Catherine de Ryck, Belgium

Catherine De Ryck is a Belgian artist born in 1981. She works and lives in Belgium. The artist takes part in personal and group exhibitions in her own country and overseas. Her paintings can be seen in public and private collections in Belgium, France, Greece, Italy, Portugal, Sweden, United Kingdom and in the United States.

Exhibiting her works has won her several awards in Belgium and internationally. She is also a workshop instructor, the President of Eau en Couleurs - Belgian Watercolour Centre association, and a member of several watercolour societies. She regularly officiates as a judge for art competitions.

Her work has been featured in several art magazines, including Pratique des Arts (The Art of Watercolour), Art’Issime, Plaisirs de Peindre, Peindre & Dessiner … and during TV interviews.

"My art is primarily concerned with textures: roughness of stones, transparency of glass and water, variety of tissues, wild grass in the morning dew … I paint anything that catches my eye and I intend to use original and innovative techniques to depict atmosphere, emotion and texture.

While I use a variety of materials and processes, my methodology is consistent. The first step of each new painting is dedicated to the observation and the understanding of my subject. I do a lot of research work and I also keep many sketchbooks of accurate drawings. Sometimes, the drawings are left in the sketchbook and, other times, they develop into more in-depth ideas and detailed works.

Texture is something that finds its way into a painting in an accidental sort of way. This is why I often start my work on a blank sheet of paper, without any preliminary drawing. Then, I play with the properties of pigments and paper to suggest atmosphere, evanescence or materiality. Some happy accidents may happen and I use them to enhance some areas of the painting.

My work can be hyperrealistic or semi-abstract.”