The Mountlake Terrace Arts Advisory Commission presents the John De Koekkoek Exhibit at the City of Mountlake Terrace Library, 23300 58th Avenue West. He describes his work as eclectic to style and medium and is particularly fond of oil on canvas in the Western tradition.

Born and raised in the Seattle area, John De Koekkoek sold his first artwork to several of his high school teachers. De Koekkoek inherited his artistic abilities from his parents. His mother worked as an illustrator for McDougal’s. His father worked as a Boeing engineer, but was also an accomplished oil painter. “I enjoy the planning, the process, the accidents, the contemplation, and when necessary, the tedium of art,” explained De Koekkoek. “I like Michelangelo’s, ‘Perfection is made of trifles, and perfection is no trifle’, but I try to know when a work is done.”

De Koekkoek earned his BA degree at the University of Washington, an M.A.R. from Westminster Theological and an M. Div. from Calvin Theological. He studied art history in college, and had a variety of art classes at Seattle Central, North Seattle Community Colleges, and Seattle Pacific University. As a student, De Koekkoek spent a great deal of time at the Chicago Art Museum, and at the Seattle Asian Art Museum. He also enjoyed visiting the Charlie Russell Museum in Great Falls. He feels privileged that he was able to view a Van Gogh self-portrait, the alabaster bust of Queen Nefertiti and the gold and bejeweled sarcophagus of King Tut.

The show runs through October 1 at the City of Mountlake Terrace Library, Mondays through Thursdays, 10 a.m. to 9 p.m., Fridays, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Saturdays, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.