Rob Vander Zee
ROB VANDER ZEE — Artist, Rob Vander Zee travels the world in search of inspiration for his paintings. Since childhood, the world’s cultures and natural environments have fascinated him. Now, at thirty-eight, his childhood wonder continues to grow as he explores some of the world’s most remote and beautiful places. During his travels, he carefully studies each environment - taking photographs, making notes in art journals, and mentally abosrbing as much of the feel and flavor of each place as his mind can absorb. Recent trips to Italy, the Galapagos Islands, and the Ecuadorian rainforests have been fertile grounds for his imagination, spurring two of his most recent series of paintings: “Sacred Earth” and “Visions of Paradise.”
Rob Vander Zee uses a complex layering system of oil glazes to achieve surfaces that offer both depth add luminosity. These glazes trap light in between their layers which gives each painting the feeling that it glows from within. His surfaces often have the feel of liquid pools of paint, allowing ephemeral figures to emerge and dissipate into the watery atmosphere.
In the spring of 2009, Rob Vander Zee was invited to exhibit his work in Vilius, Lithuania as a part of Europe’s Centenial Celebration of the Arts. In the summer of 2009, Rob was invited ty the Itchimbia Cultural Institute of Edcuador to live in residence at the Dasa des Artes and to display his paintings at their national gallery. In 2008, Rob participated in a visiting artist program in Tallinn, Estonia, and exhibited his paintings from the trip at the Estonian Embassy in Washington DC. In 2000, Rob participated in a visiting artist program in Signaghi, Republic of Georgia. In 1998, Rob was selected to have a solo show at the Saginaw Art Museum in Saginaw, Michigan.
Rob Vander Zee has an absolute passion for painting. He has dedicated his life to this pursuit. This passion shows in his personality as well as the quality of work that he produces. His paintings have found their way into many national and international collections.
