Cole Gallery

Cary Jurriaans

Cary Jurriaans

Cary is a classical realist. She moved to the United States from her native Holland many years ago and now resides in Langley on Whidbey Island. There she operates the Whidbey Island Fine Art Studio, bringing world class artists to Whidbey to teach classical and contemporary art forms.

The Dutch paintings she grew up with as a child still have an influence on her paintings today, although she has evolved in very much her own style. Cary comes from a family of painters: her aunt was the Parisian painter Mena Loopuyt, and she is descended from Johan Joeke Gabirel van Wicheren - a Dutch portrait painter.

Cary is the first female member invited to join the historical group of artists, "Puget Sound Group of Northwest Painter", of which she is a Signature Member.  Established in 1928, the PSGNWA bears the distinction of being one of the first associations of traditional fine art painters and sculptors in the United States. The group has played a major role in strengthening and sustaining the visual arts in the Pacific Northwest. Cary is also a member of Oil Painters of America, Portrait Society of America and American Women Painters. Cary's work has been exhibited in numerous juried shows, and her work is in private collections in the US and in Europe.



Artist Statement:

My work centers around the still life, things in everyday life, that inspire me. Superficially a still life painting is just a painting of objects. On closer view something different is going on. It is not about the individuality of the objects, but the unity and atmosphere created. The mood, character and philosophy of ideas together with composition, color, light and dark. There are also symbolical meanings connected to many things in a still life painting.

To me a painting should be conveying emotions and concepts in a vision of reality, going beyond the objects depicted.

My life is not complete without creating something that I find beautiful or that tastes great; I love cooking! My paintings are a celebration of pleasures, beauty, food, wine, shapes, dark and light and peace and quiet. I like to paint the beauty of creation in ordinary things and everyday life.