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Meet Lois van Baarle

illustrator, painter, teacher, animator and designing woman!

Every year one individual seems to stand out from the rest -- captivating our interest and admiration. In 2008 it was Luba Lukova; in 2010 it was Jessica Hische; ten years ago (2005) it was Nena Anderson -- there are many others, and they all have one thing in common. Beside their extraordinary talent they share a unique perspective of vision along with an entrepreneurial spirit that takes them to the top of their field! Lois van Baarle epitomizes those qualities -- and was the Design & Publishing Center's Designing Woman for March 2015!

illustrator, painter, teacher

Lois is a Dutch national who started teaching herself to draw digitally in 2003. Although a native of Holland, she has lived and taught all over the world, including the United States, Indonesia, France and Belgium. She studied animation in Ghent (Belgium) for a year and then moved back to my home country to study animation at the Hogeschool voor de Kunsten Utrecht in Hilversum. Today, she applies all her talents as a freelance illustrator and animator from her studios in Utrecht, in the Netherlands.

It's not just about painting. There are a million artists online who can paint. Lois is about seeing -- not just looking -- but seeing the spirit and nature of her subjects. Her investigative visual skills are extraordinary in finding and then depicting something way beyond the object of the art.

As a story teller, Lois can take you into any mood and setting she so desires. Her animation background and skills allow her to see through the storyline and bring her viewers through the richness of the experience! In her web site, on her FAQ page she talks about inspiration

Her skills are so finely tuned she has evolved beyond performance to teacher, trainer and writer. Lois has been featured in many publications, teaching and sharing her learned skills to young artists. At her site, you'll see many other examples of articles and how-to essays she has authored. Her work ethic and insight into the world of art as a profession are testiment to hard work.

I often get asked whether it is possible to make a living off of art, usually from people who are about to choose that direction in life and are worried about their future. Your ability to live off of your art depends enormously on what you do, where you live, and what your options are. I am able to live off of my art because of the exposure my work gets on the internet, the possiblity of being able to work from home, the fact that it's relatively easy to register oneself as a freelancer in Holland, and my ability to do work in both the animation and illustration field.

Please enjoy a lot more at Lois' web site loish.net, and while you're there don't miss her enlightening FAQ page! And, while we're on a roll here, please enjoy!