When asked,
Myriam defines herself mainly as a teacher, offering painting and illustration
workshops, but she also works as an illustrator on commission for her own
pleasure.
Schooled at
the Academy Minerva in Groningen, she started by following illustration,
graphics and abstract painting, but later decided to add a teacher-training
course to the mix to broaden her prospects for the future. Finishing with a
first class honours in 1992, she then decided to head off to Indonesia for a
six-week break with two other colleagues.
Upon their
return to the Netherlands the three of them set up their own studio in central
Groningen. As well as pursuing their own work, they offered and developed a
range of classes from beginners to advanced, for both adults and children.
During this time Myriam was also busy giving portrait and watercolour classes
at the Volksuniversiteit in Zuidlaren, Drenthe as well as painting workshops at
children’s’ birthday parties.
The studio
was put on hold in 1998, with the life changing arrival of new members to the
various families coupled with moves to new houses and neighbourhoods. During
this period Myriam continued with her own work and started making decorative
coat racks on commission. She enjoyed being able to work on a smaller scale
again by choice and left abstraction by the wayside choosing to go back to her
preference of painting realistic and detailed works.
By 2005, and
with her youngest daughter Ella in school, Myriam decided to pick up where she
had left off and start up the painting workshops for children again. This she
has been doing ever since at the neighbourhood playground association: Het
Buurt & Speeltuinvereniging Helpman Oost ‘De Helpen’. Shortly, she will be
branching out to include evening classes for adults. Also, she plans to resume
the painting workshops for children’s’ birthday parties. Other work has
included illustrating the plans for landscape designers, as well as giving
drawing lessons for the SKC (after school reception) and illustrating a nursery
school newspaper.
For the future, Myriam is in the process of joining
forces with a couple of colleagues, each with a different creative discipline
to her own. She says, instead of being an island in one’s discipline, as so
many artists seem to be these days, she wants to see more of a mix between art
and music and intends to achieve this through her liaison with them. This could
pave the way to a whole new genre of workshop.
If you're interested in seeing more of Myriam’s
work, or finding out more about her workshops: Myriam
Berenschot
View all issues of Connections HERE (editor, designer, illustrator: 2006-2013)
