Born and raised by the Dutch seaside in 1956, I moved to Utrecht at the age of 17 to live on my own and study nursing. Later, I moved to Amsterdam, where I was admitted to the Royal Academy of Fine Arts with my drawings in 1981 and graduated in 1986. Afterward, I enjoyed living by the beautiful river Waal and becoming the mother of two sons. I now live happily in the east of the Netherlands, though I miss the sea every day.