Layers of Strength: How Katinka Van Dyk Paints the Invisible

Layers of Strength:
How Katinka Van Dyk Paints the Invisible

Katinka’s Process

Katinka spends a majority of her process dedicated to drawing and painting. Spending her free time drawing floral pieces, she can be found expressing a personal narrative through painting.

For her, drawing is about understanding how to break down what we see in front of us. She dissects how light interacts with different surfaces, allowing her to capture form with a firm quality rooted in structure. Drawing has always been the mode of art where she loses herself.

The Indirect Approach to Painting

For painting, Katinka mainly follows the indirect approach. This process allows her to paint in a way that feels as though the subject matter emerges from the canvas.

The indirect approach breaks down painting into very simple steps. There is the ground; a two-step process applying two different temperature grounds. The blank white canvas is first saturated with a warm chroma and then neutralized with a cool grey.

Once dry and the drawing transferred, she proceeds to apply the imprimatura- an Italian term for an initial, transparent wash over the ground. This helps reinforce the drawing while establishing depth and shadows.

Next comes the velatura, a veil of tone. This establishes the light mass and is similar to working in grisaille (in black and white, or monotone). After completing the velatura, she moves on to color- this is where the fun, whacky colors come into play.

The Direct Approach

The direct painting approach is rooted in Spanish and Italian masters’ systematic way to make paintings. It breaks painting down into a process of four to five steps- a method that helped artists of that time save on supplies and produce work at a rapid rate if necessary.

Floral Work and Light

As Katinka continues to watch images emerge from the canvas, she seeks value within light and how it plays with surfaces... demanding a hierarchy with human emotions and romance in nature. She approaches each subject with delicacy and attention that passionately captures structure, form, and detail.

The Invisible Made Visible

Beyond her classical methods and technical mastery, Katinka’s work above "Pop Goes Her Endometrioma" was shaped by her lived experience with endometriosis- a chronic illness that often exists unseen. Through her experience with endometriosis, Katinka has learned the importance of balance- listening to her body, practicing self-care, and still nurturing her creative voice. Her art becomes both refuge and reflection: a way to process what is often invisible to others. Through painting, she gives form to what the body feels but cannot always express; The way one moment can feel calm and controlled, and the next can erupt into sudden, debilitating pain. By transforming her experience into art, Katinka not only reclaims her narrative but also invites viewers to consider the quiet strength behind every brushstroke.

Closing Reflection

Katinka’s devotion to both indirect and direct painting connects historical technique with deeply personal expression.

Through each carefully layered process, from drawing to color, she explores the invisible: Pain transformed into resilience, emotion translated into light.

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