Noortje started painting at 15 years of age. She is a self-taught artist. After graduating from university, studying interior and fashion design. Her inspiration comes solely from emotions, which are translated to the canvas in their purest form. In order for them to surface in all their glory while she works, she listens to a specific playlist of songs that have a deep emotional meaning to her while she’s painting.
By submerging herself into her music, she easily manages to shut down her ratio and let her subconscious take over. Everything that has been tucked away inside, whether it be pain, anger, love, joy, comes to the surface and finds it’s way onto the canvas. “painting is like therapy and mediation in one.”
This visualization of feelings results in large-scale abstract expressionist paintings that have rhythm. Works that show a certain energy and portray movement. For a few years now Noortje switched from oil to acrylic paint, in order to be able to increase the speed with which she could work. She needs to keep a certain pace in order to stay in her trance-like state, moving around her studio from canvas to canvas to apply, adjust, scribble and scratch.
“Working on a few canvasses at the same time is essential for me.”Noortje says. “When I spend too much time on a painting I lose my trance and start to think. My ratio starts taking over. I try to avoid that at all cost. By moving around my workspace from painting to painting I keep a fresh view on each canvas and don’t overthink things”.
Noortje moved away from the Netherlands, and her beloved city Amsterdam, in 2010 to join her future husband in Belgium. Her workspace is in the beautiful and inspiring city of Bruges.
