Anne Horjus, a Dutch artist, was raised in a quaint village near the Wadden Sea in Friesland, the northern province of the Netherlands. Growing up, Anne traversed the picturesque countryside daily on his bike to school, passing Friesian farms and witnessing countless migrating birds along the coastline. Inspired by his surroundings, he began sketching, painting, and crafting from a young age. After high school, Anne pursued classical singing at the Royal Conservatory in The Hague, alongside developing his skills as a visual artist. This diverse background has led him to engage in various freelance projects, including portraits, landscapes, art installations, murals, theater sets, woodcarvings, puppet building, storytelling, and writing. Anne has illustrated numerous children's picture books in The Netherlands, Belgium, and the U.S.A., often combining his artistic talents to create captivating performances for audiences. Additionally, he served as a part-time children's library program coordinator for 16 years, during which he contributed to the Collaborative Summer Library Program Manual and provided thematic art and craft projects for World Book. Anne is a sought-after workshop host for literacy and art-related youth programs in library systems and school districts, bringing creativity and enthusiasm to his educational endeavors.
Video by Chris Friesen (www.chrisfriesenvisuals.com) The top 6 photographs by Christina Beam.
'Illustration's for 'Sleep" projected at the Royal Concert Hall of Amsterdam - With Eric Whitacre and the Dutch Radio Choir
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The most remarkable artist here is the Dutch illustrator Anne Horjus. His inner child seems to have never lost that dreamy sense of wonder and curiosity that characterizes his illustrations for children’s literature. It’s not a genre to which I have ever related, even as a child. Specifically for this show, he has painted something completely different: two wall-size skyscapes that seem to have leaped straight out of the Dutch Golden Age. They summon that sense of celestial awe so easily associated with divine revelation. They come from a time in European history when faith drove armies, and I might almost have signed up. Horjus is a versatile artist. Possibly he will never paint the swirling clouds of a luminous Baroque sky ever again, but I wish he’d make it his specialty.
Horjus’s graphite-and-airbrush art masterfully manipulates perspective and angles to portray a young boy's “falling” asleep.
Dutch born artist and current Wisconsin resident Anne (pronounced ON-eh) Horjus is exhibiting two series, each inspired by the choral works of composer Eric Whitacre. Horjus is a singer and a visual artist, so working the two disciplines together is a natural fit for him.
His first series entitled “Sleep” combines fine-lined sketch work with muted colors that depict the thoughts of a slumbering boy. Done in black Derwent pencils and airbrush it has a wonderfully light touch. “Sleep” is now available in book form with a poem by Charles Anthony Silvestri and includes a link to Whitacre’s musical composition.
The artist’s second series, bolder with more highly-saturated colors, is “Leonardo Dreams of his Flying Machine.” Inspired by the works of DaVinci, it complements another Whitacre composition.
When viewed side by side it is difficult to imagine that they are works by the same artist, but Horjus is nothing if not versatile. Friends describe him as a “Renaissance Man.”
An hour north in Baraboo (home to Circus World and its vast treasure of Ringling Brothers memorabilia), you’ll find musician, painter, puppet-maker and children’s librarian, Anne Horjus. You’re at the right house when you see his incredible life-size puppets on the front porch. The Dutch artist sets up a table for kids and adults to try the silverpoint, an Old World drawing technique that Horjus is using in his next children’s book about Leonardo da Vinci.
With pictures as otherworldly as sleep itself, a Baraboo librarian has created a children’s book based on a mystical piece of choral music.
In “Sleep,” based on the words of Charles Anthony Silvestri, self-taught illustrator Anne Horjus brings the mysteries of nighttime to the page in some 20 pictures, each crafted in pencil to evoke the muted shades of darkness.
If you understand Frysian.
Who is the most expensive artist alive . As of my last knowledge update in January 2022, it's challenging to determine the absolute "most expensive" artist alive, as art prices can fluctuate, and new sales records may emerge. However, as of that time, artists like Jeff Koons, David Hockney, and Damien Hirst were among those known for achieving high prices for their artworks.