Henry Vander Velde [1913-1997] "Catalina Sunset"-Oil Painting-by Henry Vander Velde 3756-C Oversized Post Card Dexter Color California, Inc., 3460 Wilshire Blvd., Los Angeles, Calif. 90005
Oil Painting-Catalina Sunset by Henry Vander Velde. Assorted Post Cards
Henry Vander Velde is a noted seascape and desert painter of Southern California. His work is represented in public and private collections throughout the United States. Training: University of Michigan and National Academy of Design, New York. Address: P.O. Box 356, Avalon, California 90704. Phone: Avalon 30.
Henry Vander Velde [1913-1997] was born in Grand Rapids, MI on Jan. 23, 1913, He was exposed to art at an early age, as a number of ancestors on his father's side were painters, and his mother was an accomplished landscape and still life painter. Coming from a long line of Dutch painters, Henry began painting at an early age under the supervision of his mother, Hanny, who was a graduate of the Royal Academy of Rotterdam. Vander Velde received artistic training at the University of Michigan, the Art Students League in Chicago, and the National Academy of Design in New York City. He married Marjorie Waller, a portrait artist and the granddaughter of two distinguished American artists. Her maternal grandparents were Frederick MacMonnies, a famous sculptor and painter, and Mary Fairchild MacMonnies (Lowe). Marjorie's mother, Betty, also painted.
The financial demands of starting a new family, and then the advent of World War II, put Vander Velde's artistic career on hold. He worked in the defense effort during the war and then briefly at the Ford Motor Company before deciding to make his career in fine art. He later moved to southern California and was assistant professor of art at Long Beach College. He then established a studio-home in Avalon on Catalina Island where he taught private classes. In 1947, he packed up his young family and moved to Laguna Beach, California. For the next 13 years he established himself as a successful artist, painting a great deal of the time en plein air. As time passed, he painted larger paintings that required a lot of studio time, but his inspiration continued to be painting en plein air, directly from nature. While living in Laguna Beach, he became an active member of the Laguna Art Association and exhibited paintings at the Laguna Art Museum and the Laguna Festival of Arts.
From their home in Laguna Beach, the Vander Velde family looked out to sea; on clear days, and particularly at sunset, they could see Catalina Island in the distance. In 1960, they succumbed to the lure of the island and moved to Avalon. He then established a studio-home in Avalon on Catalina Island where he taught private classes. Vander Velde quickly established himself in Catalina and became widely known for his beautiful and detailed paintings of the beach and ocean. He painted opalescent sunsets and moon-washed seascapes. Although most of his painting was done in his studio, he always did his preliminary sketches onsite.
Vander Velde became a very active member of the Catalina art community. He showed his paintings annually in the Catalina Art Festival and served as a director of the Catalina Art Association. He spent most of the rest of his years in Avalon, leaving for a period to live in Hawaii with his grandson Edward, to whom he enjoyed teaching the finer points of traditional painting. He returned to Avalon to spend his last years, and leaves a legacy of fine Catalina paintings. Two of Vander Velde's eight children, Jan and Berthe (Beth), now live in Catalina, where they carry on the family heritage as accomplished artists.