Welcome!
I am a Dutch-born artist, art tutor, writer and art historian, based in the UK. I run my online Art School with courses in oil and pastel painting. On my blog I write about everything art: painting tips and tricks, exhibition and book reviews and so much more. Check out The Art Cafe for a free and supportive community of like-minded arty folks
In my own painting I try to find a dynamic between the past and the present in my painterly depictions of lace, silk, and velvet as well as my portraiture. My portrait work has been exhibited at the Royal Society of Portrait Painters, the BP Portrait Award and elsewhere. I paint in oils and pastel and am available for commissions.
Sophie's Art School has oil and pastel painting online courses, and runs regular online workshops.
The Art Cafe is the virtual hub of the school: it's free so pop in for your virtual morning coffee!
Ampersand Gessobord Review
Ampersand Gessobord is a premium rigid oil painting support. It is a wonderful support that I regularly use. In this article I'd like to describe its
Slow Down Perfectionist!
So many of us get frustrated while we paint. The painting just doesn't work, you can't make it sing, there's something wrong but you're not sure
How to Paint a Background
Should I paint the background first or last? This is a question I hear quite often as an art tutor. It illustrates very well how many
The Artpreneur
Recently someone asked me this: "what does your entrepreneurial journey mean to you? How long have you been an entrepreneur?” It made me smile. A few
How to Avoid Common Painting Mistakes
We all make mistakes. Imagine what the world would look like if we didn't. I often explain my painting method as one big process of fixing
A Community for Artists
Your Data Points Are For Sale....When, in the last couple of decades, our artists’ communities moved online and then onto social media we lost something along
Oil Painting: The Fat over Lean Rule
Scared of OilsA recent article in a main UK art magazine made me remember why I took so long to discover the joys and beauty of
Basic Pastel Painting Techniques for Beginners
Do you want to try painting in soft pastel but you are not sure where to start? Check out these basic pastel painting techniques to get
the past is not so far away after all
finding new meaning
through snippets of History
Busting some Painting Myths along the way
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