Ron van Gennip

Australian impressionist Ron Van Gennip has for almost two decades painted rich canvases that reveal his world of color and emotion. When asked his favorite subject he emphatically affirms, children and their world. It’s all about interpreting what lies just beneath the surface of their innocence.

Born in Australia from parents of an artistic background who moved from Holland to Sydney, Ron was encouraged to draw, sketch and pursue the wonders of his childhood amid the majestic visuals of the famous Blue Mountains in the State of New South Wales.

At the age of 18 Ron accepted a 3-year working scholarship with the Sydney Technical College. For the next 12 years he worked with a prominent commercial art firm in Sydney. Concurrent with these rigorous demands he studied with the Drummoyne Art Society, which was then guided by the most notable and heralded of Australian impressionists, Joshua Smith. Eventually, Ron gave up commercial endeavors to concentrate on fine art; in particular he sought to uncover the secrets that enabled Streeton and McCubbin to be known as the kings of the "golden Era" of Australian Art. His observations helped him gain his present focal point. As the artist says," it’s all about nostalgia and place in time. What inspired them now inspires me." Observed by one critic, it was only when Van Gennip became immersed in nature, in these early years of art that the love affair with Sydney’s glistening shoreline and inspiring light began.

This was the start of his present success. Today, Van Gennip’s sensitive figural work continues to be deeply rooted in the romantic, impressionist tradition. However, the design values, and colors have moved toward a more individual, expressionistic interpretation, a bolder approach, and a development upon the Golden Era artists. This is particularly evident in his garden scenes. Van Gennip’s interest in flowers is not so much in the flowers themselves, but rather in their harmony and colorful patterns. His paintings are presented with gentle eloquence and poetic beauty. They are expressions of grace, restfulness and harmony. Ron has had numerous solo exhibitions in Australia, as well as selected group exhibitions in Hong Kong (Wan Chai), Japan (Tokyo Austrade) and England (London, House of Dunhill.)