Peter Nicholas Van Giesen

"Doing art, for me, is a mystical process, a spiritual work, and an exercise of creativity.  When I paint it as if the veil of the common life is momentarily lifted allowing me to be embraced by the underlying essence of the universe. I consider my artistic expression a gift to be shared.

Naturally, I am drawn to the mystery that is implicit in the natural world. I feel more spiritually alive when outside.

My art is the result of sporadic surges of energy that percolate past my consciousness. My style hovers between representation, impressionism with a dash of abstract. I attempt to reach into the fabric of the world exploring the dynamics of tension and elasticity. Using paint, I create images based on the interplay between darkness and light, the interconnected aura of the natural world."

Born in 1959 in Canada, Peter Nicholas Van Giesen completed a college degree in Religion and university degree in Psychology. Encouraged by his family, Peter Nicholas Van Giesen worked in the church but after a few years, he naturally gravitated away from the church environment and into the business and charitable sectors. For most of his working life, Van Giesen has been a business owner or senior executive in the business and non-profit sectors. At the same time, he always took the time to exercise his creativity.

"When I had a studio space, my creative expression flourished and when I had no such space my creativity was channeled into my other endeavors."

In 2011, Van Giesen renewed his commitment to fine art and sharing this particular gift with others. With a number of international awards, the artist's work is in the permanent collection at the Government House of British Columbia.

“After using oil-based paint for many years I switched to acrylic paint in 1993 and currently it is the sole medium I use. I am thankful for the opportunity to share my talents with those interested and am pleased to have you consider joining me on my journey.”