Koptekst 1

Joyce van den Engel (1976) is a self-taught artist, living in Amsterdam.

Only recently, since 2020, she started working with colored pencils. Until then it was predominantly acrylic and oil paint. The pencils are here to stay:

  "I am simply in love with them, because of the options this medium offers and how you can use them. It feels a bit like magic. Somehow they fit me like a glove and enabled me to delve deeper into my creativity."

"I am mostly inspired by nature, the seasons, skies and the reflections on the water. Somehow the color green is essential. Most of my work is based on my own photo's, reflecting either the Dutch countryside or the city of Amsterdam,  depending on my walk."

"A prominent theme in my work is the interplay of stark contrasts. I am very fascinated by the duality of darkness and brightness coexisting simultaneously. For instance, during a bright summer day with an intense sun you can look at a lush tree, maybe a chestnut. The space beneath the tree, can be incredibly dark, while everything else is very bright. It highlights the relationship between light and shadow, and each enhances the other."
 
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