PHILINE VAN DER VEGTE

 I have always loved the smallholder life, dreaming about the little house on the prairie as a child, and growing vegetables, and keeping chickens and sheep as an adult. My paintings are focusing more and more on farm animals, especially the old breeds. They have a long cultural connection to the human race, and are usually kept in an extensive and natural way - the way it should be. There is something about farmyard animals that makes me feel safe and stop worrying.

I paint in oils, and sketch as much as possible from life. The best place for me to be is in a sunny field with a herd of cows trying to lick my hands. But animals move around, and this means that speed is important. I like the thrill of getting it right in one go, but visible signs of searching for the right shapes are part of the work, too. The brushstroke is essential and I my eternal aim is to achieve the freshness of my small life sketches in the larger studio paintings.

 

FRESH OFF THE EASEL

Goat, sketch in pencil and watercolour on A4 paper
Goat, sketch in pencil and watercolour on A4 paper

Current and upcoming exhibitions

June 6 - August 31

De Nederlandse Portretprijs, Slot Zeist

February 5 - 8, 2026

Art on Paper with Galerie Mokum, Kromhouthal, Amsterdam

April 5-12, 2026

I will be teaching a week in Fez, Morocco. Enroll here: Creative explorers Fes