Netherlands
Annemarie McCambridge (née Berssenbrugge) was born, educated and trained in the Netherlands. She started her nursing career at the Deaconesses’ Hospital Bronovo (currently the family hospital of the Dutch Royal Family), followed by perioperative training in the inner city Westeinde Hospital in her home town of The Hague.
Switzerland, USA, UK and New Zealand
In the 80’s and 90’s Annemarie lived and worked with her family in Lausanne Switzerland, Connecticut USA and Oxfordshire in the UK before settling in Auckland, New Zealand in 2000.
In 2001 Annemarie gained the Certificate in Translation Studies with Merit at the Auckland University of Technology. For a while Annemarie worked from home as a Dutch translator, translating children’s books and travel websites from English into Dutch. It was her freelance work as a Dutch interpreter for the Waitemata District Health Board that lured Annemarie back into the hospital environment and in November 2004 Annemarie completed her New Zealand Nursing Registration. Annemarie accepted a position as a perioperative nurse at the North Shore Hospital Theatre Department in Auckland NZ where she enjoyed the company of an encouraging team as well as a great learning environment.
Perioperative Art & Human Form
Annemarie’s Perioperative Art embraces scenes of people at work in and around operating theatres from a patient’s viewpoint as well as that of the surgical team.
“I have always been captivated by the combination of theatre lights, appealing colours and the intensity of the work being carried out. I remember watching it during the quieter moments as a circulating nurse in theatre and wanting to capture it on canvas one day. It is exciting to share my art with the medical world that I have been working in for so such a long time as well as sharing it with the general public.”
Since 2008 Annemarie has participated in more than 18 public exhibitions in and around Auckland NZ
Between 2008 and 2012 Annemarie held three solo exhibitions in North Shore Hospital in Auckland NZ displaying her perioperative art as well as paintings depicting the human form, inspired by a range of thoughts, sculptures and experiences.
In July 2009 Annemarie was asked by one of the South Pacific Pictures Art Directors of TVNZ’s Shortland Street to provide them with one of her perioperative paintings for their set. ‘Diathermy’ was subsequently used on set during filming of one of Shortland Street’s episodes.
Between 2015 and 2018 Annemarie exhibited solo at the Perioperative Department of North Shore Hospital, Auckland NZ.
In 2016 Annemarie retired from nursing to spend more time on her art. Annemarie continues painting and life drawing on a regular basis.