For Marleen Vermeulen, painting is about capturing the feeling of a place rather than its exact appearance. Inspired by moments spent immersed in nature, her richly textured landscapes are guided by memory, intuition, and a deep emotional connection to the natural world. In this conversation, Marleen shares her creative process, the role of texture and atmosphere in her work, and how she translates personal experiences into immersive paintings that invite viewers to reconnect with nature.

Your work often feels both intimate and expansive at the same time. Where does that emotional starting point come from for you, and how do you translate it into a visual language?

My work comes out of a very ‘heart felt’ spot. When I am in Nature and am taken by a certain perspective - may it be from far or up close- it seems to create a memory for me as to how it feels. Not necessarily what it looks like exactly. It becomes an experience. How do the textures feel, the sand, the bark the mosses. How does the light play a roll, soft or bright… It translates in a visual language since it comes out of the same ‘heart felt’ space. 

On my canvas I will move the paint around with my pallet knife, until it gives me the same feeling as it did when viewing it in Nature. That’s where the textures start to play a big role. Sometimes I will add some sand to the paint. Not as a filler, but as a way to create the texture I’m after…to make it feel the same way. The size of the canvas plays a roll as well. I prefer the larger canvasses since the viewers can immerse themselves into the image. It then start transferring the experience I had in an ‘emotional’ manner…

There’s a quiet tension in your pieces between control and intuition. Can you walk us through how a work evolves from its first idea to its final form?

I work a lot from photographs and sometimes I combine images which inspire me together with images of my previous works.  I would not paint anything I haven’t ‘felt’ in my past. When I get my inspiration from all these different sources, I will start to literally cut and paste- creating a collage, looking for the right composition on the proportional size of the canvas I’m planning to paint. 

Since the depth perception is important to me, I will start with the layers of my work furthest away- which I try to keep as smooth as possible with my pallet knife. I then work the layers as they will come forward in the image- giving them more and more contrast and texture. with the right perspective and light within the painting, this will build up the three dimensional perception for the viewer. 

Your paintings seem to invite a very personal response from the viewer. What do you hope people feel when they spend time with your work?

True; quite often during exhibits of my work I have observed emotions flowing from visitors viewing my work. If this happens, it’s the biggest compliment I could get from them, ha-ha. I hope they immerse themselves into the painting, feeling the image as an experience- which for them brings back memories… feelings of joy, love, beauty, being in nature, being grounded.

Much of your work feels rooted in memory, atmosphere, or something just out of reach. What inspires these moments, and how do you hold onto something so intangible while creating?

I am guessing I hold onto it since for me it comes out of the same source, my 'heart felt’ inner space. I wouldn’t be able to put it all into words. I love the natural chaos. Branches, leaves, sand, movement, mosses… The moment I start thinking about how to create in terms of constructing, it doesn’t work or translate anymore. I believe we, as humans, have an inherent need to control, organize or have a grip on things. I always fight to not have all elements in the same direction, the same thickness….the same distance. 

It’s a constant remembering to step out of my own way, to trust, to let things flow and unfold. A constant conversation with my canvas. A couple of strokes and I’ll step back to check in as to how it feels to me. If it feels good I’ll leave it. If it doesn’t- I’ll adjust it until it does… Over the years I have definitely perfected my own, organically developed style with this way of working….yet- the process doesn’t change.

Who do you feel your work is for? Do you think about a specific viewer, or is it more about finding the people who naturally connect with it?

The main reason I paint is to honour and deepen my own connection to the Natural world. Interesting enough, over the many years, that seemed to go hand in hand with a spiritual growth in my awareness. It deepened my connection with self. Saying that- it wouldn’t have the same power to me if it wasn’t received in such a meaningful way. 

It’s inspiring and heartwarming to me if people feel naturally connected to my work. In this time where there is such a strong emphasis on technocracy, I feel a lot of people are missing the Natural world in their lives. It grounds us, it literally brings us back to our human roots, our hearts. remembering… 

Marleen's work is a reminder that the most meaningful connections to nature are often felt rather than seen. Through texture, intuition, and memory, she creates paintings that invite viewers to slow down, immerse themselves in the landscape, and reconnect with the emotions these places inspire.