne.

Q: What has been your favorite experience so far as an artist?

A: Every time I see people totally happy or touched when obtaining a piece of artwork I made. To spark that emotion is very rewarding.

Q: Who inspires you?

A: All things around me, everything around me. I use everyday objects and situations to make my still lifes and portraits. People I meet with distinct features will appear in my paintings.

Q: What is the best advice you have received?

A: Look well at your predecessors and try to understand their inspirations. Then follow your heart and walk your own walk. Your path is unique and it will lead you to the best places. Be stubborn and true to your own passion. Go for it, do not hesitate or hold back. Take risks.

Find someone who can promote your art for you so you can focus on your work.

Q: When you are not working, where can we find you?

A: In our garden, enjoying the birds, while reading a book about plants and biodiversity. In Amsterdam, with friends in the bar of Soho House Amsterdam.  In Paris at the Picasso museum or bar La Palette On holidays in Ibiza, hiking, relaxing and painting (oops, working after all).

Erik Renssen will be exhibiting at Artexpo New York 2020 [Booth #303]. To learn more about Erik and Renssen Art Gallery visit his website. renssenartgallery.com 

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