Van Dijk believes that the perception of color is a psychological and inner phenomenon for those who do not suppress their feelings. His masterpiece ‘The Bathers’ will be featured in SINGULART’s New Impressionism Auction running from the 3rd to the 9th of June. Don’t miss it!
Pierre, when and how did you know you wanted to become an artist?
At the age of four, all I knew was that I wanted to draw and paint in peace. At the age of ten I got my first ‘real’ oil paint set, a palette and a canvas.
What are your main artistic influences and which artists have inspired you the most? For what reasons?
Years ago, after getting acquainted with the world of Realism, Expressionism and Abstraction, I decided to explore Impressionism. Light, color association, and emotion become increasingly important to me. The Impressionist color theory is inexhaustible. After all, the light changes every day, every minute, every second. This is why I admire the masters like Renoir and Monet the most.
What message or emotions would you like to convey through your paintings?
With my body of work, I would like to depict the beauty of life, the real feeling of the light itself. As one of my favorite quotes states “perception of color is an inner phenomenon, at least for a person who does not suppress his feelings.”
What is your favorite painting subject and why?
My subjects are very diverse. Determining the feelings that I want to convey with a subject or the subject that I want to convey through my emotions becomes the core of my work preparation and research.
I first make the painting in my head and then I reach a stage where I am curious about how it will look once it is on canvas .. only then I do start painting. For instance, with the painting The Bathers, working en plein air I tried to listen to what I was seeing and feeling, leaving my thoughts aside.
What do you think of contemporary impressionism?
Impressionism is still alive today as it never died. It is like a good wine, getting better with time. The circumstances and the weather, for example, become decisive elements for the production of a nice bottle of wine. In art, these factors are the artist¡s signature and the color palette.
What advice would you give to emerging artists?
1. Paint like a bird sings.
2. Obey what the color says.
3. Never be satisfied.
4. Dealing with disappointment is a life’s lesson.
