Girl and dog sitting Painting

I graduated from the Royal Academy of Arts in The Hague where I studied print/textile design. After graduation I worked as a graphic apparel designer for Nike Europe in the Netherlands. Later I moved with my family to different parts of the world (Sao Paulo, Brasil. NYC, USA, KL, Malaysia & Hong Kong and Luxembourg), and continued my graphic work as a freelance designer. Moving to foreign countries forces you to empty your mind and open it towards a new world. In Hong Kong, where I lived for 5 years, I met a Chinese painter who had his studio at the local market nearby our house. I dropped by daily and we talked about the appreciation of art and painting techniques and after some time I was lucky to be invited to work in his studio. The act of painting, the materials and the scent of oil paint felt like going back to the basics of visual art. My paintings and drawings now are mostly snap shots of my daily life. I'm interested in how shapes, lines and color  form a visual land scape. Paralel to the visual challenge it is my goal to depict the spirit of the subject or scene. I try to simplify what I'm observing, there for It's my preference to use bold and loose brush strokes.