“Every morning, I go to my studio, stand in front of a canvas and listen to my mood,” he said, describing his daily routine. “I never know what I’m going to paint until I start. I can’t plan my emotions. In the same way, I can’t say I’ll feel hungry tomorrow. I don’t know that. I have to wake up tomorrow and realize I’m hungry.”
Peter John Voormeij, Through Dutch Eyes III (Olga Livshin)
Peter John Voormeij
1940 – 2024
Dutch born painter and printmaker, Peter John Voormeij, first came to Canada in 1965. Trained in the realist schools of painting, he was quickly influenced by the new forms of art in the Montreal and New York galleries.
Voormeij acquired his Master of Arts degree from Concordia University, Montreal, where his instructors included Roy Kiyooka and Yves Gaucher. Voormeij has taught art at the University of British Columbia, Arctic College and Langara College. His work is currently in many international collections. His portraits of Doris and Jack Shadbolt, and Arthur Erickson are in the National Portrait Gallery in Ottawa.
The Elliott Louis Gallery represented Voormeij in Vancouver, Canada.
Education
1970 Concordia University, Montreal, Canada, M.A., Fine Arts, painting and printmaking. Studied with Yves Gaucher and Roy Kiyooka
1968 Loyola College, Montreal, Canada
1962 University of Adelaide, South Australia, B.F.A. Summa cum laude in painting
Four year Commonwealth and Educational Scholarship
1st prize for painting, George Rowney Award
Professional
1997–07 Instructor painting, Nunavut Arts Festival, Arctic
1996-97 Lecturer, Langara College, Vancouver BC, Canada
1993-96 Instructor, Painting, University of British Columbia, Canada. Arts and Humanities
1991 Instructor, Painting, Arctic College, N.W.T. Canada
1975-88 Lecturer, University of Utrecht, the Netherlands
1974-88 Senior Lecturer, Painting, Royal College of Art and Design, the Netherlands
1970 Professor, Lehmann College, City University of New York, USA
Selected bibliographical references from 1980 – 2007
“Peter John Voormeij”, Galleries West. Beverly Cramp, Vancouver, Canada
“Through Dutch Eyes”, Preview, Mia Johnson, Vancouver, Canada
“Jubileum Tentoonstelling”, Kunstcentrum Zaanstad, the Netherlands
Art For Life” (Silent Auction), Vancouver, Canada
“Colorful abstract expressionist paintings”, Donna Tennant, Arts Houston, USA
“2100 Square meters Kunst”, Royal Palace, the Hague, the Netherlands
“Art in Brabant”, Paul De Pont, De Volkskrant, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
“Art in Vlijmen”, city project, Marienkroon, Nieuwkuijk, the Netherlands
“Art of the Valley”, Okanagan Life, Ann-Charlotte Berglund, Kelowna, Canada
“Art Today in the Netherlands”, NBKS, Cultural Centre, Tilburg, the Netherlands
“Basis Collectie Kunst”, Ferd Op De Coul, Brabants Museum, the Netherlands
“Beeldenstroom”, Recent Purchases in the Netherlands”, province of North Brabant, the Netherlands
“Belief in Pure Painting”, Bas Roodnat, N.R.C. Handelblad, Rotterdam, the Netherlands
“Brandscherm als Beeldscherm”, editor of Kunstbeeld magazine, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
“Canada Council”, Filmboard of Canada, Ottawa
“Collection of Modern Drawings and Prints”, University Press, Nijmegen, the Netherlands
“Contemporary Dutch Art”, Oss, Museum Oss, the Netherlands
“De Gebarentaal van Voormeij”, Ferd Op De Coul, Brabants Dagblad, the Netherlands
“Dutch Art”, by editor of Kunstbeeld magazine, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
“Grafiek 1985”, Museum Bommel van Dam, Venlo, the Netherlands
“Grafiek Nu”, Bas Roodnat, N.R.C. Rotterdam, the Netherlands
“Grafiek uit de Benelux”, City Council of Antwerp, Belgium
“Het Handwerk van Zuivere Rede”, Maarten Beks, Ravenberg Press, the Netherlands
“Intergrafica 86”, Katovice City Museum Publication, Poland
“Kunstcollectie in Aanbouw”, Maarten Beks, Brabantia Press, the Netherlands
“Lejnieks Newsletter”, San Francisco, USA
“Peter John Voormeij, Painter”, Highway 97, S. Raitt, Penticton, Canada
“Peter John Voormeij, Recent Works”, Piet Hagenaars, the Netherlands
“Poetry and Painting”, De Hovenier, Eindhoven, the Netherlands
“Schouwburg Roosendaal”, Roosendaal, the Netherlands
“Stoffwechsel K18”, Kassel, Germany
“Tennant’s Gift of a Painting”, Roger Hale, Minneapolis, USA
“Twaalf Bijzondere Schalen”, PNEM Den Bosch, the Netherlands
“Uitbreiding Raadhuis”, Wim Visser, B&D Architects, the Netherlands
“Waalwijk Zoekt Kunstwerk”, Felix Janssens, Brabants Dagblad, the Netherlands
“Zwart en Wit”, Urias Nootenboom, Ravenberg Press, the Netherlands