Left school and Nijkerk for the Merchant Navy at the age of 15 and the Dutch Royal Navy 3 years later to travel the world and study at the University of Life.
Did a short spell at the ‘Rietveld Akademie’ in Amsterdam and has had exhibitions in The Netherlands, Germany and South Africa.

Came to South Africa in 1987, left in ’89 for Brussels, returned in ’90 and now only visits Holland as a tourist.

Although professionally active in a very different field, painting is - and always has been –his first love: as a variation on “working to live or living to work” the story of his life is “working to live and living to paint”. Would love to have a duplicate life running simultaneously to allow for all the creative activities he’s interested in.

Most of his work is done in commission and until he became interested in mural, faux and trompe l‘oeil painting, most of the commissions have been for animal paintings in general and dog portraits in particular.

His art is not intended to be shocking/world-improving as he believes that the modern media is much better suited to achieve that kind of impact. He applies his art first of all as a trade, as evidenced in his detailed - realistic – style, aimed at pleasing the eye and bringing some happiness to the viewer, and more permanently to the owner of work by “JanAalt”.