Sitting at her childhood dining table about an hour south of Amsterdam is where Marieke Mertz’ love for creating art began. With a stack of white paper and a simple pencil, she tried to capture the interesting faces in her mom’s magazines or made line drawings of animals and plants.  Even though she always loved creating and exploring different media, she never had a chance to go to art school. Since she believes it’s never too late to pursue our dreams, she made the bold move to enroll in the Milan Art Institute Mastery Program from which she has now officially graduated.

Working with professional grade oil paint and mixed media on canvas in a contemporary style, she uses layering techniques to create depth and spontaneous brushstrokes to convey movement. Through her art, Marieke Mertz extends an invitation to “open our eyes to the beauty in nature to witness the miracles taking place all around us.” Marieke’s art is filled with compassion and hope, inspiring viewers to contemplate how they feel, how they can lift up others and make the world a better place for all living creatures. 

Being part of an international family, Marieke Mertz is dedicated to honoring diversity in her work. While she was born and raised in the Netherlands, she has lived in the beautiful Pacific Northwest in the United States for many years. A certified Oregon Naturalist, she has a big heart for wildlife and uses her art to advocate for nature conservation, simultaneously highlighting that we need nature for our own physical and mental wellness.  While our world can be so challenging and complicated, her art celebrates the simple joys.