I find it a sheer pleasure to see people discovering their passion and living it every day of their life. Like Irma Braat, one of my ex colleagues, knowing her in her role as a loyal assistant, not as an excellent artist.
I visited her in her atelier here in Amsterdam, love the colours she uses, and her portraits are amazing.
Irma has been painting all her life, but Stephan Peters was the one who really woke up Irma's passion for painting. When he traded Amsterdam for Apeldoorn it was very hard to find a substitute of the same caliber. But she found one, Luk van Driessche, who taught her the technical tricks of the trade. She decides to follow up and starts her four- year study at the Wackers Academy, finishing it at 2006 while being pregnant and still working her day job. And, as there is no such thing as coincidence, circumstances were at a point that favourable that she could take the big step and live her passion.
And she's doing well, so well indeed that every thing she paints is sold straight away. So this year's goal is to make a series of paintings with a specific theme and if all goes well an exposition.
Want to see more of Irma's work?
- On 4 June, the start of the exposition 'Noordwijk schildersfestival' at the N.H. Kapel, Hoofdstraat 96 in Noordwijk
- On 7,8 and 9 October an exposition with the Dutch 'Portretschap' at Loods 6, KNSM-laan in Amsterdam.
Want to learn from Irma? From 22-26 August, she will teach a whole week of portrait painting at the Wackers Academy.
