a tale of wonder

welcome to my whimsical realm ~ where nature speaks, life is brimming with colour, where the unseen is seen and folk & fairy tales are a living reality

I am a Frisian born artist and mother with a love for folklore, flora, fauna and the feminine ~ living and working in Amsterdam and our little forest house in the Dutch countryside. 

through the arts I explore and remember how we are rooted in nature, interconnected and multi-dimensional - lifting the veils to the unseen realms and life's deep mysteries. Dreaming beauty into form. I feel art can truly bring communion with, and communication of, the sacred.

I am amazed by the female body, being a divine vessel where the material world and the great eternal unknown find their meeting & merging point. Growing a baby and reconnecting with the purity and light of a child is a never ending source of inspiration.

I resonate genuinely with what we call 'animism', the intuitive knowing and feeling sense that everything is alive, that everything speaks - sings its song, that travels through our senses in sound, shape, colour and movement. And ultimately, that this dance of duality, of transient forms and shapes, return to the great mother divine, maybe to be born again - in a myriad of ways and a myriad of times and places. 

and so, I honour the towering trees, blooming flowers, swirling rivers, soaring birds, childlike wonder and our own bodies' magnificence. Singing their soul's song through my work ~ into the sanctuary that you call home.

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musings from clients, friends and fellow artists:

  • s u s a n n e

    "At times when I feel homesick for heaven, Carlijn's work re-members me it's right here. I love how her imagery, drawing, painting, movement and sound - everything she channels - just helps me remember"

  • f a b i o

    "Her work is a gateway to connect me with my most soft and inspiring feminine energy - she herself makes me feel seen, safe and sexy, haha!"

  • a n d r e s

    "Female power and Carlijn Claire - are four words matching in harmony. She's an inspiring, positive friend & fellow artist, sensitive with all the beauty in this universe. In her way of seeing and living life she's always aware of Mother Nature's offers."

  • s o l e i l

    "Carlijn works with a fine hand and delicate precision, with an eye for detail and beauty - just like herself!"

  • l a u r a

    "Her art knows a touch of spirit. It has deeper layers, invites you to contemplate and above all - it creates awareness."

  • p r i c i l l a

    "She is manifesting higher energies through her being and work, activating the divine within ourselves."

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diving deeper:

making my own paints

In combination with modern ready to use paints, I make my own from scratch - using natural materials, ancient methods & recipes and my very own hands. Working with primary earth materials reveals its mysterious relationship with our own natures. I get to know matter when I make paint; it is deeply satisfying to feel their textures and qualities, their energy and how they collaborate.

De Kat in Zaandam is my favourite place to gather pigments - it is the last traditional pigment mill left on Earth, and the place where painters of the old days, like Rembrandt, used to find their materials. It’s a library of great ocres from Europe, more exotic semi-precious stone pigments like malachite - favourite of the Egyptians -  and lapis lazuli - back in the days more precious than gold and used for saint’s robes & heavenly skies in religious paintings - and sacred resins like copal, elemi and myrrh. 

sustainability and sourcing materials

I nourish a growing desire to contribute to a more sustainable, circular and responsible approach to art practice - and try to use recycled, natural materials where ever I can. I find precious pieces on the streets of Amsterdam, wood panels in the basement of the old midwife school I live and work in. I thrift old frames on markets and secondhand stores. I receive old Kimono wrappings from Marco who owns a Japanese antique store on Prinsengracht in Amsterdam. I find recycled Khadi cotton paper and European hemp sheets at De Vlieger on the Amstel river, who also provide me of fine, handmade Moriki paper and mulberry bark.

alchemizing a piece of art

The proces of gathering and making materials is as much part of the artwork as the end result itself, an alchemy of energies and intentions of all who are involved - the plants and trees who give their matter, the moods of people handling them and thoughts of they who transport. The attention, care and love I transmit. The vibrations of the sacred oils mixed into the paints, the frequencies of gold and the space where the work is created. The alchemy of the elements and ingredients. My intuition and guidance from the subtle realms and dreamtime. The symbols, hidden codes and shapes weaved into an image. They all merge into a piece of art. And they all merge with your field, feelings and subconscious, touching your soul and moving the spirit. 

commissions

I can offer commissions if you are looking for something in the styles I create. I don't offer commissions in other styles or copying other artists.

if you are interested in a bespoke piece for your space, please contact me using my contact form for a no obligation chat. If I think I can do it justice then I'll provide a quote, if not I will always be honest and say so. If that's the case I have access to a wide network of artists and would be happy to suggest one to you.