Fred Gruizinga M.A.A.

Eyeries on the Beara Peninsula, Passage-West Co. Cork, Ballinskelligs, Co Kerry, Killarney, Co. Kerry and Ballyshannon on the Sligo-Donegal border are places where Fred has lived during the past 25 years.

He was born in the city of Amsterdam, in 1938 but he was never a "city man".

When he got married in 1965, he moved away from Amsterdam to live in a rural area.

His educational background is in Graphics.

With his qualifications he became a specialist in colour reproduction techniques. This work, which requires great precision, became the basis for his refined artwork later.

When computerization began to influence photography, he changed his profession to become the head of a Design Studio for illuminated Signs with a prominent technical advertising agency.

For a time this position suited him very well. It was always exciting to see a small design develop into an installation of sometimes gigantic dimenions, but because of urbanization and overcrowding in Holland. Fred decided to move into a different artistic direction, to be realized in the unspoilt and beautiful settings of Ireland in 1977.

Here he developed his unique artistic interpretation of the landscape. He started with small paintings which were and are very much appreciated in Ireland and abroad.

He is also producing larger paintings in which he still maintains fine detail.

It gives him pleasure to see his artwork become part of the domestic lives of others in the form of a long lasting treasure, sometimes a special gift and most of all a unique piece of art, produced by hand and framed by the artist himself.

His first exhibition was at the 1982 Annual Art Show of Skibbereen.

Three successful one-man-shows. The first one opened by TV star Kathleen Watkins - the second by Senator Brian Crowly (European Parliament) and the third by TV presentator Tom O'Reilly. A presentation was made to the then Irish President Mary Robinson at the opening of a community centre Muckross Killarney.

Fred's work can be found in a number of galleries all over Ireland and even in the U.S.A. Fred has received numerous awards in the annual Exhibitions of Bantry, the Miniature Art Society of Florida (M.A.S.F.) Montana (M.M.A.S.) Georgia (G.M.A.S.) New Jersey (M.A.S.N.J.) and of Washington D.C. (M.P.S.G.) and was elected in 1989 to Miniature Artist of America (M.A.A.). M.A.A. is the first organization to honour top professionals in miniaturism, exhibiting in the U.S.A.

Certificates include:

• The Amsterdam School of Graphics (A.G.S.)
• Drawing and Free Expression (A.G.S.)
• Air-Photography, Royal Dutch Airforce
• Professional Reproduction Techniques for Bookprint and Lithography, Business Enterprises Amsterdam
• Commercial Drawing Techniques and Design, Famous Artists Schools/F.A.S.
• Construction Techniques and Architecture.