Thursday, August 9: An evening reception for the art exhibit, Dreams & Reality, featuring the paintings and prints of Hanneke Goedkoop and Kees De Waal, from 5 to 7 p.m. in the gallery. Everyone is welcomeKees De Waal, born in Bussum, Netherlands in 1922, has been making art since he first won a drawing contest at the age of 14. He attended the Higher School for Textiles in Enschede and the Arnheim Art Academy. After a long career as a fashion retailer he rededicated himself to drawing and the graphic arts and started the De Waal Foundation to help needy children in Latin America. Still a very active printmaker, he divides his time between the Netherlands, France, and Greenwich, Connecticut.
Also an award winner at a young age, Hanneke Goedkoop considers her painting “a consequence of some kind of need. It is a need to fill some void in one’s self, which I do through painting both the chaos and harmony of nature.” Her work is a blend of old and new techniques that draws on natural elements and personal experience. As a conceptional artist, Hanneke leaves the objective behind in her creative process. A native of the Netherlands, as well, Hanneke now resides in Rowayton after a long stay in Darien. Hanneke attended the Academie of Beaux Arts in Belgium and has studied at The Rowayton Arts Center, the Silvermine Arts Center, and The Center for Contemporary Printmaking, all in Connecticut.
