Into the woods

Into the Woods began with wild daffodils growing in the woods of the Dutch Bollenstreek. Not the cultivated fields the region is known for, but flowers appearing almost unexpectedly between trees, leaves and dark soil.

That image stayed with me: what is growing beneath the ground before we can see it? What is already there, but has not yet surfaced?

In the painting, the landscape gradually moved away from the place I had seen. Trees, earth and flowers became colour, movement and thick layers of paint. The woods turned into something more dreamlike — almost fairy-like, but with something raw underneath. Dark reds and deep violets push against fresh greens, blues and flashes of yellow. Growth seems to come from everywhere.

For me, Into the Woods is about that border between what is visible and what is still hidden. About allowing yourself to wander into a landscape without needing to understand everything you find there — and perhaps simply letting it touch you.