Jannie van Eijk is a lifelong artist who started sculpting one of a kind figurative sculptures in 1991. She sculpted over 40 small (1.5" to 1' ) figures from stone clay.
Then she discovered polymer clay and sculpted eight large figures. She quit because real life interfered with creativity. In 1996 with the encouragement of a good friend she designed six carollers and started sculpting in stone clay to create the heads (2" to 1' or 1/6 human size) for Huron Av Carollers
Sculpting again after almost a five year hiatus, started the creative juices flowing and she was soon working in polymer clay creating children, adults and more mature folks in 1/3 human size.
Portrait and lifelike figures is what she enjoys creating, althought she does sculpt Father Christmas on request.
The creative outlet of sculpting was a natural progression from painting/drawing figures/portraits. She worked as a graphic artist/designer for over 20 years.
Jannie was born in the Netherlands and immigrated to Canada with her parents and sister at the age of 10.
She remembers going with her mom to a college where her mom worked each Wednesday afternoon (no school for elementary students) "in the old country" and being given plasticine by the art students and creating gnomes and small animals which she was allowed to take home with her.
At the same time she would draw, build furniture from balsa wood for the dollhouse her dad had built for her, sew, knit and was learning how to fix motorcycles (her dad was always fixing or rebuilding his friends' bikes) and Jannie did not mind getting her hands dirty, even then.
Her interest in art never wavered although she did drift off into various other fields and life endeavours.
Her two greatest accomplishments.....her two son's
Left to Right: Jannie, her sister, mom (Lena) and dad (Willem)
Jannie at age three.
Scraped knees and all. Typical.
Jannie and "Tranquillity"
May 2000
Jannie is a self-taught sculptor and loves to create and share her knowledge through teaching or answering questions she can.
Jannie is one of the original founders of the Canadian Doll Artist Association and one of the organizers of the first ever Canadian "Doll" Conference in 2000.
She was editor in chief of the quarterly newsletter for two years until the newly elected executive took over.
