About Me
I fell in love with painting recovering from a traffic accident in 2022.
This was the beginning of a brand new adventure that reshaped my creativity in ways I couldn't have imagined.
I had a head injury and severe concussion. Some parts of my brain almost stopped working for quite some time, other parts lit up like a Christmas tree. It was like living like Alice in Wonderland. I couldn't figure out how to make a sandwich, but I understood colours and tones better than ever before.
So I started to paint as a therapeutical activity. It helped me to have fun and relax while I couldn't do much else. It also helped me deal with the fear of not knowing if I'd ever be okay.
Since 2022 I have mostly recovered (I was so lucky!), but painting remained to be such an important part of my life. I'm either painting, learning about the craft or thinking about a piece I'd like to make (or one I'm working on).
I love it when my work connects to others and it becomes a part of their lives. Whether it's an original or a bookmark; your work gets interwoven with someone else's life. And I think it is such a cool thing and a great compliment!
About The Bell Maker
The company The Bell Maker has evolved from my company Cookie Entertainment and has become even more heart and mission driven.
Art connects us to everything and everyone in the world around us. It provides a mirror to see and understand more about how we relate to the world and each other.
In these modern times we have become stretched; though technically more connected than ever before, many of our relations have become more shallow and less personal.
Through my art I hope to remind you that you can change this, and you are allowed to live more purpose and heart centred. I hope to remind you of beloved places, cherished friends, wonder, dreams and quiet choices that shaped who you are for the better. I hope to remind you that you are not alone, that you are enough and that there's greatness in the "simple" things in life.
This deepening of my mission happened in 2022. Until 2022 I mainly designed greeting cards for the Dutch and German market. Over the years my designs were used for some of the most special and happy moments in people's lives, like wedding and brith announcements.
Up until now over 30,000 people have received a greeting card with my art on it. Something which I'm both proud of, but also still find humbling and mind boggling.
As I said, in 2022 it became clear to me, my small hobby company needed to evolve with me. It needed to go much deeper, become even more honest, tactile, artisan, and above all, more personal.
I made the transition to working mostly with real materials like paint, inks, paper and canvasses, instead of digital, though digital tools remain part of the process too.
I hope to bring more joy and ways to anchor true connection with all the products and communications offered through the Bell Maker. I hope to help people rediscover the enchantment that's called life.
