Erik Renssen: Creator of “Visions in Paint”

“You know how sometimes you listen to the radio and a song gets stuck in your head ? I have the same thing often, but with images. And I can only free them from my mind by bringing them to life on canvas. “

Erik Renssen is a figurative painter with an eye for composition and texture. His portfolio is characterised by its enormous range not only of subject matter but also in his use of colour.

In his early years, his painting was subdued and almost melancholic in style echoing the female portraits of Modigliani. His current work revels in its abundance of colour, its striking compositions and unusual textures : he mixes sand with oils and applies them with a palette knife or a coarse brush; he works with textiles, paper, foil or cardboard on his canvasses to create unique and complex pieces.

From an early age Renssen has had a special relationship with shapes, colours and beauty: “As a child with dyslexia, I am wired a bit differently when it comes to imagery. Most people think in words and ideas, my mind thinks in images and colours”.

Along with his visual aptitude came a natural appreciation and understanding of drawing and painting. Renssen deliberately and successfully mastered the art of realistic drawing and painting, as he finds it a prerequisite to create abstract and figurative work. “I know it's a cliché, but a strong grasp of the rules is indispensable before you can creatively break them”, says Renssen.

Constantly extending his scope and adding different figurative styles to his collection, diversity is a hall mark of Renssen's work. He works in series, working through a theme until satisfied then moving on to the next. Renssen is a dedicated student of Picasso and, as he himself says: “I've still got a lot to get through there”. However diverse his artwork has turned out over the years one is able to distil an original own hand in his oeuvre by now.