What is the best thing that I love about my work? I love to channel my endless imagination in my works, being creative for me is like breathing, I know no other way of living. Plus, when your art touches people, makes them happy, makes them smile and dream it is such a pleasure to have done that. To conjure up new worlds, new images out of nothing is a very heady feeling indeed.

What is my idea of perfect happiness? Doing the things I love to do surrounded by the people I love

What is my greatest fear? I have many fears being of an anxious nature, in the end what I fear the most is that fear will be the strongest and rule some aspects of my life

What is the trait that I most deplore in myself? I do not really deplore it being too impulsive but sometimes it is not always practical. Not planning enough can be tricky. I do admire people who plan it all so perfectly, art, their lives, everything… I am more of a “I make it up as I go” kind of person, although I consecrate lots of time in those steps and am a maniac about them

Which living persons in my profession do i most admire? So many but they all share this one trait, their art is honest, original and comes from their hearts

What is my greatest extravagance? Most definitely shoes lol. Also being extravagantly romantic but I do not see that as a disadvantage, it helps an artist and it makes for great love stories which in turn helps the artist in me again

On what occasion would I lie? I’d rather not lie because it often is a mess but to save those I love I would certainly lie without qualms

What is the thing that I dislike the most in my work? The fact that I am not schooled, that I am self-trained and that I lack good bases like perspective, anatomy etc… there I feel my limitations

When and where was I the happiest, in my work? I would say that every work that I finish makes me happy but if I had to pick one moment then it certainly was when I got my first job for the gaming industry for a serious company in London with “The heart of the jungle”

If I could, what would I change about myself? Haha, we only get a certain space for this? I mean the list is long but if I have to pick one, I would say, I wish is was not an insomniac…

What is my greatest achievement in work? Every work is an achievement, to finish it, to have people love it, that is great. I made a calendar for 2018 and people liked it, that is a great achievement, to make people happy with my art

Where would I most like to live? Rome or a Greek island but Brussels is doing just fine too

What is my most treasured possession? My silver wedding ring which has so much history behind it that I did not want to change it for the traditional golden one

What is my most marked characteristic? Most definitely creativity

What is my most inspirational location, in my city? The historical centre of Brussels for romantic reasons

What is my favourite place to eat and drink, in my city? Home, sorry if it sounds pretentious but it is the truth, although my husband and I have many favourite little eateries we adore to cook together and explore new things

What books influenced my life and how? Here the list is incredibly long, I am a voracious reader, but I fell in love with ancient Rome though a compilation of the old classics like Quo Vadis, Ben Hur and the last days of Pompey. My romantic imagination was set aflame by the Brontes and my love for detectives first came from Agatha Christie. Also I am a huge Tolkien fan way before the hype of the movies hit us all, I wrote my masters degree’s essay on LOTR

Who are my favorite writers? Val Mc Dermid, Steven Saylor, Marilyn Todd, Lindsey Davis, Elisabeth Peters, the Brontes, Tolkien, …

What music would I listen on my last day? Staying Alive from the Bee Gees I presume

Who is my hero or heroine in fiction? Ross and Demelza Poldark, King Arthur, Lancelot and Guinevere

Who are my heroes and heroines in real life? Very corny but it is the truth: most definitely my husband and then all the people working in the health sector

Which movie would I recommend to see once in a lifetime? Gone with the wind

What role plays art in my life and work? It is all pervading, art is everything, without art there is no life for me

Who is my greatest fan, sponsor, partner in crime? Again my husband, we met through my art

Whom would I like to work with in 2018? I am a loner when it comes to art but any serious company can knock on my door any day and a joint project with my fabulous colleagues, many of whom are here in your files would be fun too

Which people in my profession would I love to meet in 2018? All of them, that would be fabulous

What project, in 2018, am I looking forward to work on? Another calendar if no work from a gaming company comes along

Where can you see me or my work in 2018? On my Facebook site as Crayonmaniac

What do the words “Passion Never Retires” mean to me? Clever person who said that because it is so true

Which creative heroines should Peter invite to tell their story? Claudine Roelens (fabulous doll maker) Flori Antoniou (traditional painter) Cynthia Radthorne (3D artist) Inna Vjuzhanina (digital painter) Carole Humphreys (traditional artist)

How can you contact me ? As Crayonmaniac on my Facebook page

Email : christine.vereecken@gmail.com