About me as an artist
About me as an artist – Meet Chantal
This is a little insight about me as an artist. I’m a mother of three, though my firstborn son, Yorrick*, was stillborn – a perfectly healthy baby boy lost at the very end of a full-term pregnancy. I created a website in his memory (in Dutch), for those who wish to visit. Please be aware: the story can be emotional and triggering.
My other two children, Yorian and Yannicka, make me proud every single day. They continue to grow, challenge life, and claim their place in this beautiful world.
I live in Brunssum, in the south of the Netherlands, together with my sweet partner – who has four children of his own and is a proud granddad of three. I’m lucky to call myself grandma to one of the girls, who often spends the day with me. Our home is full of life: two sweet dogs, seven cats, an aquarium and a small pond.
My voice
I’ve been making music since I was eight years old. Saxophone is my main instrument (with a little piano on the side), and music flows from deep within me. It carries my soul.
In my twenties, I began exploring visual art. While I’m a passionate, vibrant person, art slows me down in the best way. It quiets my mind and draws me inward. Both music and art are deeply healing to me – they come from the same place in my soul.
Art & music
Art and music have always been part of who I am, and they both define me deeply as an artist. In 2021, I realized just how connected my music and art truly are. I’m never in a silent room – music is always playing. Sometimes the radio surprises me with a song that speaks directly to my heart. Other times I choose something myself – from rock to jazz, from soul to symphonic, from nature sounds to meditative flow.
Whatever I choose tends to mirror my inner state. I don’t overthink it — it simply feels right. That’s exactly how I approach my art, too.
I never start with a detailed plan. I follow my mood, my soul, and the rhythm of the music. The song I’m listening to often shapes the colors and composition. In this way, my canvas becomes my voice.
My artwork
All of my pieces are unique. I sometimes work in series, but each creation tells its own story. While I’ve always loved colorful abstract work, I’m now in a phase of expressive, figurative abstracts.
I use encaustic, acrylics, inks, clay, marble dust, cold wax, and more. These materials challenge me – they push my creativity and help me grow. I don’t want to limit myself to one style. Experimentation fills my soul. When people ask about me as an artist, I always say that I follow my intuition, not a fixed plan.
Matter Painting
The natural world inspires me – its beauty, texture, and quiet depth. When we really take the time to look, we discover layers of meaning and color all around us. That’s what moves me. That’s what I paint.
I work in a deeply intuitive way. With a selection of materials in front of me, I simply begin. My hands and heart take over, guiding each step as the piece unfolds layer by layer. It’s a joy to see how different materials respond to each other and shape the final artwork.
In my matter paintings, I use uncommon materials like marble dust, stone powders, sand, coffee grounds, chalk, iron, pigments, oils, and bitumen. I also love working with nature’s gifts – feathers, leaves, stones, branches – and even hobby elements like buttons, fabrics, and rope.
Crackles
In our own life journeys, our cracks make us unique and beautiful.
Wounds make us grow and open us to the light.
Finding myself through art – My personal creative path
I first discovered painting in 1992, starting with silk. I took lessons from Françoise Lacomblé*, a French teacher who opened my eyes to color and flow. Even then, I was combining techniques – I never wanted to be limited.
When my children were young, I stopped painting for a while. Creativity still flowed, mostly together with my kids. But in 2013, I returned to painting – with a whole new perspective.
Finding my path
I took drawing and painting lessons at Sylvia Dolmans’ small studio, Galerie Si La Vie, and discovered acrylics. At a big creative fair (KreaDoe in Utrecht), I stumbled upon encaustic art. I took workshops with Wemke de Jong, Michael Bossom, and Liesbeth Vaes Kuipers (SoulWhispers), who all helped me explore painting with wax.
Still, I was searching. Then I found Powertex – a textile hardener that became a base for texture. That led me to Powerwax (cold wax). I took workshops with Wilma Kielstra and eventually met the most important person in my artistic development: Clemy Roelandt from Creyarte. She introduced me to the world of matter painting.
Through her guidance – and many workshops and experiments later – I finally found my place. What you see in my creative work reflects everything about me as an artist and as a person.
Where I am now
These days, I love blending all the techniques I’ve discovered along the way. Matter painting has truly captured my heart — the raw textures, the freedom, the intuitive flow. You’ll find many of my recent works in the gallery under Figurative and Abstract Matter Paintings.
I continue to explore new techniques and styles, often through online workshops that spark fresh ideas. This growth brings me joy and energy, and I hope to keep creating for many years — inspiring others along the way. My artistic journey keeps unfolding, and that evolution is what defines me most.
What does “CreChaTyf” mean?
It’s a play on Creative – with “Cha” for Chantal and “Y” referring to my three children: Yorrick*, Yorian, and Yannicka. I sign my art with “CH”, which stands for Chantal Henrica. Henrica was my grandmother, who sadly passed away far too soon.
