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BIOGRAPHY

“I’m committed to a life of creating images. My primary goal is to master the art of painting and to develop increasingly the ability to convey my passion for the subjects I explore. These paintings will document my diverse experiences and explorations in life. My style or technique will continue to evolve as I strive to express how I feel about the subject I’m focused on.”

Born in St. Boniface, Manitoba, Canada in 1960, Van Ginkel moved with his family to Calgary in 1973. In search of change and new stimulation he then moved to Vancouver in 1996, however, returned to Calgary in 2001. Prior to earning a Master of Fine Arts degree from Syracuse University in New York, he was educated at the Alberta College of Art in Calgary. After working as an illustrator for 6 years, Van Ginkel has been a fine art painter since 1990. He considers himself a contemporary representational painter who specializes in western themes.

Part of Van Ginkel's growth as an artist has come from extended painting trips to major art centres including New York, Italy, Australia, Mexico and Santa Fe. He also continues to travel the globe in search of new artistic stimulation while also expanding his vast archive of photographic reference material.

Van Ginkel has received many awards and distinctions for his work including 4 Calgary Stampede Best of Show awards. In addition to recently being selected by Fresco Fine Art Publishers (Albuquerque, New Mexico) as one of the top western artists working today (a hard cover book was published titled "Western Traditions - Contemporary Artists of the American West") he's had cover feature articles in the October 2007 issue of Western Horse Review, the November 2005 issue of Appaloosa Journal and the March 2004 issue of Southwest Art magazine (see Editorial section). Some of his recent commissions include the official image for Canada's 2009 entry at the world's most prestigious international culinary competition The Bocuse d'Or and the 2007 Calgary Stampede poster.

Van Ginkel represents himself while the only United States gallery he's chosen to showcase his paintings is www.McLarryFineArt.com in Santa Fe, New Mexico (the third largest art market in North America).