My name is Dora Kuijpers, born in Alkmaar. I started painting as a self-taught artist in 2007. In 2015, I began taking lessons from Jolanda Gerrmann in realistic fine painting according to the old 17th-century technique of Rembrandt. My oil paintings are realistic, humorous, and colorful. I love painting portraits, especially of people and animals. We often attribute human traits to animals (anthropomorphism), in my paintings the animals behave like humans. In this, I try to capture the character that the animal portrays in my paintings. I am a big fan of Jan Steen, I love his humorous painting style, which you also find regularly in my work, often with a wink at the master himself! I live in Egmond aan Zee, not far from the sea, which comes in handy. The sea has a great attraction for me and can be found regularly in my works.