Biography

Jan Min is a dedicated watercolorist, known for his landscapes, cityscapes, seascapes and waterscapes that show his mastery of light and color. His watercolors exude a poetic atmosphere that draws you into the painting and allows you to drift off into a daydream.

Jan was born on 23 September 1951 in Velsen, North Holland, between Haarlem and IJmuiden. The sea, dunes and harbor were always nearby, as well as the city of Haarlem where he attended secondary school. His father was originally a sailor by trade, and Jan himself was an avid fan of sailing.

He began drawing and painting at an early age, perhaps inspired by his shared visits to the Rijksmuseum with his grandfather, who collected paintings. It had always been his passion and his hobby. Especially the large seascapes in Rijksmuseum inspired Jan to copy works by Willem van de Velde and others in oil, even in his teens.

He studied medicine and went on to specialize as a psychiatrist. He worked for the Dutch Royal Navy for a long time. Once his career in the medical field ended, he picked up his artistic passion for drawing and painting fulltime in the early 2000s.

In 2011, he embarked on a five-year course at the Gooise Academie of Laren where he was instructed in various techniques, both graphic and visual. He resumed his career in oil painting, which he enjoyed immensely, and traded it two years later for watercolor painting after taking several master classes, including a Master Class from Alvaro Castagnet in 2012. This technique so captured his heart that he never changed media again, to this day, devoting himself entirely to watercolor.

In 2015, Jan co-founded the Dutch chapter of the International Watercolor Society (IWS), a nonprofit organization dedicated to promoting the Watercolor technique. Jan has been a board member (in the role of treasurer) of IWS Holland since 2015 and is since 2022 President of it. By consistently and diligently devoting himself every day to perfecting and passing on his techniques, he was awarded the prestigious title of “Master” in the international organization of IWS World in April 2017. He became in 2023 signature member of the Pittsburgh Watercolor Society.

Jan Min’s work has been displayed in many exhibitions around the world and won him many awards. His artworks have been published in various internationally known artist magazines. Manufacturers of art supplies created “Jan Min” product lines for watercolor paper, brushes and watercolors.

He also imparts his passion and skills to many amateurs by offering demos, workshops and courses in watercolor painting.

He is also an international judge.