Occasionally I meet an artist over the internet, totally unknown to me and of whose work I'm upside down. Johannes Paul Vroom is one of those people. He was born in 1922 in the Hague and died in Amsterdam in 2006. He studied at the Royal Academy in the Hague but soon, at a  very young age, left for Paris. I didn't find a lot of information about him, but these paintings are really adorable I think!

                                 Pompidou silkscreen

                                  Korenveld canvas 63 x 88 cm

                                Maïs olieverf 104 x 154 cm

In these difficult Corona times, I would like to thank all those people who are putting themselves at risk on the front lines of the pandemic: nurses, doctors, health care workers, social workers, paramedical staff, police department and many many others.

​THANK YOU!

I spend hours and hours in my studio.  It’s a place of concentration and inspiration and hard work and late nights. Because my studio is in my home, the work  just never seems to end! But I couldn't imagine another way of life. I'm working on a new drawing in my big sketchbook. I was inspired by many things. First of all by old Swiss 'scherenschnitte' that I found, browsing in my mother's old folk art books. But also by ancient Arabic and Ottoman botanical manuscripts. And finally by a black and white embroidery I made many many years ago when I was an embroidery teacher. 

My dearest blog followers,

​I need all of you to realize my next project!!! Let me explain my plan. As you maybe know, I love making lists about anything and everything. On the picture above you can see such a list with the names of Noble Prize winners. Now I would like to fill a concertina book with all of your names. Yes, you, my followers on this blog. It's a nice writing exercise for me, and you will be immortalized. So, what I'm asking you is to give me the following info in the comment below:

​surname - first name - city where you live - country - continent 

I'm hoping on a great response, because only in that way I can make this project. If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to ask. And, of course, you will see the pictures of the finished book on this blog in the near future!

She's on my radar since a long time! Alice Pattullo is an illustrator based in East London. Her work is inspired by British folk tradition, superstition and mid-century design and she strives to create a nostalgic aesthetic through color choices and composition. I'm attracted to her work including through the narrative part. I have the pleasant feeling that each illustration is an entire novel!  There's so much to see and  experience and those cheerful colors and vintage patterns make me happy! 

I'm working on a book, inspired by the journals of my maternal grandfather. The biggest part of his diaries is about World War I, but there are also stories and anekdotes of when he was a child, getting into mischief with his friends.  He grew up in a very small village in West-Flanders where his father was a forester for a castle's lord. At the age of 16, he emigrated to the USA with his parents, brother and little sister. It's been a revelation to read these two diaries and to find out how his life was. I've already made a page about his life during WWI and I hope that other pages will follow!

Wishing a truly wonderful Christmas to all my blog friends. Let there be light, love, warmth and friendship!
​

The honey bee, the bumblebee, the butterflies and other pollinating insects are in danger. Some species have already disappeared never to return. Fewer pollinating insects will effect us more than we imagine right now, also in our daily economy. So it's best for all of us if there are more uncultivated places for bees, butterflies and other pollinating insects. I try to apply this in our own garden. It's a start if everyone with a garden should do the same! This  quote of Albert Einstein says a great deal about what we know now and shows what a visionary he was!

IF THE BEE DISAPPEARED OFF THE SURFACE OF THE GLOBE

THEN MAN WOULD ONLY HAVE FOUR YEARS OF LIFE LEFT.

NO MORE BEES, NO MORE POLLINATION, NO MORE PLANTS,

NO MORE ANIMALS, NO MORE MAN.