"Rise to the occasion" Painting

The essence of her work
For Iris, every painting begins with a quest. Each piece must hold something unique — a feeling that stands apart from the very first moment.

She often starts over, even after working on a painting for weeks.
“Through trial and error, I’ve learned not to keep adjusting once the feeling is gone. Yet
those are always difficult moments — that breaking point when a painting risks losing its soul.”
Her aim is both simple and demanding: every work must be her best. She works slowly and with full concentration, without sketches or test pieces; each painting is the experiment. This makes her less productive, but every piece becomes a unique result of a process that can only unfold in her studio.

Perfect imperfections
Iris follows no trends or movements. Her work grows from a personal exploration of emotion, material, and layering. The structure of her elegant female figures lies hidden within layers of stains and textures. These “perfect imperfections” form the foundation of her portraits and emphasize the beauty of humanity — unique, fragile, and extraordinary.
For Iris, a work is only complete when abstract and realistic forms connect and enhance one another.
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Materials and rust
Iris carefully selects only the finest materials: pigments, inks, (precious) metals, and aluminum panels. She experiments with metal particles and acids, triggering oxidation processes such as rust. Each material requires its own approach and fuels her ongoing artistic evolution.
She also creates her own medium and reuses old paint residues to build new textures. Each work thus literally carries the layers of its creation within itself.
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About Iris
Raised in the forested village of Groesbeek, Iris discovered her fascination with form, color, and material at an early age. Influenced by her deaf father, with whom she often undertook building projects, she developed a keen eye for detail and craftsmanship.
After Art School in ’s-Hertogenbosch, she spent several years working in the corporate world, but since 2007 she has devoted herself entirely to her art. Driven by constant curiosity, she continues to seek new ways to refine and deepen her work.
“Open your eyes and dream.”
Her paintings are part of various private collections in the Netherlands and abroad.