Village Squire, 1978-09, Page 22Arie's Studio and Art Gallery is located in a quiet country setting near Holmesville.
He moved back to Holland for six months
but then in 1951 came back to Canada to
stay. After the air force came business,
success and yet a feeling that something
was missing.
His move away from the business world
began when about seven years ago the
family decided to look for a place in the
country. They wrote to various realtors
about country property and one of the
places mentioned to them was the
Holmesville property. They came up from
the city, explored the 80 -acre farm and
bought it.
They had the property but it was hardly a
home. The only sign of habitation on the
property was the remains of the house built
in 1843. Only three walls were left standing
after the building had been dismantled.
Arie's first thought, he recalls, was to
demolish the rest and start clean. But then
he reconsidered and decided to make use
of what was there.
The top of the walls was levelled off, a
basement dug, a wall was extended, a
beamed ceiling was added and the result
was a unique, beautiful and interesting
home. Arie designed the entire house and
did most of the work involved. Home
wasn't built in a day, however, and it took
five years to finish the building. Only in the
last two years could they call the place
finished.
The emphasis in the home is on airiness
and spaciousness. The living ,room has a
sunken fireplace pit. cathedral ceiling and
two open staircases leading to a balcony off
which is the bedrooms. There's a large sun
room at one side of the house giving a view
of the countryside and decorated with
dozens of plants.
Out back is the large building that
houses in the upstairs Arie's art gallery
and work area. The gallery is quite large
considering that all the work in it is the
product of one man. His paintings vary in
size and style from large landscapes to
small portraits and still lifes.
Despite his out of the way location, quite
a few people do visit the gallery, some
coming up from Kitchener or London
specifically to visit the gallery. Before the
gallery was finished he used to sell his
work out of his house but the gallery is
much -better he says.
Until the studio was opened he did little
advertising and even today most of his
business comes through word-of-mouth
recommendations. Some people apparently
have taken a real fancy to his work. There
is a couple in London that have seven of his
paintings and another in Clinton that has
the same number. Several families have
three or four.
Still, he says, he doesn't sell that many
paintings. He's not a painting factory, he
says, although he is more prolific than
many painters, obviously from the size of
the offering in his gallery. He is highly
critical of the assembly line art that is
brought into the country from places such
as Mexico and sold in mass-market outlets.
These factories churn out paintings with
one painter doing skies, another water, etc.
He feels it sad that in modern day
Canada people have money for all kinds of
mundane things but not for some of the
better things in life. Artists on the whole,
he says, aren't paid enough. He feels the
artists in our society should be more
appreciated. People pay attention most,
however. to practical things. Still, if
everything in our society was practical,
everyone would be wearing one colour of
Stanford Jewellers
Listowel
Invites all
attending the
Plowing Match
TO VISIT OUR
Friendly Town
of Listowel
While you are here drop in
and see our great gift line of
Crystal, Fine China,
Beswick Horses and Animals.
GODERICH
RECORDS & TAPES
CENTRE
HOME . CAR STEREO
CB RADIOS
524-4466
SUNCOAST MALL,
GODERICH, ONT.
Records & Tapes
[Cassette & 8 Track]
Largest selection
in the area.
CB Radios
VHF Marine Radios
Car Stereo
Complete Antennas
& Accessories
OPEN: Weekdays 10-9
Sat. 10-6
VILLAGE SQUIRE/SEPTEMBER 1978. PG. 21.