Abstract versus representational

The quality of her representational work is recognised at the academy, but they still feel Walty’s “inner artist” needs to be shaken out. To exhume this buried artistic soul wasseen as the academy’s main task, and abstraction and self-expression unconditional. Walty cannot see the good in this and persists in her representational approach. By doing what she wants she goes against the grain; her stubborn attitude creates a controversy during her last years at the academy.
She is prohibited to put another animal to paper!

Humour

Walty, who does her utmost to escape the city, spending as much time as possible in the woods, has few close friends in Amsterdam. That does not mean that the teachers and students do not respect her. They might find her hopelessly pigheaded, but she also possesses a catching enthusiasm, loads of talent and a good sense of humour. She rolls through her study years with a smile of joy on her face and graduates in 1984. Much to her chagrin her final work contains not a single animal. But not only birds fly. Walty has chosen aviation as her theme. Compositions showing airplanes, or better still: parts of airplanes.

Academy “d' Witte Lelie”

Everyone thinks that you ought to do something with your drawing. ‘You are exceptionally talented!’ they say. And you know deep down they are right.

Walty arrives at the gate of the 'd' Witte Lelie' in Amsterdam and is accepted. This alone shows the quality of her work, because as a person she is an odd woman out throughout her study. At the time self-expression,  “liberating your inner artist” and an autonomous attitude was the norm. In such an atmosphere Walty Dudok van Heel walks in, dressed in a nice blouse and with her posh accent and a portfolio of animal drawings under her arm. The teachers expect storm clouds ahead and they are proven right. All their efforts to get Walty in line with the dominant ideas are destined to fail. In spite of this her work made during her study improves in great bounds. She improves her technique and her style becomes more loose and willful.