Hi! My name is Neeltje

I have been drawing and painting since I was a child. Born and raised on a boat in the Netherlands, making art was my way of play.

After I studied Art and Design in Amsterdam, I started travelling to tropical islands. Island life inspired me strongly and my love for the ocean began.

I moved to The Hague, a coastal city, where I started surfing and spent most of my days in sea or behind my drawing desk in my art studio at home. My first solo exhibitions were organised and I continued the winters travelling.

My love for the ocean deepened when I started diving in the Maldives and those experiences influenced my work. This got me commissioned to paint murals at Liquid Salt divers, a dive centre on a tiny island of the Maldives.

I enjoyed working outdoors, interacting with people passing by and painting on a larger scale.

On my next trip, I went to Indonesia, where I crossed islands by motorbike while searching for waves and empty walls. After I found both, I decided to become a full-time travelling artist.

Today, I’ve left city life behind and live in Indonesia. I work autonomously, on commission and paint murals in a variety of places, from local home stays to luxury resorts. I am looking forward to keep exploring and painting in new places.

Through my work, I hope to bring a sense of calm, wonder and raw beauty and invite a connection to the natural world.

Thank you for visiting, feel free to contact me for commissions, collaborations or other inquiries.