Atelier Explore

I love to create; I love the process that something emerges from my hands that was not there before. That always took place mainly on the flat surface, with drawing, painting and shaping.

In June 2015 I started sculpting in stone, a material that proved to suit me well. A clean design and strong play of lines show my background as a graphic designer. My first theme became (sailing) boats. This is because I grew up with them as a child. It turns out to be a good source of inspiration and it is nice to hold on to the memories and the feeling through these images.

The theme of birds, more or less abstracted, also occupies an important place. In this theme, there appears to be enough room for discovering and developing my form language.

This resulted in a third theme: Heavenly Pretters. Here, I let go of figuration completely and focus on the symbolism and emotional values of the form. 

Movement, flow, development are inextricably linked to my work. All themes represent the feeling of freedom and adventure.

Inspiration
Because I spent a lot of time on the water in my youth, this is a theme that often comes back in my paintings and especially in my stone sculptures. It is the longing, the nostalgia for sailing, that makes me want to portray this fascination.

I was born in 1969 in 's-Hertogenbosch as a sister to two older brothers. My father was crazy about sailing. Several boats passed in my life; every weekend, every holiday, the family was manoeuvred to Friesland where we conquered the Frisian lakes. Until, as an adolescent, I tore myself away from this and wanted to go on holiday independently...I looked for a sailing holiday...first in Kerkdriel, later on on the Wadden Islands. This past has ensured that there has always been a yearning for the water. It is the place where I find peace, where I can wander off in my thoughts and sometimes it evokes a deep homesickness.

It is therefore not surprising that this maritime theme is appearing more and more often in my work. It is a red wave that flows through the oeuvre. It remains one of my greatest sources of inspiration. 

Education
At the Academy of Visual Arts in Utrecht, I first studied Graphic Design and a year later 3-Dimensional Design. However, the academy and I did not see eye to eye so I continued my education at the Graphic School in Eindhoven where I graduated in 1994.

Since 2004 I live in Lieshout where I picked up brush and palette knife again and followed several painting and mixed media courses.

2010-2013: workshops 'Painting from the essence' in Z-France by Sietse Goverts.

Since the summer of 2015 I started sculpting in stone. I learned the basics from Peer van Gennep, followed workshops in hardstone from Cees Meijer.

At the end of 2017 I joined the sculpture collective Ruimte In Beeld in Nuenen. See www.ruimteinbeeld.nl

Looking at art on the internet is fun but seeing the real thing is a different experience. You are always welcome to visit the studio. Just let us know when you want to come.