About

Marianne de Leeuw-Ottes is a Dutch artist whose work is rooted in emotion, contrast, and quiet strength.

She studied at art school, but after graduating, life took a different turn. Marianne went through a period of depression, and creating became too heavy. For many years, she worked in the interior business, advising on wallpaper, paint, and color. Helping others shape beauty in their homes, while her own art quietly faded into the background.

Years later, something in her shifted. She picked up a brush again, not to prove anything, but simply to feel.

Her first painting “State of mind” carried years of unspoken emotion. Since then, her work has continued to unfold, often featuring animals as silent symbols of instinct, freedom, and inner strength, such as tigers and birds.

Marianne paints slowly and with intention. Her signature lies in her fine, delicate brushstrokes; soft, patient, precise. She builds contrast between dark backgrounds and subtle light, revealing presence through stillness and depth.

Her work speaks to those who carry a lot but don’t always show it. People who live with heart, keep going, and understand what it means to hold both resilience and vulnerability at once.