About the artist
I left my
hometown Amsterdam, Holland, in my twenties for a trip to Honduras, unbeknownst
that a two-month stay would stretch out into seventeen whole years. A tiny
village in Western Honduras is where several of my dreams came true: I got to have
several cats and dogs and I became a professional artist. With tremendous joy,
I started an art project for children and painted anything I could lay my hands
on, from the tiniest objects to huge community murals.
In 2014 I moved
to Antigua, Guatemala, where I got involved with a local NGO called Unidos para los Animales. I started volunteering at sterilization clinics and
fostering puppies. The latter turned out to be very addictive and I ended up
fostering almost forty dogs. Many of them were rescued from horrific scenarios
and in a terrible shape. It was always greatly satisfying to see those emaciated
fearful pups transform in healthy and happy dogs, adopted into loving families.
Much of my life was about dogs at the time, so it was only logical that they
became my subject matter. One dog portrait for a friend led to another and I started
to get commissions for custom made pet paintings.
Nowadays, my
home base is the North of Spain, but with one foot still in Guatemala and with frequent
trips to Holland (if circumstances permit it). I love calling these three
countries “home”, although the drawback of dividing my time between countries,
is that I can’t have a pet. Thankfully, wherever I go, I’m always surrounded by
many canine and feline friends.
Whether in
Europe or Central America, I always carry my art supplies with me and my mobile
studio is always open for business. So wherever I am, I’m always ready to paint
you your beloved pet!
Carin Steen
2023