Principal Artist .......Gerrit Verstraete began his fine art studies as a child in the Netherlands, his country of birth. There he attended the Hopmanshuis fine art school in the medieval city of Zwolle. 1958 brought Gerrit Verstraete to Canada. After attending highschool he enrolled in 1964 at the Ontario College of Art. He graduated with honours in 1968. He is an Associate ( AOCA ) of the Ontario College of Art. For thirty-four years he has developed his passion for drawing. He is an accomplished classical drawing artist. In addition he has taught drawing in workshop and seminar sessions where he focusses on the classical Renaissance style of "studio critique method" of teaching. He spends most of his time drawing in his private Masterpeace Fine Art Studio on Gabriola Island, British Columbia, Canada. With a special focus on drawing, Gerrit Verstraete creates his "Art of the spirit" as an expression of the human spirit, endowed by the Spirit of God to create images that communicate experience as well as vision, solutions as well as problems, hope as well as futility. Gerrit Verstraete is also the founder of the Drawing Society of Canada. Gerrit Verstraete's drawing styles encompass a broad range of original drawings including the meticulous detail of realistic and representational "Academy" classical drawings, free- spirited expressionist "Renaissance" drawings, "Silverpoint" drawings and highly contemporary expressionist drawings in mixed media. "Art of the spirit" is Gerrit Verstraete's private and public journey of drawing in the footsteps of the masters. In addition to creating fine art masterpieces for sale or gallery exhibition, he also accepts private and corporate commissions. Many of his fine arty drawings are in private and corporate collections as well as special collections of such places as Upper Canada College, British Columbia's Government House, and the Chemainus Theatre. The original drawings of Gerrit Verstraete are a solid investment in the proven world of fine art collecting and investment. .......Although computer imaging simply cannot match or capture the integrity and beauty of Gerrit Verstraete's drawings, the following Photo Gallery offers you a sampling of the quality of his work. The best thing of course is to make a private appointment to view the originals up close and personal. You will be truly impressed. First steps....... "Hopmanshuis," a 17th century building in Zwolle, along the city's inner canal, where Gerrit Verstraete began his first art lessons in 1950. 1950 - The Dutch painter, Stien Eelsingh ( 1903-1964 ), who was Gerrit Verstraete's first art teacher at the "Hopmanshuis" art school, when he was 5 years old in Zwolle, the Netherlands (Click on image for larger picture) "Queen and King," ( 1950 ) is the first work of art created as a group project by Gerrit Verstraete and fellow students of Stien Eelsingh. (Click on image for larger picture) 1950 - fellow students at "Hopmanshuis" art school. (Click on images for larger picture)