Andre Balyon was born in 1951 in The Hague, the Netherlands, the oldest of seven children. All four of his brothers are artists and graphic designers. Andre began painting at the age of 15 under the tutelage of various master artists in his native Holland.Although educated as a technical draftsman and specialized welding engineer--employed by ITT in the Netherlands and firms in Germany--being a painter was his calling. He feels that his technical background has helped him in his career as a professional artist.At 21, Andre came to the United States. He first moved to Miami, Florida and later to Los Angeles, California. He returned to the Netherlands for several years to further his studies, and in Europe found time for several one man shows. Although he still travels home regularly, he has resided in the Carmel area for the last 20 years. As he says, "part of me is (still) over there." He further explains, "growing up near the Dutch coastline, you can feel the moisture saturated air. It is there where I gazed for hours on end at the moisture-laden clouds in his lush landscapes...the icy chill emanating from his Dutch winter scenes. Andre's work has been compared to the paintings of Dutch Masters that hang in museums. Yet his range encompasses more than traditional Dutch landscapes; he is also known for his figurative, still life and local landscapes.