About

I paint farm animals, particularly traditional livestock breeds such as cattle, goats, and horses. I often work from life in the Dutch polder landscape, making quick sketches in fields and stables before developing them into larger works on paper in oil or ink. Drawing from life is essential to me: animals move constantly, the light changes quickly, and there is little time to hesitate. I try to preserve that directness in the finished work. The visible search for the right shape and brushstroke remains part of the painting. Working on paper allows me to leave parts unresolved and retain the freshness and energy of drawing.

I often paint animals life size to convey their scale, warmth, and physical presence. Encountering a horse or cow up close feels very different from seeing it behind a fence or at a distance. I am drawn to the calm and grounded presence of these animals, but also to their vulnerability within modern livestock farming. Through visits to smallholders and dairy farms, I have become increasingly aware of the realities behind food production. The romantic image many people still have of farming no longer reflects contemporary livestock farming, which is shaped by technology, efficiency and economic pressure.

Rather than idealising or condemning farming, I try to look carefully and honestly at the animals themselves. My work is shaped by the tension between admiration and discomfort. I want to paint these animals with dignity: not sentimental or nostalgic, but strong and dependent on humans at the same time.

Underlying the work is the understanding that farming is never ethically neutral. The way animals are bred, kept, and valued reflects our choices about the relationship with the living world. Because we all participate in food systems, these questions concern everyone, not only farmers. My paintings do not aim to provide answers, but to create a tactile encounter with animals that are often overlooked despite being deeply woven into human life.