J. Van Straalen

J. Van Straalen
John Van Straalen grew up on a dairy farm in southern California. Very early, he learned that he had a talent for drawing, and that he could capture on paper the things he saw around him. He visited relatives in Holland and became an apprentice in a commercial art firm there, learning illustration techniques. Van Straalen believes very strongly in this method for learning by ingesting the basic techniques and doing the actual work alongside professionals. He feels it is important to "have someone teach you the techniques of the medium: the impact of colors paced side by side, what brush strokes can accomplish, in short, the tools you must master and understand." Then, he says, "allow the artist to follow his own path." Van Straalen pursues fine art full time now, traveling to the lofty mountains and remote valleys where he paints with amazing detail, wildlife subjects in their local habitat. Often the images of the animals are echoed in gnarled rock outcroppings or windblown tree branches, creating a visual puzzle within his paintings.

Artwork:

Alpine Chorus

Afternoon-Sanctuary Falls
(Camouflage deer)

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