By Ben Olson
Bruce Duykers touches up one of his paintings. Courtesy photo.
Reader Staff
In the world of art, abstract painters seem to have the most fun. Sandpoint artist Bruce Duykers will showcase a dozen of his abstract creations — many of them quite large — at an opening artist reception at the Pend d’Oreille Winery from 5-7 p.m. on Thursday, Feb. 8.
Duykers wasn’t always an abstract artist. He actually got his start at the American Academy of Art in Chicago where he studied realism, watercolors and other forms.
“I painted a lot of realism art, especially when I was living in Montana,” Duykers told the Reader. “I did a lot of Western stuff, but after a while I got tired of doing horses and cattle.”
Duykers contends that any artist who continues to do the same thing over and over again, “probably gets a little tired of it, so I switched to something new. Abstract has been an interesting tributary in the last eight years.”
An abstract in red and gold by Bruce Duykers. Courtesy photo.
Duykers primarily works with oils, mainly because of how it interacts on the canvas for him.
“It moves on the canvas good for me,” he said. “It’s malleable enough to do what I want it to do. Acrylics are great, but they dry quickly. They can be kind of flat unless you coat them with something. Oils have always been the choice for me.”
Duykers said some of the abstract masters that have inspired him include famed artists in New York City and others points in the east, as well as some in the Santa Fe, N.M. region.
“[Willem] de Kooning, he was really out there,” Duykers said. “Also, Franz Kline and [Mark] Rothko, he did some fabulous simple work, with bars of colors. Now his stuff is going for millions. So is de Kooning’s work. They were groundbreakers in New York for abstract.”
When asked what inspired his current abstract work in Sandpoint, Duykers said he has a love for architecture of mid-century modern homes.
“It’s a simple way to live and it actually goes with abstract,” he said. “It’s architecture that is simple, direct and very easy to live with. Abstracts are kind of like that.”
Duykers said he is also inspired by abstract artist Joan Mitchell, who painted abstract flowers and gardens.
“She did huge paintings, big canvases like 12-feet by 20-feet,” Duykers said. “Another woman, [Helen] Frankenthaler, she painted with dyes and her stuff is in museums from Cape Code to Santa Fe.”
Duykers said he always enjoys showcasing his work at the Pend d’Oreille Winery.
“It’s one of the nicer venues for people who want to show their work,” he said. “Now that I’ve started painting large pieces, there are very few rooms around here that can handle them.”
Check out Duykers’ work at his opening Thursday, Feb. 8 from 5-7 p.m. View some of Duykers’ work online at Bruce Duykers Fine Art on Facebook.
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