My name is Karin van Staveren, passionate painter based in Mijdrecht, near Amsterdam. I’ve been painting since childhood, with a long break for study, work, and family life. In 2013, I picked up painting again, cautiously at first, alongside everything else and gradually it became clear how important it is to me.

Painting gives me something very concrete: calm through focus. I often call it relaxation through effort. Working layer by layer, concentrating fully on form and colour, brings a clarity I rarely find elsewhere. I hope that viewers experience the same calm and balance in my work, a timeless moment to pause and linger.

I work with both oil and acrylic on square canvases, usually in warm, balanced tones. Coastal landscapes and still lifes have always inspired me, and this continues to influence the way I see and compose. In recent years, I have also explored more abstract work. A direction that challenges me, as it demands intuition and knowing when a piece is complete.

Although my background is in economics and marketing, painting has become a serious part of my life. Through courses, practice, and hours in the studio, I continue to develop my own way of working and to shape my practice professionally. I now deliberately make more space for painting because it gives me energy and it’s clear that this is no longer a hobby, but something that truly belongs to me.

This website is a next step in sharing my work. Over the coming period, I will continue developing new series and techniques.  If you’re curious about my latest work and want to stay updated, you can sign up for my newsletter (no more than once or twice a year) or follow me on Instagram for an easy way to keep track of updates.