I, Lynda Smids (born in Purmerend, the Netherlands, on a beautiful summer day in August 1977), notice that single sock on the floor or the drying rack holding a tea towel and a striped shirt. I see a tail swishing across my field of vision. The fly, the wall socket with plugs inserted, the frayed edge of the roller blind. The seagull on the lamppost, the cat on the balcony. I paint them—using acrylics, watercolors (and pencils), and ink—as landscapes; or in this case, “catscapes,” featuring the cat on the table and that sock right there. The leaf on the floor—those small details that complete the picture. I have been crazy about cats and involved in painting and drawing my entire life. During my time learning screen printing at the Amsterdam University of the Arts, I also became an advocate for animal rights. My paintings and screen prints, created in Amsterdam, feature colorful, everyday landscapes where animals and nature take center stage. Through these landscapes, I hope to bring joy, but I also hope to encourage people to view animals as sentient beings and to realize that all animals are essential for the survival of a healthy planet. I regularly donate a portion of my proceeds to animal welfare charities.

The many cats that cross my path—whether out and about or at home—are immortalized on paper or canvas.
I view the world in terms of little paintings. As I look up while writing this, I see two: in front of me, Beer is sleeping in a box that is far too small; behind me, Meisje is lying in her cozy spot on the floral sofa. In this way, I am painting with my eyes all day long.
And as soon as I can, I transfer these images onto canvas. My work has been and continues to be shown in various group and solo exhibitions in Amsterdam and beyond, is projected onto the Amsterdam Water Tower, and is held in private collections both at home and abroad.