Cornelia was born in Norway in 1979. She graduated from The Florence Academy of Art, Italy in 2007 after achieving a Bachelors of Fine Arts degree from University of Victoria, British Colombia, Canada in 2003. In Canada, she became acquainted with the paradigms of conceptual art, and became even more determined to pursue classical realism. Since her early teens she has been particularly interested in depicting human emotion and expression as a way to convey a mood, story or insight. Her interests have expanded over time to include the serenity of still lives and the intimacy of interiors.