Jacob M. van Laar

Born (1962, Voorburg) and raised in the Netherlands I was infected by the painting bug at  a young age. After completing secondary school I realised however that earning a decent  income as a professional artist would be difficult so I pursued a productive and rewarding career in medicine instead. When going through a rough patch I rediscovered painting, like meeting an old love again. Painting brings solace, joy and an opportunity to express oneself though other means. Paintings have this unique ability to touch a chord. This happens when I see portraits made by Frans Hals, Velasquez, John Singer Sargent, Lucien Freud, and the many other lesser known but talented artists, I love their seemingly nonchalant strokes, subtle use of greys and browns, rendering powerful images. I would love to emulate the quality of their work and continue to strive for perfection but remain humble. As a painter I am largely self-taught, having done masterclasses with Frank Leenhouts (Wacker's, Amsterdam, 2019), Klassieke Academie Groningen (2020), Andrew James (Ditchling, England, 2021), and West Dean College (2023). I paint portraits (preferably from live sessions) and (en plein air) landscapes mainly in a figurative style..I hope you enjoy the paintings on my website, feel free to comment or get in touch with me.