I was an equine veterinarian,
now I am myself
“Equine veterinary experience deepened my understanding of the biomechanics of horses but also exposed me to the challenges many horses and their owners face on a daily base.”
“Equine veterinary experience deepened my understanding of the biomechanics of horses but also exposed me to the challenges many horses and their owners face on a daily base.”
The Beginning
The introversion, creativity and stubbornness were there from the start and as a girl of 3 years old I was already painting watercolours in my grandfather's studio.
Until today loosing him feels like loosing a part of myself. One of the reasons why I paint is to connect and communicate with my late grandfather (Walter Lebbe, a talented watercolorist), who still may be there with me, looking over my shoulder while I paint.
Until today loosing him feels like loosing a part of myself. One of the reasons why I paint is to connect and communicate with my late grandfather (Walter Lebbe, a talented watercolorist), who still may be there with me, looking over my shoulder while I paint.
The Turning Point
Why I Paint
One of the reasons why I paint is to give my understanding for all the misunderstood horses of my veterinary career. I provide a voice for all these horses I met during my time as a veterinarian.
Giving them a place to be horse again on my canvas, I try to bring understanding and awareness of their needs, fostering a closer relationship with nature.
My Horses
Nature has been a continuous source of inspiration, but I have to admit that horses hold a particular and enduring fascination. I inherited my passion for horses from my mom, who put me on a horse when I wasn't yet able to walk.
Every day again I am beyond grateful I have 2 amazing geldings, Calypso & Stoer Baron, which I made saddle-broken myself. When I started Calypso 14 years ago as a 2,5 years old I didn't know what I was doing, which made my own horse very unpredictable and misunderstood. Luckily with the help of the right people and my veterinary carreer, I opened my eyes to the language of horses, urging me to listen, communicate and truly understand before asking something.
"Some people talk to animals, not many listen though."
Their Language
A few years ago, someone told me "We have to learn their language if we want to communicate." Since that moment, I approach animals in a different way. It's not about instructing them on how to listen to us, it's about asking them how we can work together. Since my animals became aware of my willingness to listen, our bond has grown stronger.
As a veterinarian I was listening to humans about their animals. As an artist I try to translate animal to human.
Starting my new young horse Stoer from the ground, with connection and feel, has taught me how to trust again. Stoer showed me the power of communicating and connecting with a horse. If you have a young horse, I can only recommend you to do the same.
A Turn in the Road
Following My Heart
I have an innate defect in my shoulder vain. I had 4 surgeries without success to fix it and in addition I broke my back by falling off a horse. Anyway I started working way to hard as a veterinarian and my body needed more rest than I could afford. After searching for 14 years of second opinions trying to find what was causing my pain, I realised the only one holding me down, was myself.
It took me years to understand where my passion was coming from and to learn how to follow my heart. It took me half of my life to become a good veterinarian, so it took me years to overcome the idea of not wanting to be a vet anymore.
Until someone said:
"There are so many (unhappy) vets in the world, but there's no one that makes art as you do and there is lack of (happy) professional artists that can make a living from it."
From that moment I can proudly say I'm going to be one of them. I promised myself to build a life I don't need vacation from anymore and I'm finally ready to follow that dream.
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