I have lived in the Netherlands, Canada, and the USA. Born in the Netherlands, I immigrated to Canada where I became a naturalized Canadian citizen. After graduating from Calvin University in Grand Rapids, Michigan, I obtained US citizenship. In 1987 I received my MFA from Western Michigan University.
My art is based on a need to express reality I see and feel it around me. I’m under no illusion to reveal ‘Truth’, but only to translate the truth of my observation and experience into painterly expression. The creative process and intuitive impulses that drive us are mysterious and unique for each artist. In my search for clarity, from the general chaos around me, I usually turn to landscape or urban scenes as metaphor, using photos, sketches, or memories. My hope is to give a personal expression that is both powerful and revealing.