Cock Vermolen

Cornelis Vermolen (Breda, the Netherlands, 1951) is portraitist.

He has been drawing already since he was a little boy sitting on his father’s lap. In 1967 he designs the school logo (later ruined in donald duck style) for  his school, the Willibrord gymnasium, he makes illustrations for several  professional magazines and for the NOT (Dutch educational television. )

From 1975 to 1985 he works in the studio of late Hans Greep, painter and good friend,  and has art lessons from Werner Moonen. Greep teaches him to ‘see’ and ‘observe closely’  and to use the `wide gesture'. From Moonen he learns the principles of drawing the human figure. In the 1990s he takes lessons from Paul van Dongen. With him  he deepens his love for the traditional art of drawing. This artist’s work is still a benchmark for Cornelis. Other important sources of inspiration are Leonardo da Vinci, Jan Sanders van Hemessen, Geertgen tot Sint Jans, Egon Schiele, Lucian Freud, Siegfried Woldhek, Waldemar Post, Johannes Grützke and many others.

 

The sculptures are produced at the workshop of Ceciel van der Weide, sculpture artist.

 

Cornelis Vermolen studied theology and public management . He was trainer, consultant and CEO in government and non-profit-organisations. At present he is board member, commissioner and portraitist.  He lives in Amsterdam and Tilburg, where he has his workshop in the old city centre.