ONE of the world’s Master still life painters will be showcasing his work at Viking Framers during the last week of September.
Jozef ‘Jos’ Kivits’ incredible paintings hang in galleries, public buildings and mansions around the world from the United States to the Netherlands and his exhibitions are a sellout.
Now Tamborine Mountain locals will have a chance to view and purchase some of his never-before-seen pieces in the showcase organised by his wife, Lydia, as a gift to her husband for his 80th birthday.
Originally from the Netherlands Jos and Lydia have made Tamborine Mountain their home since moving from Sydney in 2004.
While Jos has become a recluse, his paintings, mostly in oil, bring to life some of his precious collection of antique vases, flowers from their garden and romantic scenes from a history past.
“I like the old style and way of painting. I don’t want to short cut. I trained under a master and became a master myself,” Jos explained.
Having studied the methods of the old Dutch Masters under a Neo-Classical Master, he said he maintained his sense of painting realism while the world was going into abstracts.
“The aim is to make a picture more romantic and timeless,” Jozef said.
“There are combinations of colours that physically excite me. The only way to express that is to paint it.”
One of his paintings, ‘Scenic Rim’ was recently unveiled at the opening of the new Beaudesert courthouse, where it hangs in the foyer.
Jozef has painted over 2000 paintings since becoming a professional artist 55 years ago. At times he would paint for 60 hours a week. Now he admits he doesn’t have the stamina for that many hours.
He’s currently working on a series of little paintings – paintings within a painting, he said, which will allow those with a smaller budget to own a piece of his art.
And while he admits his eyes are getting dull, he can’t stop painting and will continue to produce beautiful pieces until he can’t physically lift a brush anymore.
