Inner world
— Way inside
In the late seventies and early eighties my artwork often reflected my inner world. It was more figurative and sometimes emotionally coloured. The subject could vary from grief, farewell to my father who died, a memory of my youth translated in a new form, to a strange fantasy. They were quick pastel drawings or water colour sketches and opaque acrylic painting.
In order to make this liberating experience available for children with emotional problems I started to work part time with children individually on a Medical Pedagogic Bureau. This choice lessened the pressure to achieve and gave me more financial scope. The study in psychology seemed useful and after finishing my studies I became a parttime family artpsychotherapist at an institution for child mental health from 1981 to 1998. Ultimately it culminated in a book, written in Dutch together with my colleague Wim Klijn titled: ‘Where words fail, Practice and theory in family art therapy’, Publ. Acco, Leuven 2006.