Painting is simplifying, as a painter you choose what to show and what not to show. Sometimes I see how far I can go with this simplification without losing the recognisability.
With the rooster, I chose to paint only the head. The deep purple background makes the red of the comb and wattles stand out even more.
I had a gypsy caravan as my studio for a while. It was parked at a nearby nursery and I visited it as often as possible. In this idyllic setting, a group of chickens with rooster roamed around. The rooster was quite territorial and defended his land and his chickens with fervour by attacking you ferociously if you came near.
Connection is the overarching theme in my works. In my paintings, I try to capture the moment of my encounter with a bird or another animal. Those few seconds of contact, sometimes shock, but also surprise or curiosity. The beauty of everything that lives, and the connection I feel with everything around me I try to capture on my paper or canvas
Much of my childhood was spent in the forest near my parents' cottage. There, my love for birds, the forest animals and the rustling wind in the trees was born. The forest is still a place I love to visit, I immediately feel relaxed, can breathe.. Read more…