Exploring a love for landscape and urbanscape comes naturally to award-winning artist Kim VanDerHoek. Raised in Big Bear City, Kim spent her childhood immersed in trees and sunshine. Her passion and creativity are undeniably expressed in her artwork.
From Land to Sea
After earning a degree in illustration from Oakland’s California College of Arts, Kim’s career took her into the world of graphic design. Eventually, she decided to dedicate herself to painting full time. And dedicate herself she did! This talented lady is busy busy busy! In addition to painting, Kim teaches weekly classes in Orange County, co-created both a monthly online art contest and an in-depth Q&A resource for artists, and attends painter’s invitational events nationwide. What started as a dream has been transformed into Kim’s reality.
As a plein air painter, Kim embraces the challenges that painting outdoors presents. Changing conditions and light make forethought and quick decision-making a necessity. Kim also brings those strengths to her easel when she works in the studio. The resulting paintings feel fresh and calming. Her studio work is equally decisive and fluid; never a staid representation of her subject.
6th Street Bridge Arches
Kim’s graphic design background comes into play with her choice of subject matter. She is as equally drawn to trees and estuaries as to the arcs and curves of a freeway overpass. She heeded the call of LA architecture, especially the 6th Street Bridge, to produce her bridge paintings. Kim’s love for the design sensibility of chairs and all they can represent is “couched” in her latest series of paintings. And by love, we mean L-O-V-E! If she could, Kim would collect seats of all shapes and sizes…and we don’t mean the ones found on your backsides!
Estranged
Kim exhibits her work around the country in juried exhibitions and invitational shows. Earlier in 2016, she completed a commission for the ACE Hotel in New Orleans of panels for armoirs and was also a featured artist in Southwest Art Magazine. An active member of the American Impressionist Society (AIS), Southern California Plein Air Painters Association (SoCalPAPA), Kim is also a signature member of Laguna Plein Air Painters Association (LPAPA) and an Artists member of the California Art Club (CAC). Her many awards include 2nd Place at the SoCalPAPA Painting the Light show, 1st Place at Chemers Gallery’s HeART of Orange County All Media exhibition and Best of Show at the SoCalPAPA Orange County Fair paintout.
To see more of Kim’s delightful paintings, follow this link or see in person at Chemers Gallery!