Background
Cornet was born on July 22, 1945 in Gorinchem, Netherlands; the daughter of Arnoldus Gerardus and Johanna (Koedam) Cornet.
Cornet was born on July 22, 1945 in Gorinchem, Netherlands; the daughter of Arnoldus Gerardus and Johanna (Koedam) Cornet.
Cornet received a Master of Fine Arts degree from the Academy of Fine Arts in Amersfoort in 1969.
Cornet began her career as an art teacher in Friesland province in 1970 and held it for two years. In 1975, she took the same position on Bonaire island. There Heleen taught fine arts at the high school for five years. Then she lived for one year in Curacao and St. Maarten and in 1986 moved to Saba island, where she was an art teacher at the Saba Comprehensive School for 3 years. Nowadays Cornet continues to live and paint on the tiny island of Saba.
Heleen opened her own gallery and published several books together with her husband marine biologist Tom van't Hof for the marine parks of Bonaire, Curacao and Saba for which she did the illustrations. She also did a mural in the Sacred Heart Church, a Roman Catholic Church in the Bottom on Saba.
She paints with watercolours rather than oils and prefers to paint on canvas and takes inspiration from the terroir, flora and fauna that surrounds her.
Cornet is a member of Saba Foundation for Arts (vice president, 1992).
On August 26, 1989 Cornet married Tom Van 'T Hof. They have 2 children.
