Arlette Steenmans was born in Mechelen, Belgium on February the 5th, 1958. Until the beginning of 1982 she lived in the centre of the city of Mechelen where she went to school. She got interested in astronomy and got deeply involved with a youth group for astronomy in Mechelen from 1974 onwards. After having completed grammar school (1976), she continued studies at the "Karel de Grote Hogeschool voor schone kunsten", high school for art in Antwerp, speciality painting, where she graduated in 1980.

1976 : first price of publicity (Jeugd en Muziek, Mechelen, Belgium) 1985: fourth price of painting, Volonne, France 1986 : second price of drawing, Volonne, France 1994 : first price water-colour, Volonne, France 1995 : first price pastel and third price symbolism, International award of painting, Cannes, France 1995: first price water-colour, Peyruis, France 1996 : first price of the public Peyruis, France