My painting journey started at Schilderles Amsterdam, where Lara has been an amazing teacher each week. I started off with a beginner course of 10 classes—learning about color theory, composition, techniques, etc.

After that, it was time to "paint freely" and choose my own subject for the first time. I love to run, so the choice was quickly made: a woman running through the fields. I was heavily inspired by the artist Elizabeth Lennie; both in her use of color and her loose brushwork. I absolutely love her work.

Of course, the end result looked nothing like it. I still have a long way to go when it comes to letting go of the control, and paint more loosely. Nonetheless, I was proud of this first painting.

It's titled "Evening run"—a familiar title for any runner uploading to Strava. The particular scene takes me to a spot in the Amsterdamse Bos where I love to run.