About Jan Karel Verheij

Why?

I've been painting for five years. My work is often a metaphor for life in all its facets. Everyone can give it their own interpretation. Art gladdens the heart. My paintings can't be pigeonholed or categorized, but rather express a certain atmosphere or state of mind. Themes like light, landscape, and aspects of life are examples of this. The bright colors stand out. They reinforce my sense of optimism, joy, clarity, and beauty. It's important that the painting resonates with you. It sparks your imagination. It makes you think, reflect, and dream. It should make you happy and deepen your life. The discovery that art gives meaning to your life grows gradually, but after that, it's indelible.

 

Inspiration

I often find inspiration during my photographic explorations at home and abroad. Sometimes I compose (piano) music for an image. For me, that's a perfect way to express my feelings in a different way. After capturing the image, I start thinking about abstracting it. Sometimes I use Photoshop as a tool to explore form and color. Then I make a rough sketch on canvas. I sometimes change the result two or three times. This often has little to do with the original image. Yet, it helps me with the process and directs my thoughts.

 

About myself

I'm a self-taught artist who paints independently. I often work with acrylics, but occasionally with oils. I enjoy experimenting, for example, with sand, paper, pastes, epoxy, and acrylic pouring. Various resources and gallery/museum visits help me keep up with technical and content-related developments. Originally, I'm a geographer, education specialist, and International Relations Manager. My paintings now hang on walls in twelve countries.