Introducing “Gerrit Swaan” Retired Banker, Passionate Painter

Hello, and welcome!

My name is Gerrit Swaan, born in 1949 in the Jordaan area of ​​Amsterdam, married and father of 2 children and grandfather of 3 grandchildren. In my early years I grew up in a family where sociability was of paramount importance, but where the war years had also left their mark. Subsequently, my young years mainly took place during the hippie movement in a restless Amsterdam. Most of the young people associated with it initially took on other interests as they grew older, went back to school and conformed to society to pursue a career.

That’s how it went with me, too. After high school I started drawing with ink and covered the result with a glass plate that was further processed with a spray paint can. By removing the paint where necessary, a 3D effect was created. I wanted to go to the art academy, however art experts advised me to go to America and continue my work there. Unfortunately, at this crucial moment, I had no global experience and knew no one in this new world. Who arranges and pays for this. What does my income picture look like. I became insecure and did not take this step. I also adapted and started studying Accounting, Marketing and Banking. My career lasted until 1981 in business and ended in 2013 in banking.

I started painting in 2015. Painting or rather Story painting has become my passion. When I set up a painting, my first concern is the subject and the story behind it. This is followed by developing the story into a creative concept. The final image usually arises during the production of the painting. Measured in time, all these steps take me several months, resulting in no more than two oil paintings per year.

The paintings are presented chronologically on the website, with a black and white photo version and my story.

I wish you a lot of viewing and reading pleasure.

Yours faithfully,

Gerrit Swaan