BERITH
Or just Beer!
I am self-taught wildlife- and palaeo artist from the Netherlands. From fluffy snouts to imposing prehistoric giants—if it has (or had) paws, feathers, scales, or teeth, I want to draw it.
Together with my dogs, Maddy and Alice, I live on the edge of the forest where deer roam the streets and at night we fall asleep to the hooting of owls
—my source of inspiration... my paradise.
I started drawing at a young age, mostly horses. After turning 18, I returned to the pencil with focus, creating dragons, movie scenes, and ultimately realistic animals.
I took part in a few art shows and did some commissioned work. What began as a hobby took on a life of its own.
But my big dream was to become a video editor.
Which made sense—I had been doing it for years, completely losing myself in it. Spending days and nights on a single project? No problem.
So off I went to film school. Time to take my skills to the next level.
And yes… I did.
Sort of.
I definitely learned something there:
stress—professional level.
Slowly, it started to dawn on me that the fast-paced, all-or-nothing, unpredictable film world might not be my thing after all.
But try explaining that to yourself when you graduate cum laude in video editing.
I started freelancing, but after a few years I was completely drained—stressed, burnt out, and still desperately wanting it to work.
It took me years to accept that being good at something doesn’t necessarily mean it makes you happy.
But what does?
For me, it was drawing—my official “get out of stress'' free card, my way to hit reset and go back to basics.
In 2017, I started creating the animal maps—an idea that kept popping up during my travels in Africa, the U.S., and Costa Rica, only to vanish once I got home. At some point, I thought: okay, enough procrastinating. Let’s put this on paper.
Before I knew it, they were shining on the wall of a local exhibition. People actually liked them! And that’s how my Beast of Paradise adventure began in 2019.
I came up with the name Beast of Paradise. “Paradise” is Earth—bright, beautiful, and peaceful. The “beast” is the wild side: unknown, dangerous, relentless, yet powerful and strong—just like nature itself. Beast of Paradise embodies the contrast between light and shadow, the delicate balance that shapes life.
Oh, and the “beast” also nods to the wildebeest, one of my favorite animals—which are the horns from on the ‘A’ in my logo.
Over the past few years, I’ve been creating both whimsical drawings and more scientific illustrations.
I especially love drawing extinct animals—I can bring them back to life on paper.
In my free time, I enjoy long walks with my border collies, photography, practicing western reining, visiting my horse Charlie—my 31-year-old retiree—and going on memorable trips.
