Light and Shadow

The funny thing with painting is, that it's kind of like life: If you paint with only light colours, the soul of the painting is weak and almost invisible. It is the dark portions that give the image definition and power. I started making drawings again like the one below, to explore what I can do with this truth, in my paintings as well as in my daily life: what can I create if I accept the things we call "dark" into my paintings and my world? Is there any less love in the pain we experience than in the happiness we receive?

doll left in the hallway

Seeing and believing

For me, looking at things is obviously an important thing if I want my pictures to look like anything at all. But just two nights ago I realized something: What if what we see is not the important thing, but what we trust?

Sisters

Dancing

A name sign for Sonia.

Family

A folder for Suzan's drawings with a family of wolves on it.

Into colour, into the light

This is my first painting ever in oil paint, I called it "into the Light". I became pregnant with my first daughter a few months after and some see a pregnant woman in the shape I painted here. The birth of my daughter was also a time of awakening to something bigger for me, so going into the Light was symbolically coming true, too. :)

I opened this blog with this (Dutch, I translated it) song in my head this morning:
"I give colour to the world
always in a good mood
painting is what I love
with all my heart
like a real artist does
it is in my blood
if I can just paint..."
It's a kid's song, one of my daughters' favourites. :) So "into colour" seemed a nice name for this blog. Let's explore the different colours of light.

Love and Blessings,
Kate