I began doll making after receiving my degree as an illustrator in l975. One of my teachers in art school, a writer and illustrator of children's books, made dolls for fun, for her children to play with. When she showed us those dolls, I was fascinated. Though my teacher was not a professional doll maker, the dolls had the same intriguing character as her drawings. They were simple dolls, with a strong expression.
They are still my source of inspiration for keeping it simple, and the expression I want to achieve. My other motto is: don't stick to conventions.
I consider my dolls three-dimensional illustrations of imaginary stories. The story you may make up yourself.
I work in several materials. Most of my pieces are sculpted directly in porcelain, but I like to use air-dry clay for props. After creating a doll in my head, I sometimes hate to make it because it already exists perfectly in my head—it could still be a masterpiece. Then I feel like the making is only a craft, not a creative process.
In 1999 I became a member of NIADA, the National Institute of American Doll Artists and currently I am a NIADA board member. I am a founding member of DABIDA, the Dutch and Belgian Doll artist organization. I like to travel, exhibiting, giving lectures and teaching workshops.
