Daisyree IJben Bakker (1982) 'In my art I try to capture the essence of the animals and also to depict them as realistically as possible. In recent years, a little bit more fantasy and mysticism has crept into my works. I've always been fascinated by things you can feel, but don't see. This in combination with my great love for animals makes what I make. I work with many different media, but my favorite by far is soft pastels. Working in layers really gives me the feeling of painting, but without the cleaning work of your brushes or the paint stains in your clothes.

Currently, I find a lot of inspiration in the weather and the change of seasons and what that does to our mood. I try to incorporate these kinds of things into my art. My series with the moons was also created by the mystique that exists around the lunar phases. The idea that the moon affects your soul and mental state was something I wanted to capture.'