“Happy Girl”, the essential is invisible to the eye

"Not all children who want to have a real horse in their life are in a position to really have one"; Dutch artist Pauline Zeij thus begins the description of her painting.

"In my youth there were horses almost everywhere, but few people could afford to experience the real freedom of riding one." As a child, Pauline always dreamed of riding a beautiful horse but in reality, she was pedalling her little bicycle.

But can an insignificant bicycle really become a magnificent horse?

This can only happen through the beautiful imaginations of children, which make a world a better, happier and a less sad place. As the Little Prince said: "one sees well only with the heart. The essential is invisible to the eyes".

And we should all learn that it takes very little to be satisfied and that the imagination really saves everyone from the insatiable hunger to necessarily possess something.

Happiness is in the little things and dreaming is a way to really get closer to the goal and makes love for horses something even stronger and more authentic. This immense love can really be perceived from the artist's work. A sweet picture, with youthful and cheerful colors as if to remember the sweet memories of when you are an innocent child but with a big heart.

The artist / child in the painting has a beautiful smile on her face: but how can you not be happy when you dream with your eyes closed the greatest love of your life?

A little girl who closes her eyes while she is pedalling: the wind in her hair, the shining sun on her face and the thrill of speed made her dream of being free with a pony and galloping across the prairies: this was Pauline as a child.

"Everyone saw a happy girl on her bike, but I had carefree adventures on my pony."

Pauline Zeij’s art is colourful and vibrant, and she likes to tell stories through it. Her paintings were shown in expositions both in Netherlands and abroad.

Last year she had the chance to be part of a Dutch television broadcast and today her works are purchased and presented by the Naturalis Biodiversity Centre Museum.

Pauline decided to become an artist and to develop her art and paintings due to Paard Verzameld: all the Collective's challenges are pushing her again and again in directions she never thought to discover.

Today she has her own art studio in Aalsmeer near Amsterdam, where she’s free to experiment and work in peace, along with Lola, her Jack Russell.  

Pauline Zeij, 1970, Netherlands. Pen, pencil watercolour artist.

IG: pauline_zeij_contemporary_art

FB: Pauline Zeij contemporary art

“Happy Girl” - Pen, pencil and watercolour on special paper.

Pauline Zeij is a member of the  Paard Verzameld Collective.

Through an international collaboration between Paard Verzameld and the Horse Museum Foundation, the painting will be exhibited during the Pratoni del Vivaro World Championships in September 2022.