Pieter Zaadstra – Curriculum Vitae
Pieter Zaadstra was born on 15th of January 1955 at Skraerd, Frisia, Netherlands. He began his journey in art as a young boy sketching in various studios that adhered to the School of Den Hague impressionism style using the cross-hatching oil painting techniques. A feature was a limited grey palette and blending styles to create moody atmospheric artworks for which Pieter is now sought after.
At 10 years of age he won the inaugural ‘Gysbert Japix Tekenwedstryd’ art award.
Pieter’s art education continued after migration to Australia and he gained recognition with many commissions. His portrait commissions for a public space included that of former SA Governor, eminent scientist and Nobel Laureate, Sir Mark Oliphant as well as many prominent business identities for boardrooms, and also heirloom artworks.
Pieter’s main interest is capturing the skies over the wild places.
Two books featuring his artworks were published, “The Flight of the Black Cockatoo (1987)” and “Our Australian Kelpie (1991)” which was launched by former Prime Minister Malcolm Fraser.
Pieter’s interest in the publishing industry is as artist and author.
In 2004 Pieter accepted a commission to paint/author the Central Tasmanian Highlands for a book about the fly-fishing lifestyle, and his wife Tanya and Pieter made Tasmania their home, opening a new studio/gallery at Gravelly Beach in the Tamar Valley.
In 2007 Pieter published his first Tasmanian book “The Artist & the Fly Fisher” to excellent reviews as far away as England.
This was followed in 2009 by a book featuring his ‘home’ town Mount Gambier and the book of art called ‘Tamar Valley – an artist’s journal’ was published in 2010.
He is currently working on several books about iconic Tasmania and a companion volume to “The Artist & the Fly Fisher.” These ‘works in progress’ projects have spun into the ‘Tales of the Atelier’ – a comprehensive portfolio of art and stories.
Pieter’s paintings are found in both corporate and private collections.
ACCOLADES AND AWARDS
1970 SE Land Annual Junior Art Awards winner early 1970’s
1970 SE Land Annual Senior Art Awards winner later in the 1970’s
1978 Guest Artist Toronto Apex Club exhibition
1979 Feature artist Millicent Rotary Club exhibition
1980 Henry Post Annual Art Awards winner
1980 Millicent Rotary Club Annual Art Prize winner
1983 Mixed exhibition The Barn at McLaren Vale, Adelaide
1984 City of Hamilton Acquisitive Art Prize winner
1984 Guest Artist Hamilton Rotary exhibition
1985 Exhibition at Masonic Centre, North Terrace, Adelaide
1985 Featured in ‘Simply Living’ Magazine
1989 Official Guest Artist Royal Adelaide Show, 1989
1990 Riddoch Art Gallery acquisitions
1990 Represented in corporate collections
(NAB, Coca Cola, Kimberly Clark, CSR/Softwoods, Matthews Hotel Group, MacDonnell Timber Group, DeBruin Group, and others)
1991 Dunlite International Calendar – “Drover’s Dream”
1991 Featured on The 7.30 Report ABC Television 1991
1992 City of Mulgrave/Cairns Art Prize winner
1996 Published in Victorian Tourism Magazine
1996 High Commendation Certificate – Doug Moran National Portrait Prize
1996 Penola Festival’s John Shaw Nielson Acquisitive Art Prize winner 1996.
1997 City of Mount Gambier several acquired artworks
1997 City of Millicent Council art collection acquisitions
1998 Published in Art Australia Magazine
1997 President of the Mount Gambier Tourism Operators 1997-99.
1997 President of the South East Art Society and manager of Studio One during 1997.
2001 Zaadstra Gallery feature on ABC National TV – Radio Pictures – 2001
2004 2004 Robert Riddoch Rymill Art Award, Penola, SA
2004 Guest Artist Onkaparinga Council/Wattle Range Council September 2004
2006 Finalist – John Glover Award – 2006
2006 Cover feature – American Stock Dogs magazine – 2006
2007 “The Artist & the Fly Fisher” Tasmanian PICA Award for Prestige Publications.
2007 “The Artist & the Fly Fisher” – Tasmanian governmental official gifts
2007 Launched “The Artist & the Fly Fisher” – Petrarchs Book Shop Launceston
2008 Winner – Victorian Fly Fishers Association Inaugural Art Prize – 2008
2009 Lifestyle feature in Fly Life Magazine
2009 Featured in 40 Degrees South Magazine
2010 Unveiled the 6 metres triptych art work about the Tamar River in the Riverside Council Chambers.
2010 Featured reviews Adelaide Advertiser, Hobart’s Mercury and RACT travel magazine
2012 2012 Quest Artist at the Casterton Kelpie Muster in Victoria.
2012 Participant in the Such is Life exhibition at the Ritchie’s Mill, Launceston .
2013 Cover feature ‘Holland’ magazine
2013 Elected president of the Tamar Valley Art Trail Inc.
2014 Feature on R.M.Williams Outdoors magazine
2014 Tamar Valley Art Trail Exhibition Ritchies Mill
2015 Opening White Church Art Gallery
2015 Storyteller of the Year Award – Champion of Tourism – Tasmania
2016 WetCanvas.com Animals and Wildlife forum tutor.
Solo Exhibitions
1976 Solo Exhibition at Portland, Victoria
1983 Solo exhibition at The Barn McLaren Vale
1991 “Our Australian Kelpie Exhibition” – Hilton Hotel, Adelaide
1992 Local Images Exhibition at Penola 1992
2004 2004 “Beyond Charcoal” Solo Exhibition, Studio One Gallery, Mt Gambier
2004 2004 “New Works” Exhibition, Local Images Gallery, Penola, SA
2007 Solo Exhibition – 1842 Gallery – Launceston – 2007
2008 Solo Exhibition – The Salamanca Collection – Hobart – 2008
2011 2011 Solo exhibition at Ritchie’s Mill in Launceston.
2012 2012 Wild Exhibition at Local Images, Penola.
2012 Country Club Exhibition, Launceston.
2013 Country Club Exhibition, Launceston
2014 Country Club Exhibition, Launceston
Publications
1987 ‘The Flight of the Black Cockatoo’
1991 ‘Our Australian Kelpie’ Malcolm Fraser Launch
2009 “Mount Gambier – an Essay in Art”
2010 ‘Tamar Valley – an artist’s journal’ – an alliance with the West Tamar Council.
2011 “Australian Kelpie Art”
2015 Tales of the Atelier Volume 1
2016 Tales of the Atelier Volume 2
