Career
Bottema was a student at Kunstnijverheidsschool Quellinus and the Rijksakademie van beeldende kunsten in Amsterdam. He was a student of August Allebé, Antoon Derkinderen, George Sturm and Nicolaas van der Waay. After graduation he worked from 1911 to 1919 in Laren.
Then he settled in Katwijk aan Zee, where he lived until his death in 1978.
Bottema was also a commercial artist and illustrator. A drawing made by him of a tramp inspired the Dutch writer John Henri uit den Bogaard to create the character Swiebertje.
He illustrated the Dutch translation of The Wind in the Willows (De Avonturen van Mr Mol).
