Biography

It’s all about feeling.
A painters ultimate expression.

A brushstroke is a word.
Many brushstrokes are a story.
This is my story.

Born in the Netherlands in the early fifties of the previous century at school creativity wasn’t supported. In her youth, drawing lessons consisted in making an exact copy of the drawing plates that hung in the front of the classroom. Working outside the given lines was taboo. But at home she had lots of creative hobbies and was always making and constructing things. But that didn’t include drawing or painting.

Later, her creative imagination developed more and more, which was expressed in wall tapestry designs and pottery. Yet she wanted to make a different career path.

But the creative interest remained and surfaced again in a turbulent period when she made a mixed media painting of old packaging material and oil paint. A very symbolic painting about loss. An artist friend stimulated her “you have talent”. But she did nothing with it. Again her career was more important.

After a break with her career she moved to Portugal, where she and her husband build a new life as real pioneers. It still took 10 years more before she discovered that she wanted to paint.

Pandora’s box was opened. Egon Schiele, Gerhard Richter, Lucien Freud, Andrew Wyatt, Marlène Dumas and many others opened a new world and inspired her to continue. More than 50 years after her drawing lessons at primary school, this made her realize that on the one hand she had to learn to draw again, but also had to do much more to develop her own style. It was a journey of discovery and still is. Every day is a learning day.

In 2017, in the absence of professional training opportunities, internet became her teacher. She trained herself in drawing with the help of YouTube. She mainly wanted to learn to “see” and master techniques. Gradually some choices were made. Whereas in the past she was fascinated by abstract work nowadays mainly figurative play a role. There must be something recognizable in it, something with which she can identify herself. It has to tell a story.

In addition to the figurative content, expressionism is written in her heart. An idea must literally “come out”, reveal itself while painting. Often there is no predetermined plan. It can start with a fairly realistic portrait that is being worked on for days, and then completely painted over to a free expression in 1 hour. The realistic is transformed.

She had her first exhibition in 2020 and her paintings and drawings are already spread over the world: Dubai, Germany, France, Portugal and Holland.

Her paintings are for sale. She doesn’t do commissions. For more information you can contact her.