Rieneke Leenders has traveled extensively, exploring six continents and 70 countries so far. The slow, down-to-earth way of travel she prefers, enables her to get in closer contact with the local people. After years of exposure she developed a sense of understanding and passion for the world's traditional cultures. This inevitably made a strong impact on the choice of subject matter for her art work. Rieneke started her art studies in the Netherlands at the Academie voor Kunst en Industrie in Enschede. She graduated from Vakschool Schoonhoven with a major in gold and silversmithing. She focussed on sculpture at the Vrije Academie in Venlo and with Wim Rijvers in Kessel. After moving to the US, she started concentrating on painting. Known for her watercolor portraits, she also uses acrylic and oil and varies her work by painting botanical close-ups.