van Waardenburg was born and educated in South Africa. In 1956 she immigrated to Zimbabwe, where she got married. They moved to Brazil in 1969 where they lived for 11 years, and also where her painting on porcelain began. van Waardenburg, her husband, and two daughters moved to Miami in 1979 where she became a U.S. Citizen. In 1991 the family settled in Melbourne, Florida where they currently reside. van Waardenburg has studied her art with instructors from all over the world including Venezuela, Brazil, Great Britain, South Africa, and the U.S. van Waardenburg has always had a love for nature. Her interest in painting wildlife increases daily. The ties with Africa and the rekindled universal interest for the endangered species are a constant inspiration which she expresses on porcelain. Porcelain painting is an ancient art, which originated in China. It is also referred to as china painting, mineral or over-glaze painting. It is often said that in our present Modern World, porcelain painting is a dying art. The collection of van Waardenburg's porcelain art brings her back to her South African heritage. van Waardenburg has had numerous exhibitions both in the U.S. and Internationally and has received several awards for her art. Her work is in private collections worldwide.