Art and Peter van Steenwijk / Autobiography.

Three aspects of art that are part of my life:

  • Teaching arts.
  • Enjoying art.
  • Creating art.

Teaching arts

Together with students ranging from 12 to 18 years, I’m working with art on a daily basis. This gives me great pleasure. Young people are interested in art, of that I’m certain. Additionally, I’m inspired by young people. They are straightforward and honest. Their world is changing rapidly and I endeavor to follow them in this process. From my experience and level of development I supply them with information. They respond to that and it appears that I can contribute to their development.

Enjoying art

Art is something I greatly enjoy. Specifically art in urban agglomerations is an inspiration. A city with its cultural events fascinates me and is an ideal travel destination. Berlin is my favorite city. I have boundless admiration for the artists Käthe Kollwitz, Ernst Barlach and Franz Marc.

Creating art

My preference is to work with materials as a craftsman. My purpose is to create something in which I reveal something about myself. If someone else likes it, it gives me that extra incentive to make artistic products. Currently my favorite activities are pottery, photography and model drawing. A new dimension in artistic experience emerged from my activities in the area of art education. Writing a method for teaching art and the development and maintaining of an educational website have resulted from this.

My training and various activities

I was born in 1952 in Nijmegen. I have studied "LTS elektrotechniek"(1) from 1964 to 1966 and "MTS elektrotechniek"(2) from 1966 to 1972. Whilst being employed as electrical draftsman I have taken; various evening courses amongst which was "M.O. A - handenarbeid"(3) at the creativity center at Weurt from 1973 to 1974. Following that I attended the new "Lerarenopleiding Ubbo Emmius tekenen/handvaardigheid 2de graad"(4) at Leeuwarden from 1974 to 1979. After this I went to the Academy Minerva in Groningen obtaining a "1ste graad"(5) in Art, Crafts and Art history from 1979 to 1981. From 1981 to 1982 I took a position as teacher of technical drawing, creative drawing and crafts at the "Chr. Technische School" in Amersfoort. From 1982 to 1983 I was teacher of crafts at "de Heertganck" in Heerde and at the "Carolus Clusius College" in Zwolle. From 1982 to 2019.I teach the art courses Cultural en Artistic Education, Art:Plastic en I'm Art Coordinator at the "Carolus Clusius" in Zwolle. Member of Zwolsche artists association "Het Palet" and BZK.


(1) Lower level Vocational School of Electrical Engineering
(2) Medium level Vocational School of Electrical Engineering
(3) Comparable level to Bachelor's degree in education of crafts
(4) Comparable level to Bachelor's degree in education of drawing/crafts
(5) Comparable level to Master's degree in education