Johannes Landman started drawing and painting at an early age. He paints portraits and still life in oil in both miniature and large scale. He believes the goal of the artist is to understand the beauty and simplicity in simple objects and translate its essence upon the canvas.

I was born in the Netherlands and moved to Spain when I was 4. My parents ran a caravan park in Northern Spain. It was a small village of approximately 5,000 people. The area was pristine along a bird migration path. We ran wild amongst the wildlife. I even had a brief interaction with Dali.

As a child I was always thrilled to go painting “plein air” with my grandmother. She was my first art teacher. She had academic training in the arts. My parents also had many fine pieces of art (impressionist and turn of the century) collected during their time in the Netherlands. We had the great fortune of going on school trips to the museums in Spain. This all sparked the bug for the fine arts.

At 19, I moved to Canada with my family. At 20, I entered Technical College and earned a degree in Forestry. Shortly after graduation, I met Irene, my wife of 39 years and we had two daughters. We raised the family in Victoria, BC.

I worked as a lab manager for a company that made government IDs. It was hardly my dream job. As the kids grew older, I started to feel the need to pursue my dreams which was art. I started painting in the living room and the bedroom. Imagine teenage girls storming around the house while trying to do miniatures. Eventually we built a studio in the backyard. That’s where I work out of now. It is a great space.

Irene and I have four grandkids and a temperamental cat named Auggie. My hobbies include working on my CNC machine, biking, going to the gym, and devising ways to find the dog that keeps pooping on my lawn.

I discovered the miniature world really by accident. I wasn’t aware of the existing miniature artists at the time. I just found that I was most comfortable at the small scale and was excited about creating something that no one had done before.

As I discovered the miniature field, I wanted to explore tried new avenues within the miniatures. I experimented with different techniques – oils, translucent, layers– to understand what types of effects I can bring to these miniatures. It took me many years to find my voice and style and I think this evolution reflects in my paintings over the years.

I have tried many substrates including copper, ivory, plaster, wood panel and silk. They all give a different look to the painting. As far as mediums, I have tried from water color to fresco, gouche or stick, oils, acrylics and on. I even made my own oil paints according to Vermeer’s palette with original pigments from lapis lazuli to lead tin yellow.

Besides, 1:12 I try to go to 1:4 scale. Sometimes, I work on larger canvases as this forces me to use my brain differently. I typically show these larger paintings at local art shows. It is a constant experiment.

My workspace is very plain except for a 1900’s easel in a background. I use full spectrum light with a window on my left. Classical music plays on low volume. I use an architect’s table that gives me a bit of an angle. The studio is quite large with a vaulted ceiling.

My day starts at 7 am. Preparation as I look at different images and colours getting ideas and approaches will determine the flow of the piece. The hardest or most difficult parts of the painting will be executed early in the morning while energy/focus is the highest. The day can end between 5 or 9 pm depending how close the deadline of a show is, or some part of a painting have to be done while paint remains wet.

The answer I usually give to how long a miniature takes is 17 years. It is the experience/practice/hard work that counts when looking at a finished piece. Between painting and framing it can take 3 weeks however I can work at different paintings between drying stages.

All frames are hand made out of wood. Carving is involved. The process is incredibly labour intensive. Wood, bolo (red clay), and 28 ct gold leaf, varnish is used.

My work has been purchased by the Kansas City Miniature Museum and private collections in South Africa, Japan, USA, UK, and Canada. I have completed many commissions for customers in the past and continues to do so today.

I am honestly not sure what is next for me. Long term planning doesn’t really exist in a painter’s world. It is difficult to say what I’ll be working on a year from now. My inspiration often drives on what I work. There are some larger art projects that I’ve been contemplating. Also, my wife has recently retired, and we want to do some travelling. No matter what I do, miniatures always draw me back with new projects and inspiration.