Meet Artist Ainhoa Montánchez

I've been drawing since before I can even remember - my parents tell me I used to spend my days sketching and painting on anything I could find, from bar napkins to notebooks, and yes, even the occasional wall doodle (sorry, Mom and Dad, haha).

At the age of 8, I asked my parents to enroll me in a painting academy, where I learned oil painting. Back then, my obsession was painting spring landscapes and cozy bar scenes - probably because it reflected my everyday life growing up in the Basque Country, surrounded by both nature and unique bars.

Despite my love for art, I pursued a career in advertising and PR. But during the pandemic, everything changed. I found myself painting portraits, sharing them on social media, and to my surprise, receiving messages from people interested in buying my work, especially from places like Australia, the UK, and the US.

Seeing this unexpected demand, I decided to juggle my marketing job with painting until I reached a tipping point. And now, here I am, art has become my life. It led me to leave my job in Barcelona, move to Australia to paint full-time, and now to Amsterdam, where I'm soaking up inspiration from its people, traditions, and culture.

As someone that has lived in many places, here are three from three different locations.

Bilbao - Hanging out at Bar Baster in the historic district

Barcelona - Spontaneous dinner and wine with friends at quaint old restaurants in the heart of Barcelona on a weekday.

Melbourne - Waking up to the chorus of birds

I've just moved to Amsterdam, so if any readers have suggestions, I'd love to hear them!