Jos intuitively likes to create bright paintings. His recognizable style is characterized by its true and honest appearance. His paintings do not show how things really look. He makes his very own interpretation of what he sees. This in turn is directed by the story behind the painting, unexpected fantasy and, of course, its enormous bright colors and shapes. All of these are balanced to create the right painting. In this process, he always brings back a complex impression to a joyful work that pleases the
eye. It is clear that his vivid colors play an important role which has an enormous impact on the viewer. For him, it is crucial that these colors talk to each other; otherwise, the painting doesn’t show a “Gestalt”, a total.

In the end, his painting must generate - what he says - “a kind of celebration”. “Because everything around us accelerates and changes, we need an enthusiastic painting that puts things into a different and happy perspective”.

Working at international firms, Jos always saw that “things” must go faster. This was normal on an every day basis. It looked as if speed had turned into acceleration. It became clear to him that this phenomenon did not only take place in the working world. He saw that almost everyone is speeding up and that this acceleration has its consequences. “More and more people feel that they are getting out of control because of this increasing and dizzying change. Today, our world is full of amplified technology, we have to handle globalization and our climate changes, just to name a few.”, he mentioned. He saw on top of this crossing point that these forces reinforce each other. Jos asked himself how we can keep up these enormous changes. His answer was very simple, he believed that we simply need a break, a pause, every now and then as well as step out and back a little. To see what really is going on, reflect, and get new insights and perspectives. With our own eyes.

This accelerating world immensely fascinates Jos. For him, it became more and more an eye opener and he wanted to find out how art could fit in this changing world

Jos’ main question was how to translate today’s accelerating world into art. He found that the answer lies in what he thinks people can do. And that is pausing, standing still but still with the eyes open. To really see what’s going on, reflect, and get new insights. His motto is to handle it in a positive way.

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Therefore, art about this fast changing world must be positive as well. How does it feel when you look at it? This starting point was key for Jos. How to translate this positivism? Jos’ basic answer was simple; his own outspoken color and style. It almost looked like a natural fit. Jos mentioned: “Actually this is of no coincidence. Things will simply find their way where you can step back and pause.”

The art world is a creative world. When Jos decided to work out the “changing world” into art, he knew by experience that the art world has its own habits and standards like its expositions, galleries, magazines and so forth. Therefore, he thought that if his art communicates the changing world, it must have a different approach. Be the “change” itself.  

The reason Jos chose a specific way of working was that he wanted his art to have its own message and story, to communicate the change in general. He decided to create what he calls “art domains”. He developed 3 of them, "Other Stories", "Art of Weathermap" and "Art of Nosybirds". It is clear that there will be more “art domains” in the future. Things change.

Globalization is one of the changes we are experiencing. For Jos, this means that there are no borders. That’s why he stays away from national or local influences and styles and it is also the reason why he sells his art to be enjoyed not only in Amsterdam but also in Europe, the United States, and Canada.

Another different aspect of his art is that Jos combines styles and puts it in one very own “Gestalt”. Art of Nosybirds is a perfect example. He integrates an animated character, Nosybirds, with art. That’s unexpected. Why? Because he wants to increase the impact of his message in the painting.

His work is very recognizable. The combination of basic simplicity and bright colors makes his compositions very stimulating. He believes that art must give a positive reaction. Must give joy and pleasure. That is his prerequisite. “When you see one of my paintings, it must make your eyes a bit happier” he always says. For that reason, it is difficult to overlook his work. It contains a good portion of “wallpower”. 

Color is a substantial part of his work. The colors of his paintings are often reflex because Jos likes his painting to be outspoken. The combinations of colors are crucial for him and takes most of the time. Jos says: “If I change the reality of the object in my style and colors, I exaggerate what I see especially regarding the colors. Often things look colorless, but actually they aren't. I know it is hidden.”

His inspiration comes from everything, simply because he constantly looks around. No matter where he is. He says “everything what you see when you look around has its own story. Even a simple paving stone or a waste container. Never forget, various people have designed and produced these - for us - common things.”

On the other hand, different artists and creative people gave and still give him some inspiration, such as Edward Hopper, Josef Albers and Peter Tunny just to name a few. On the other hand, he also gets inspiration from contemporary artists like Takashi Murakami and the film director Pete Docter, known from animation pictures. In other words, different styles from different periods are viewed just to get an idea.

Jos has lived for more than 25 years in Amsterdam, The Netherlands near well-known museums like Van Gogh and Rijksmuseum. He thinks that the diverse, enormously creative and liberal culture of this city influences him every day. “We are used to thinking in a different way because Amsterdam is the capital of a very small and imaginative country. For example, in Amsterdam there are people from at least 180 different nationalities. That’s colorful and they present new and different ways of insights which inspires me a lot”.