Trying to make new papercuts, but I can't succeed. Not the way I want them to be... This is a tiny test with ofcourse, my favourite: the fox.

three parrots and a monkey

I adore sailors!

mythological creatures, looking a bit akward but they inspire me anyway.

the lady

This is the other tearbottle design. But we need to make it smaller,
or the bottle bigger to make them fit.

tearbottle by Aniek and me

Last February my friend Aniek and I went to the ceramic factory, Royal Delft Pottery. She has been working there on her graduation project. At the museumshop we saw a beautiful Delftblue tearbottle. With an even greater meaning:

It is said, that the little bottle owes it's name and form to those far away days when sailormen were very often absent for a very long period of time. And when saying goodbye, the women left behind wept bitterly. With this bottle, the tears could be captured and brought on far away voyages, as a precious little token.

I was inspired by this story and made two designs as decoration for the tearbottle. Aniek then made a silkcreen of the drawings to print the glaze on a transfer. After that she created serveral forms on the potters wheel, as prototypes. We do have to decide which one we like best for the final mould. At the picture you see the first prototype. It might need some refinement but I already like it. And you?

beauty and decay

Gent (Belgium)

Pictures from the book: Images cachees. By Yves Dorme, from the collection of amature films, Centre national de l' audiovisuel au Luxembourg. He took these photos as stills from the film, it is a wonderful book.

yellows and greens

Some stuff I have in my studio. Some for use, some for inspiration, some for no reason at all.

I've found some old family photos. The little boy on the right is, I think a brother of my grandfather.
They are in drama class, think these are great pics.

Przemyslaw Kiebzak

He made this drawing, I would like to live in a town like that.

Sunlight on Krakow

lad with a paper hat

lullaby #2

Daar was laatst een meisje loos
die wou gaan varen, die wou gaan varen
daar was laatst een meisje loos
die wou gaan varen als lichtmatroos.

Zij moest klimmen in de mast
maken de zeilen, maken de zeilen
zij moest klimmen in de mast
maken de zeilen met touwtjes vast.

Maar door storm en tegenweer
sloegen de zeilen, sloegen de zeilen
maar door storm en tegenweer
sloegen de zeilen van boven neer.

Daar was laatst een meisje loos
die wou gaan varen, die wou gaan varen
daar was laatst een meisje loos
die wou gaan varen als lichtmatroos.

Zij moest klimmen in de mast
maken de zeilen, maken de zeilen
zij moest klimmen in de mast
maken de zeilen met touwtjes vast.

Maar door storm en tegenweer
sloegen de zeilen, sloegen de zeilen
maar door storm en tegenweer
sloegen de zeilen van boven neer.

Zij moest komen in de kajuit
kreeg een pak ransel, kreeg een pak ransel
zij moest komen in de kajuit
kreeg een pak ransel en toen kwam het uit.

Och kap'teintje sla me niet
ik ben uw liefje, ik ben uw liefje
och kap'teintje sla me niet
ik ben uw liefje zoals gij ziet.

A dutch children's song this time (sorry for the non dutch speakers)
My father used to sing this one and play it on the guitar.
I like it because it is about a sailor-girl who wants to work on a ship.

Polska

Visited friends in Poland last weekend. We had a lovely time skiing, eating, drinking, and playing Dupa Biskupa! There will be some sunny pics of Krakow as well.

sneaky whale

A little preview of what could become something new. It is a collaboration... I'll keep you posted!

Artist of the week

When I came back from Poland yesterday I found out that I was selected as 'artist of the week' on Shownd, the portfolio site. You can see it here
Back in the south of Poland I'd visited some friends and went skying with them, which was not easy according to the fact that it had been ten years since I've done that... : ) My friends were pretty good at it though. And we spend some time in Krakow as well, a great city! You should visit it once if you haven't been there already.

la hirondelle

Ceramic "Hirondelle" (swallow), we meet a lot of swallow's every year in france. I am already looking forward to spring vacation! Once my sister saved a little swallow, that fell out of it's nest. We named him 'Koekwaus' And managed to feed him (he preferred those nasty fishing worms ; ) and then, one day - after some of our improvised flying lessons - he flew away! It was great, and I'm sure it was him that came around the next year to greet my parents.

as a child

My old Polish 'Meccano' set. I have two sisters and my father used to love Meccano as a child, so of course he wanted us to have it too. They took this set back from a trip to Poland. Me and my sisters were quite boyish as children, playing with Lego or outside, running around in the sheep meadow or climbing trees at the forest.

lullaby #1

Hush, little baby, don't say a word,
Mama's going to buy you a mockingbird.
And if that mockingbird don't sing,

Mama's going to buy you a diamond ring.
And if that diamond ring turns brass,

Mama's going to buy you a looking glass.
And if that looking glass gets broke,

Mama's going to buy you a billy goat.
And if that billy goat won't pull,

Mama's going to buy you a cart and bull.
And if that cart and bull turn over,

Mama's going to buy you a dog named Rover.
And if that dog named Rover won't bark,

Mama's going to buy you a horse and cart.
And if that horse and cart fall down,

You'll still be the sweetest little baby in town.

You probably know this song from American movies, that's how I know it anyway. I always thought the melody was rather scary, so I decided to look up the lyrics. That doesn't change the way I feel about it... Or is it just me?

an old drawing

awful

I know it is, but I have been wanting to do this for a while. Most of the time I hate digital photo enhancements... Took the picture last week, on a sunny day. It is in Amsterdam, the Ij, at the back of central station. So strange that colour changes everything!

A ring I've painted in white and blue. I bought the owl (coloured 'Delfts blauw') last week in Delft, when I was visiting the Koninklijke Porceleyne Fles factory with my friend Aniek. She has made her tea set over there. On the background you see a copy of a Rembrandt etch.

chicks [grietjes]

Two girls, measuring approximately 3x5 cm. in pencil. I was drawing the first one when I was mad and the second one when I wasn't.
But I did not want her to look too cute either...

this morning

compilation of goods

top: table wear, got the miso soup spoons from my good friend Avelien, this is her blog. bottom: some my favourite drawing
and painting tools

7 sachen

Some of my work is posted on the blog of Dolores, she is making a childrens magazine called: 7sachen-magazin. You can see the blog here. I met Dolores at the children's bookstore were I work. She came to take pictures of the shop. And was so kind and enthousiastic, that I thought, I'll just give her my card! Now me and three other girls are in her 'making of blog' of the magazine.

happiness

Today I feel so good, the sky is blue, the sun is shining, the radiator in my studio is being fixed (after a few weeks of being very cold...), went to a nice concert of 'Fanfarlo' yesterday at Paradiso, and I have loads of new ideas! What else do you need?

A boy, Anne tells me he looks a bit like Joaquin Phoenix.
(the actor who plays Johnny Cash in 'Walk the line')

'De tentoongestelde mens' (the exhibited human)
Detail of a flyer about an exhibition in a museum
(Gent, Belgium)

My hair is growing longer. And at the time it is long enough, I probably want to cut it short again. I always do.
These girls have really pretty hair, (though the one at the bottom could get rid of those split ends ;-) but can you image how much time it takes them to wash and groom it?
Just love the old pictures!

trees in the dark

Took these a few days ago, after coming home from work.
Dark and quiet outside, I was freezing my fingers off!
But ever tried taking a photo with gloves on?

I need to have this handshadow book. It would be nice to, unexpectedly, show off some shadow animals once in a while.

Cold. It really is winter, we haven't had such a snowy winter in a long time I think... It looks so pretty and the sounds of the streets are softer. The only thing is, I am so so cold all the time! Just not used to it. But looking like a mummy I dare to go outside.

Painted this wooden box (for playing cards) last year. But forgot to take pictures of it because it wasn't varnished yet. I still cannot find the right product to finish gouache paintings. Any ideas? The acrylic ones leave a sort of white trace on gouache.

It is a pretty winter this year, cold but beautiful.