4 in a row

The monkeys are from the children's bookshop (Helden en Boeven) where I work, they are so cute! Anne Claire Petit makes all different kinds of crocheted animals and other toys.

callicore pastazza

Sounds a bit like an italian dish ; > But it is a butterfly from Peru.
In real life it's colors are much more vibrant. But I still like it.

cows and planes

He is Enrico, a Mexican cowboy - obviously.
She is doing the 'safety instructions' before the plane hits the sky.
Sketches in my moleskine.

living on the edge

; ) On the ferry to Ameland, one of the Dutch islands. We were there last weekend, flying kites and even took a swim in the northsea.

hell yeah

In between the holiday pics, some power women. (In case you got bored of all those 'you should have been there' romantic, sunny images)

Lisboa, painted tiles everywhere. It already seems so long ago... We were in Portugal for two weeks, it was wonderful. Didn't stay in Lisbon, because it was too warm, sticky and crowded for us. We went up north instead, to some small villages by the ocean.

where my name comes from

Sardinhas, the fresh grilled ones are so much better... But the cans are pretty, especially all together!

This lemontree reminds me of the movie "Lemontree" I thought it was a very good, though sad film.

My first name is Portugese.

garden food

France, spent a week there. It was great. Fantastic weather, water (la meuse) and wine ; ) We made blackberry jam, and after a whole lot of 'seperating the berries and the green' it has become delicious!
Wish I had fruit in my garden like the raspberries, red- and blackcurrants and grapes in France... But actually I'm a bad gardener, can hardly menage to pick my tomatoes before the birds eat them.

I'm back, and I have had a lovely summer so far. These pics are taken near the town were I grew up, were I took a walk to the forest a few weeks ago. I also saw a huge amount of butterflies on a field of crops (koolwitjes in dutch) my pictures didn't seem to 'catch' them though, so just have to remember it...

fire arms

I've been having painful wrists and fingers for a while now. This afternoon it's been confirmed that I have RSI (Repetitive Strain Injury). And that it is actually my back, shoulders and arms that are causing it, due to my bad working posture.
So that's why I need to stop working for a while and do lots of exercises. Hopefully you'll understand that it will be a bit quiet over here. Will be back as soon as I can!

Kind regards, Graça

Isn't she lovely? She and her sisters were modelling for us in France, last may.

the rustling forest

There wasn't a leaf without holes in it there. Though I did not get that on film. Caterpillars. A lot of them, what a strange sound!
Don't you love the colours of the bark in the bottom picture?

when I was walking

A while ago on a sunny day, a few blocks from my studio. The garbage pile was big, but there were even bigger ones. Like 5 metres wide and man-high! The garbage men had a strike for 1 and a half week - you can imagine the smell...

pastilles

Made out of paperclay, some have tiny papercuts pasted on, the others are painted. The smallest one is the size of my little fingers finger tip. lol

glazed tiles

In a street close to my studio, these tiles are situated beside the frontdoors. love them...

part

A part of the last papercut I've been making. I will show you the whole thing soon.

rabbit deer

She's a rabbit in a different body. A sketch that will get colored or black fillings..

oriental horses

I have always admired the subtle but powerful lines of
oriental art. Every shape is right. Although I cropped
the picture, which resulted in some heads and other
things being chopped of!

working on it

I am working on this little wooden box, it is not finished
yet because I'm trying to do several things at a time.
Like: posting on my blog, painting other items,
framing works that have been finished, sketching new
ones, digitalising others... Going to try to do these things
one by one now, because this way it is hard to focus : 0

my dream

is to one day own a beachhouse, something just like
this small wooden one. Somewhere on a very quiet shore,
with no tourists strolling around... I know, it is a dream ; )

wall and grain

This wall is in Amsterdam and the field is on Texel (one of the dutch islands) took this picture when we were biking there.

french farm

We are going to France soon again, and I'm so looking forward to it! Going around taking pictures over there is so nice and good for inspiration.

last ones

Last weekend I have sold my last two papercuts from the black and grey 'Nightwatchers series' Now they're all gone it feels a bit empty here. So I need to make new ones! I'm already working on one that only needs framing now. Once it is finished I'll show you.

lost one

I have found this slide in the gutter, in front of my studio. Don't usually pick things up from the street, but I couldn't resist this one.

Why do people throw away photos and things like that? (In this case probably because it was the last picture on the film...)

'Stoepiekrijt' on the sidewalks, it makes me smile.

three girls

Anne gave me this supernice photoframe including the photo. I don't know who the girls are, but I can imagine a little bit. It is nice to have them in the living room and I hope they feel at home at my place.

a birthday invitation drawing

By my niece Marijn

other corner of my studio, the factories are gone now...

chasing ducks

It must be spring when the ducks are chasing each other in a way that looks like waterskiing.

in my studio

Images cachees, by Yves Dorme

Brother and sisters I think. Reminds me of my sisters, I don't see them enough.

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.