I have been painting all my life. In art school photography entered my life and I bought my first of many cameras. Whether in painting or photography, abstraction is at the basis of all my work.
Rain has been a huge theme for me for years now. I love exploring the mysterious world of shimmering reflective surfaces that appear during or after it has rained. Looking through a window during a rain shower shows the world without its sharp contours, shows colours that blend together instead of their sharp contrasts.
I work in layers. I add, I take away, I add again. I may add again. Or take away.
I usually work on more than one painting at a time. There is always a layer that needs drying, a painting that needs some time or I might want to go back to a painting I thought was finished. I don’t stop until the painting expresses what I feel. Colours shift over time, they become darker, they become brighter. It’s an ongoing process- a process I love.
For the past two years I have been exploring Encaustic painting- painting with a mixture of beeswax and damar resin. This medium lends itself very well to abstraction. It is also a way for me to incorporate my photography. I love taking the Canadian landscape as the basis of photo-encaustic works.
Member of:
Federation of Canadian Artists (active status)
Encaustic Art Institute, USA
National Association of Artists (NABK), The Netherlands
Front of Bicycle Gallery in Basel, CH
Exhibitions
- Art Walk, Lake Country BC, Canada, 9&10 September, 10.00 – 5.00
- Kunstroute Paleiskwartier, Den Bosch, The Netherlands, 28 August 2022, 11.00 – 17.00
- Open Atelierroute 2021, Den Bosch, 16 en 17 October, 11.00 – 17.30
- NDSM Fuse Amsterdam, Expo 9, May 2021 – June 2021
- Open Studios NDSM Treehouse Amsterdam, Friday 4 December 14.00 – 18.00
- Open Ateliers Amsterdam- Noord, 14 – 15 November 2020 (postponed)
- NDSM Fuse Amsterdam, Expo VIII, September – December 2020
- Voltahalle Basel, Switzerland, 2018: group exhibition painting
- Front of Bicycle Pop-up Gallery Basel, 2017: exhibition painting
- Biennale Pratteln, Switzerland, 2017: Group exhibition of selected Basel artists
- Basel Art Center Basel, 2016: group exhibition painting
- Hauptort für Gestaltung Basel, 2015: Group exhibition
- BIS Exhibition Room Bottmingen, Switzerland, 2015: solo exhibition painting
- Kunstraum Art Mathieu, Olten, Switzerland 2015: solo exhibition Painting
- Ateliers Florenz, Basel, 2013: solo exhibition photography & painting: “Abstrakte Positionen”
- Art Wall at Centrepoint Basel, 2012: solo exhibition
- Le Triangle, Huningue, France, 2012: “Rencontre Photographique”
- Alte Post Riehen, Switzerland, 2010: group exhibition photography “Emotions”
Education & work
Work experience (in the art world)
- From February 2023, Vernon Community Art Centre: teacher oil painting
- 2014 – 2019, BaselPaints: teacher drawing and painting
- 2010 – 2015, BaselPhoto: teacher photography
Education
- Fall 2020, Dutch Atelier of Realistic Art in Haarlem: Painting from the old masters
- April 2018 & 19, Chelsea College of Arts London: Oil Painting courses
- 2009 – 2012, Freie Kunsthochschule Freiburg (Germany): Fine arts – painting
- 2008 – 2011, Zürcher Hochschule der Kunsten: Certificate of Advanced Studies (CAS) in Photography
- 2006 – 2008, UCK- Utrecht Centre for Arts: Fine arts – painting, photography and sculpture
- 2000 – 2002, Teacher qualification for vocational and adult education
- 1991 – 1995, Utrecht University- English Language and Literature
- 1989 – 1991, Art School, Tilburg, The Netherlands