For as long as I can remember I've been drawing during classes, phone calls and meetings. Give me a pen and I just start drawing (I can't resist). It started very small, with tracing phone numbers, drawing mustaches in the newspaper and crazy scribbles in my notebooks. But before I knew it, all the margins of my notebooks were completely filled. I am therefore regularly asked if I am paying attention... I can assure you, I am. For me, drawing is a way to listen better and it's a way of processing information.

Hi, I'm Gemma, the face behind DOTSbyGemma. I'm 27, live in Deurne with my boyfriend Rik and I'm an artist in heart and soul. As a child I grew up in a creative family. My grandfather was a great source of inspiration. He made very realistic still lifes and had an infinite amount of drawing and painting equipment at his disposal. I could always use this 'provided' I did it the right way. Unfortunately he passed away before I went to art school, but our house is adorned by his beautiful paintings and I am proud to follow in his footsteps.

Officially I am educated as an art teacher, but I am not teaching at the moment. Instead, I have my own business as an artist (DOTSbyGemma). In addition to making and selling original art, I create DIY assignments to inspire you to pick up your pen and discover the creative side of yourself. With DOTSbyGemma I attend fairs and markets, but I also give workshops. In addition to my work as an artist, I work as an educator at Museum De Wieger in Deurne two days a week. Here I look for ways to lower the threshold for going to the museum, to give everyone from young to old a positive experience and to help people look at art (and form an opinion about it). Think treasure hunts and games for kids, audio tours and guided tours for adults, and drawing classes/workshops for all ages.