I was born in Kingston (Canada) in 1957. We moved to the Netherlands when I was 5 years old. When I was young I liked drawing very much but it never got any attention. At age 23 I left my job as a medical analyst to draw portraits during the summer season of 1981 in Spain. Quite succesful!

After that, I travelled a lot and had all kinds of jobs. In the end I became Information Technician. My job and also my family got all of my attention. During almost 30 years I never touched a pencil or paintbrush any more!

But in 2011 I picked up the thread again. Until 2021 I painted on a regular base in the studio of Annemieke Schellekens.

In 2017-2018 I did a one-year basic education visual art and design at the HKU in Utrecht.

In 2018 I started a five-year education in painting at the Academie voor Schone Kunsten in Arendonk. After three completed years (in 2021) I was admitted and switched to the classes 'Living model, focus painting' at the same academy.

In 2019 (following my retirement) I was allowed to start in the second year of CKE-academy, a four-year education in drawing and painting of the CKE in Eindhoven.

I am still searching for my own style and technique. Most of the time I work in 2D but I also like to make spatial art, especially with a touch of technique!

My style is fast, enthousiastically, with a lot of movement. I tend to create increasingly bigger.

Isaac Israels

My role model is Isaac Israëls (1865-1934). His drawings and "sketchy" paintings are fantastic. Every time I zoom-in to his artwork I am surprised. I wonder if it was great speed, or great precision with which he mixed his colours and put the paint strokes on the canvas. If I could only have a very small part of his expertise, I would be very glad!

In short, I will have to practice a lot. No time to waste!