I’m excited to introduce director Frank Alsema who is capturing my painting project, ‘Footeprint’ with his camera. Inspired by the life and legacy of Eunice Newton Foote, this project delves into the untold story of this fascinating woman who was the first to demonstrate what we now call the greenhouse effect. While the exact use of Frank’s footage is yet to be determined, we thought it could be interesting to document the steps of this creative journey. Whether it’s for future documentaries, exhibitions, or archival purposes, Frank’s footage will serve as a valuable record of my exploration into the life …

I’m about halfway through my latest series about Eunice Foote. It’s been a fantastic joy to make the series. Why? John Perlin of the Physics Department at the University of California in Santa Barbara conducted research on Eunice Newton Foote and wrote an as-yet-unpublished scientific biography about her. I learned about his work from the Washington Post and reached out to him. He was happy to help with my project. Now, we have online meetings every other week where he tells me more about Eunice Foote. This information is especially helpful for the painting I’m working on. Perlin is kind …

This late summer I am starting a new herstory about Eunice Newton Foote (1819 – 1888) who was an American scientist, inventor, and women’s rights campaigner. She was the first scientist to conclude that certain gases warmed when exposed to sunlight, and that rising carbon dioxide (CO2) levels would change atmospheric temperature and could affect climate, a phenomenon now referred to as the Greenhouse effect. She never received credits for her findings that were attributed to a man a few years later.  I am interested in this woman and will dive into her life. Who was she, where did she …

Jurjentje Rauwerda, the lady who ran the largest and most luxurious brothel in Amsterdam ‘Maison Weinthal’ in the second half of the 19th century, also had children. Before she met Mr. Weinthal with whom she got one child, she already had four, whose fathers were unknown. Two of them sadly passed away early, but the other two are whispered about. Daughter Jacoba (born 1835) is ascribed to the wealthy Mr. Lejeune, a powerful porcelain manufacturer from France. But the story about son Willem (born 1842, Leeuwarden) is even more telling. It is said of him that his father is none …