ANDREI BUTERS

William ‘Wim’ Boissevain is now 85 but he remains one of Western Australia’s greatest living art treasures and shows no sign of slowing.

His new solo exhibition ‘New Beginnings’ launches this week in Subiaco, and will feature Spinifex Hill (right) and Pilbara Landscape (below).

Boissevain has been one of the nation’s best-loved painters for six decades.

He received the Order of the British Empire back in 1978, has works in almost every state gallery in Australia, and is collected in the private galleries of Europe.

It is not uncommon for some of his popular works to fetch $30,000 or more.

The son of a Dutch diplomat, Boissevain spent his youth travelling before studying art at the l’Academie des Beaux Arts in Paris and the Central School of Art and Crafts in London.

A lifetime appreciation of French artist Edgar Degas sculpted Boissevain’s style to show a dreamlike appreciation of beauty that glides between realism and impressionism.

Linton Partington co-owns Linton & Kay Gallery and has known Boissevain since 1999.

Partington says the landscapes in ‘New Beginnings’ are sourced from Boissevain’s memory.

“He is not a painter who paints en plein air,” Partington says.

“He used to.

“These days he paints from the memories he’s collected.”

Partington says that Boissevain’s powers of observation may not be a realistic portrayal but that he captures the essence of the places he paints.

“It might be a memory of the Darling Range from 20 years ago,” Partington says.

“He might have been wandering through the bush and this sight has stuck with him.”

Boissevain tells oneperth.com.au that many of his new oil landscapes use older watercolours as a reference.

“I will do oils of those pictures, with imaginative qualities of course,” he says.

“Most of the oils that are in this exhibition are reasonably imaginative.

“They are not photographic or direct copies of scenes.”

Boissevain says that some people believe his lush landscapes are depicted to show beauty, but that his aim is to capture the subtle colour of Western Australia.

“When I first arrived here, everything appeared very grey,” he says.

“The Australian bush, if you walk out there, without too much sun, you think it’s all grey.

“As the light comes, you can appreciate a change in the colours

“They are beautiful, but some artists will exaggerate the colour.”

Boissevain is humble about the praise his work has received.

“I was reasonably successful, due to a bit of luck,” he says.

“The thing is, when people decide they do have a high regard for your work, they wait for your next works to appear.

“There is always anticipation.”

‘New Beginnings’ will display at Linton & Kay gallery – on the corner of Railway and Nicholson roads, Subiaco – from this Thursday to March 4.