I was looking for more resources on Simon Balyon when I discovered Hans van Moerkerken, Simon Balyon‘s teacher.
Also a dutch painter, born in Hilversum. Each biography ever published on the web about Hans (including his own site) contains the next lines so I am going to keep them myself, hoping that Hans himself thinks they defines who he is.
At the age of four he was photographed behind an easel and Hans later realized that this photograph would become a prophetic symbol for his becoming an artist and oil painter. After completing grade school, he took the required exam for the art-academy and was told that he did not have the talent or the motivation to become an artist. Still, he never stopped pursuing a carreer as an oil painter. For many years he studied the techniques of the 17th and 19th Century and impressionist artists.
For practice and study Hans copied many of the old Masters. In fact, some of his paintings were so good that they showed up at auctions, touted as original works by 19th century artists.
His technique and feeling of colors has made him one of the most important contemporary landscape artists of the Netherlands. A number of successful painters have studied under Hans: Dirk de Vries, Wouter van Soest, Fritz Goosen and Simon Balyon.
His first exposition was held in Arnhem in 1983 and Hans has since had many more expositions including some in the United States. Hans’ work can be found in many important collections, such as the one of the president of National Geographic.
My main point in presenting him was to allow you to understand the origin of Simon Balyon‘s style, along, of course with getting you to know the very fine work of Hans van Moerkerken. Unfortunatelly, there are not too many photos of his works on the net, at least not a reasonable resolution so here’s what I was able to find. Hope you will enjoy them as much as I did.
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His site contains a list of other galleries with his works so you mightr want to chek it out.
