#5. having a great time with the group of local artist that set up a project to save the trees last summer

This summer I worked on a project with a couple of local artists because there were some trees to be chopped. I love the estate of Marquette, it’s one of my favourite places to go with students to paint. Missing those hundred year old trees would be a disaster… Even though the decision came to definitely chop them, I had a couple of great events with the artists. After the events we organised some painting sessions together, which was so inspiring too! Read more about this! 

#4. meeting new people on social media and having a wonderful connection with them talking about art!

This is such a great thing about living in this 2018 world, and will definitely be the same (or even more and better) in 2019. How we can meet people all over the world and connect with them with Instagram or Facebook. I’ve connected deeply with wonderful people making beautiful art, I’ve sold work all over the world and surely made some new friends in Italy, Scotland and Australia. I am so grateful for everyone that supported me over time. Not only on social media, but also the locals from the Netherlands. The ones that are following me for already 3 years to see if there’s a painting that fits in their living room… For one of my dearest friends who bought her second ‘Luz Artwork’. For actually all the people with whom I felt deeply connected with: thank you. You’re wonderful!

#3. teaching art students still is my passion

This year teaching students went more and more smoothly. It’s becoming a second nature to feel what I want to discover myself and build a lesson around that theme or technique to use in a lesson. I have great students, whether they are kids, teens, adults and elderly people. Yes, I had the first 92 year old student in my class! Starting a new course, called ‘Painting from out of yourself’ was a succes, for my students as for myself. I could explore how to help people find their inner artist and let go off all thinking – in order to create. Most beautiful aspect of working with people is that you can share what the artist in you is struggling with. What makes her happy, to tell what really helps here moving on and to talk about art in general. I’ve had so much fun with my longest running group of students (already 4 years now), the illustration group, that I think: those 3 women became my best friends! Yeah. Love my work.

#2. recording for our very first online painting class ‘Landscapes in lines’

It was a great job to have worked together with my partner Anthony to create an online painting class. We had late summer outdoor recording sessions and a few days we recorded in my studio. Now Anthony’s editing all our material so we can announce the first workshop in 2019. Here you can read my blog about why it takes us so long.

#1. still creating and renewing!

And last, but not least, I’m really proud to say 2018 was a year full of creating! Big canvases, working in the garden and experiencing new techniques made it so much more fun. At a sudden point, when I finished ‘The garden of my soul’ it felt like all I did before was not that big as this. Strange to say about yourself, but I experienced the feeling of growth. I think with this year loaded with new things, it’s logical that something is changing. And I hope that I can grow into a better artist each year, and at the same time, grow myself.