Loes Botman (loesbotman.com) completed training at the Royal Art Academy in
The Hague, Netherlands, in 1994. She’s been an artist her whole life, but recently
celebrated her 25th jubilee as a professional artist. Her work has been shown in 200
exhibitions in the Netherlands and abroad, and has been featured in children’s books,
art books and illustrated poetry bundles. Botman regularly writes articles for French,
German and Dutch magazines. She’s in the jury of the Dutch competition, “Drawing
of the Year,” and is a member of the Austin Pastel Society. Botman will be attending
IAPS 2019, where she’ll be giving several demos. She wishes to continue as an artist for
many years to come to make the world a more colorful and better place.thinkingaboutthewordsthey say and
thefeelingstheydescribe,repeat-
edly.Theystayinmymind. It’s the
onlythingI thinkabout.”Many of the
commissionedpaintingsare portraits
ofbelovedfamilypetsthat have died.
Muchsatisfactioncomesfrom produc-
ingpaintingsthatbringanimals to life
againforthepeoplewholoved them.Renewal
In2014,Botmansuffereda health
crisis,undergoingmajorsurgery.
Afterward,herpaintingphilosophy
shifted.Shesays,“Apainting of
geeseisn’tjustgeese.It’slife that you
see.Withoutanimalsaround me,
I wouldn’thaveanexistence.” She
emphasizesthatthisexistence is
moldedbyherownchoices, as is every-
one’s.“Everythingyoumake is your
decision.Yourlifeis likea picture. You
createyourownworldina drawing,
justlikeyoucreateyourown life.”
Sheremindsherstudents,“Be proud
ofyourownworkandofyour life.
Youcanalwaysstartover... in your
drawingandinyourlife.”PJTe x a s - b a s e dEnidWoodisanartist,
teacher,writerandviolinist.In the Morning
(27 3/5 x47 1/3)60 Pastel Journal JUNE 2019