I was born in Leek, The Netherlands, now living in Hattula, Finland. My work focuses on painting and Consciousness research. I specialize in abstracted figurative paintings, exploring Consciousness as the core of reality. My art merges abstract, figurative, and surrealistic elements, reflecting my perspective, my personal journey towards authenticity (being honest with who I am for example) and aiding my introspection and understanding of the world. My painting and research on Consciousness are interconnected, each enriching the other.

The Reasons

I grew up under the drawing table of my father, who drew technical visualisations of electrical power plants. Those sometimes a few meters wide drawings helped others to, for example, quickly understand how the tubing, valves, turbines and all that was connected and what to do in case of an emergency. These drawings must have had a profound impact on me as I began to take stuff apart, not being able to put it back together. Throughout my life I wanted to know, and explain in words and visuals how I understood things.

I got a chemical ‘toy’ set when I was young and accidentally began to produce poisonous gasses. My mother’s medical books were a treasure trove as well and at an early age, I got to learn about some wonderful parts of the human, especially female, body. The fascination with the female has stayed throughout my life. The fascination is always reflected with the male, they cannot be seen separately without loosing context, I think. And then my interests span the mental, the physical, the social, the spiritual sides of the female and male.

Despite the exciting and risky adventures in my little attic room, I survived and had my mind set on figuring stuff out by experimentation. My art is about exploring possibilities and less so about giving the answer. My art is also about the experiment and the frustrations and joys that come with doing something outside my comfort zone. Above all, my art is about conveying many perspectives on what this reality may be, what it may consist of, and how it can be represented visually.

Process

I paint with both acrylic and encaustic paints, With a limited palette, I create a range of colours. There are periods I paint with either material for a while, and then switch back. Both materials offer something I seem to need to express my thinking. I shall likely be going to combine encaustic with acrylics, and other ingredients as this is in my nature. . When I get stuck in the real world of paint, I take a photo of the artwork and experiment further on my iPad, computer or both.

Often my paintings start with a phrase I read in a book, a sentence someone uttered in a conversation or, in most cases perhaps, a temporary conclusion of how I see some aspect of this reality. Paintings are for my means to say things I cannot capture in words. At other times, I start with a profoundly personal challenge which I want to face, challenge and resolve. In my mind, I call this kind of process ‘working on becoming more authentic‘.

Essential in my thinking and expression is my notion of how authenticity helps me to grow and learn faster. My paintings can have a controversial starting point, and by expressing this, I challenge first and foremost myself: do I dare to show this? As the basis are thoughts that keep me busy, I find it disingenuous to hide the true intentions of the paintings through camouflaging them. However, like in numerous instances, I need to go through some banal phase before I reach a satisfying result, like in the Lickable Landscapes series.

Concept and Themes

My art explores the relationship between flow and structure, reflecting the mysterious nature of Consciousness and the physical world. I use layering techniques to create depth and express important ideas about life and existence. My goal is to understand and share thoughts on purpose, reality, and the powerful forces—both seen and unseen—that shape our lives.

Recurring themes in my work include spirituality, time, mythology, and ideas from thinkers like Max Planck, Tom Campbell, and Carl Jung (including Federico Faggin and Mario Beauregard). These influences help me tell stories about the non-physical essence of life and the cycles of time. I also draw inspiration from Quantum Mechanics to explore how these scientific concepts relate to our shared reality and Consciousness. By creating several versions of similar pieces, I highlight the many possible outcomes we face, focusing on potential and what could be.

In the series Chakra, I use a sentence from renowned psychic, artist, and researcher Ingo Swann as my starting point.

The Kama Sutra series continues the theme of human sexuality from the Chakra series, expanding from female-male interaction to human interaction and its relationship with Consciousness. It contrasts the organized, rule-based material world with the fluid, dynamic world of Consciousness, utilizing clear distinctions to illustrate this juxtaposition.

Storytelling and Visual Narrative

Storytelling is essential to my work, shaped by my experience as a lecturer and consultant. Creating in series lets me show changes over time, explore variations on the same idea, provide possible answers to similar questions, and examine themes in depth. Even when Consciousness is not the main visual focus, it is still a key element in my art. This is shown through subtle details, such as the recurring egg-shaped object with three red dots, seen in the Oera Linda series Fire and Earth and Ice and Wind.