Four Worlds That Shape My Art

Tropics

My artistic journey began at 37, when I traded the soft grays of Amsterdam for the vibrant beauty of the Tropics. St. Vincent and the Grenadines was my first stop, and it was there that I discovered a deep sense of freedom and creative energy.

The abundance of color was intoxicating. Late afternoons brought the most breathtaking transformations. The sun would set in an instant, and the world exploded into saturated hues. In the humid jungle, the depths revealed themselves through soft layers of receding color.

This vivid palette ignited a new chapter in my work, inspiring me to paint with passion and intensity. Later, in Miami, I refined these themes, celebrating the lush abundance of decorative plants and the raw vibrancy of the tropical world.

Ancestry

My roots run deep in Zeeland, the delta region of the Netherlands where my family has lived since the 1400s. These islands and peninsulas, often isolated from one another, shaped a community built on resilience, fishing, farming, and trade.

One crop stood out: ‘madder’, a plant whose roots produced a powerful red dye known as alizarin. This dye was so prized that it was traded for fine fabrics worn at the French courts. Each island developed its own unique costume, combining ornate gold jewelry, sumptuous brocade, and skirts layered with history and pride.

My grandmother wore this traditional costume until her passing in 1989, and this lineage, this heritage of craft, color, and storytelling, continues to inspire my art today.

The Sea

The sea has always represented ultimate freedom for me. At 11 years old, my father built a tiny sailboat in our living room. The first time I felt the wind fill the sail, I was lost to the magic of sailing.

As someone who suffered from hay fever, the water was my sanctuary. I learned to crew racing yachts, sailing from Rotterdam to the Azores, Portugal, and beyond. I even delivered boats from England to the Netherlands.

Back then, women weren’t easily accepted in major races like the Whitbread Round the World Race, but the call of the sea was stronger than any barrier. Today, that love of open horizons continues to fuel my creativity and sense of possibility.

River Arts Gallery

Asheville became the place where I could finally hang my paintings and share my stories. But in 2024, Hurricane Helene struck, devastating the area and shifting the energy completely. Now, I reflect on how each experience has shaped me and my work. Almost everything I have lived has been processed through the paintbrush.

“I paint to make sense of the world” has become my mantra. In the stillness of my studio, I find answers the visible world cannot provide. When I explore the deeper motivations behind people’s actions, I begin to understand. For me, spiritual truth has only become louder and more insistent with time.

The paintings you see in the galleries here represent only a fraction of my full body of work. If you’d like to see more, learn more, or own a print if an original isn’t in your budget, I would love to connect.To keep shipping costs low, I usually send paintings rolled up. Depending on where you live, I can even deliver the piece myself, stretch the canvas on-site, and ensure it looks perfect in its new home.

Your walls deserve art that tells a story. Let’s find the one that speaks to you.