Gone with the Snow

Trying to pack my bag to catch a flight to Innsbruck. I am debating what to take with me. I love a bit of glam like Audrey Hepburn's in this photo (from the movie "Charade"), but it is not very practical when you have a ski fanatic boyfriend who throws himself done the slopes at too many miles an hour. My fur hat stays at home this year and on the helmet goes. What we sacrifice for love :-)).

"I'd Do Anything" - Lena Horne

I was brought up with music. While my mother was on tour with the opera company I would spend hours with my dad listening to records, especially the sounds of the 40s and 50s. I found this beautiful simple performance by Lena Horne on YouTube "I'd Do Anything". Just click on the link below to see and hear Lena. Merry Christmas!

Lena Horne's christmas gift

Diva genes

I am excited. Tomorrow I am joining my family to celebrate Christmas. Our family has a strong bond, but we all lead busy lives so we don't see each other often "en groupe". I am especially looking forward to seeing my mum.  She is an incredible person. She used to be an opera singer. Divorced with 3 small kids she studied opera at the conservatory in Maastricht which she finished "cum laude". As a child I was privileged to see many of her performances in great productions such as Rigoletto, Hofmann's Erzahlungen and Aida.
I would often be seated next to the fireman behind the stage and I had free access to the dressing rooms. How I admired all the costumes, the buzz, the drama......and the goosebumps I got from standing ovations.This photo was part of the promotional material for Donizetti's Maria Stuarda where my mother sang the role of Anna, Maria Stuarda's nurse. Dame Joan Sutherland performed the role of Maria Stuarda!  

Another Room to Manouver

This morning I saw a black chair in an old copy of House&Garden. I am often triggered by just one object. I start painting the object and build the rest around it. This is the result: another room to manouver.

Room to manouver

I collect, tower & pile stuff. I just can't help it. My house is like an over-sized mood board. I hardly have room to manouver. I admire people with empty houses and just can't figure out how they do it. I need my stuff. It inspires me, it is part of my life. I did this water colour sketch today, sooooo me!

Christmas on my mind

We are getting closer to Christmas and I am slightly panicking as I still need to do all my Christmas shopping. It is a mystery to me why I am always postponing this type of shopping. Tomorrow is another day. At least I finished the sketch of my Christmas stocking.

The Age of Innocence

As we are all rushing towards the end of yet another year I am having a moment of reflection. This childhood picture catapults me back to 1969. Oblivious of the life ahead of me.
Now, beyond the stage of innocence, I can only say that I love my life.

Black & White

I  do not consider myself  a black & white person, neither in my thinking, nor in my art. But as with many things in life there can be the occasional deviation....About 2 months ago I was going through my image library with UK publisher David Hicks of Soul. He stumbled on this charcoal sketch of Japanese slippers and chose it to complete the selection of 20 greeting card designs. Today I received a box with the cards including the black & white slippers. Well  David I have to say they look so amazing, that I might deviate again!   

Creative pact

Here is a snippet from last Saturday's edition of Dutch newspaper "De Telegraaf" ("VROUW" supplement) featuring the culinary greeting card box I designed for 3 Michelin star chef Jonnie Boer of the Librije. I love the challenge of commisioned work, a creative pact between the client and the artist.

Stock Interiors

The things we do to get from where we are to where we want to be....Becoming a brand takes time, endless sowing, being out there in different ways so your potential audience gets to know you. Today I had a modest sales exhibition at Stock Interiors in Amsterdam. People have crazy schedules, December being the most straining for our social diaries. Despite that we had a fun crowd with a lot of enthousiasm for my products (and sales of course :-)). Thank you Jeroen and Leonie Stock for your great support! www.stockinteriors.nl

More groove

Pondering on groovy masculine interiors. Pffffffff can I do masculine I wonder and even if I could....should I?
I am wondering why I am even pondering about this. I will just continue what I like to do: explore and discover!

Groovy Baby

"Groovy baby" that is all I have to say today!

Soul for my art

I am excited as I have signed on last month with UK publisher Soul, a "boutique" publisher that have now created a range of single greeting cards for my label "Mariska Meijers Amsterdam", with notebooks, wrapping paper and gift tags to follow shortly. Here is a design of one of the cards.

Time to Cook

Another water colour I did yesterday titled "Time to Cook". Amazing how much fun you can have with painting details....

Interior with Union Jack

Again a rainy day. Perfect as I need to create more work for my upcoming exhibitions. After yesterday's hard work on the eclectic interior in oils,  I feel "light" today working with my water colours. This one is ready to be framed.

Eclectic Interior

Almost done with one of my large interior paintings. Colour can be quite intimidating for some people especially when there is such a bold mix. Can't wait for the response next Sunday when I exhibit this piece for the first time at Stock Interiors.

Malva's flowers

Today I had inspiring conversation over coffee with Malva. She brought me these perfect little white lilies. Translated from Dutch they are called "South Wind" lilies.  They cheer up my studio on this grey day!

Indecisive

There are days that I am sooooo indecisive. This painting keeps changing form, colour and composition. A shrink would probably have a field day analizing all the different stages. I need to stop changing as it will be exhibited at Stock Interiors next Sunday!

David Hicks II

Another touch of David Hicks. A page from Maison Francaise. The picture was taken in 1978 in David Hick's interior design store in London. He designed everything from the furniture to the ceramics. A real candy store. I will have MY candy store at some point! davidhicksfrance.com

David Hicks

Today I became a "facebook" fan of www.davidhicksfrance.com/. To you who know my art & designs will immediately understand why I am drawn to his work. Who says colour clashing interiors can't be stylish! Picture: courtesy davidhicksfrance.com.

Artists at work

    

A big canvas today. The over-sized version of a water colour sketch I did last week. Size matters! Can't help loving to attack a canvas where I need at least a step stool or a chair to reach the top. It reminds me of a picture of Matisse at work on "Nymph in the Forest" in his studio at Hotel Regina in Nice (photograph by Varian Fry). He will always be my one of my heroes.

Blossom

Rainy Saturday what great day to paint. Almost done with one of my signature blossom pieces for my next exhibition at Arps&Co Fine Arts in Amsterdam.

Kaleidoscope II

This is one of the water colour sketches I did after my visit to the quilt exhibition at Textile Museum of Canada. I am going to translate this to one of my new oil paintings. Can't wait!

Kaleidoscope

On the last day of my Toronto trip I finally had time to do a bit of culture and went to the Textile Museum of Canada on Centre Avenue. They had an amazing exhibition of antique quilts curated by Max Allen. What a craftmanship. I feel inspired by the patterns and have already started to make sketches to use in my paintings and textile designs.

Toronto

Well I have been off line for a few days. I flew to Toronto last Friday and have been helping my sister who just moved to her new house in the Beaches.  In the picture a quick water color impression of her romantic blue house.

Holiday spirit

I made an illustration for the invitation of my festive exhibition at Stock Interiors in December. Jeroen and Leonie Stock have a wonderful eclectic taste. They have no fear when it comes to combining colours and patterns and that is exactly why my art and textiles feel at home in their store.
http://www.stockinteriors.nl/

Addicted to tinkering around

Whoops... another day has past and I am still tinkering around with my water colours. May be it is strange coming from an artist to say that I almost feel guilty having done hardly anything else. Unfortunately my to do list does not spontaneousely shorten by itself. Well, tomorrow is another day to tend to the building of my webshop, sales calls, press release, accounting, grocery shopping, getting my winter boots fixed, making homework with my kids, etc. etc.

Tinkering around

I am spending the day tinkering around with water colours. I have a small exhibition in one of my favourite interior design stores, Stock Interiors in Amsterdam, in December. I usually paint my  "Interiors" in oils on big scale canvasses but I am making a series with water colours for this exhibition as the store is small. Water colour is asking a lot more from me in terms of focus as with oils a "mistake" is easily corrected. Here is one I did this morning featuring my French lamp.

Style

I find that this picture defines style. It is from a Kate Spade homeware advertisment.

Minnie mouse and the recovering economy

On today's business news I heard that the Dutch economy is recovering. One of the factors being increased exports to Asia. I have a "minnie mouse" business but everytime I ship my products to other countries I feel proud. Last week it was boxes filled with my stationery published by Bekking & Blitz, destination Singapore. Let there be loads of minnie mice.

Shoot

I gave myself a present today. There are those days that one just deserves it.. So far I have been taken pictures with my phone for my blog. Mwaaaa not too good. I am no camera wizard so I bought myself a very simple tiny canon ixus. Tried to "shoot" my mood board first.

Fearless

I have always been fearless when it comes to mixing styles, colours and patterns. I can drewl over intriging photographs of interiors and I have been collecting articles and books on interiors for many years. Here are two pictures by Pascal Chevalier of Eric Wright's flamboyant Parisian appartment. I believe they are from an issue of The World of Interiors many years back. He didn't want his appartment to look "predictably decoratively correct". Oh how I can relate to that!

Feeling blue

Today I am feeling a bit blue. It doesn't suit me at all, but I can't deny that there are days that I am just wondering "what the hell was I thinking.....". I am lucky that those blue episodes don't last for long. There is just too much enjoyment and challenge in what I am doing.....painting, creating something new.
The picture is by Henny van Belkom a very talented Dutch photographer whith a passion for interiors.

Stars, food & art

There are days that I get more little stars in my eyes than usual. I designed 10 culinary greeting card illustrations for 3 Michelin star chef Jonnie Boer and his sommelier wife Therese of restaurant the Librije. This picture was taken last Saturday (after a divine 5 course lunch!). Next to me in the picture is my culinary" partner in crime" Lise Goeman Borgesius.

Interior - Kees van Dongen

In my blog I occasionally show picures of artists' studios. I love visiting them but there are plenty that I will never have a chance to see for the simple reason that they have vanished. Alexander Liberman was a photographer who set out to visit artists after World War II to document their lives and inspiring surroundings. Here is a picture of Dutch painter Kees van Dongen in his vast Paris studio, 87 years of age, surrounded by his paintings and cherished objects, reading, his desk cluttered, he almost disappears in the space.

Objects of desire

A little display with objects I cherish, including porcelain birds and an old art catalogue featuring work of Braque. The quality of this picture is lousy, I really need to buy myself a proper camera!

Princesses

Besides Snow White I am connected to another princess as I was named after one: Mariska, the circus princess. It was a very popular book in my childhood written by the Hungarian writer Sandor Kis. I keep it on a stand next to my mood board. On the cover a little girl balancing on the back of a horse, how appropriate!

Textiles

Designing fabric is one thing, having them produced a whole other ball game. I work with a wonderful fabric producer. I get excited everytime I get a new production in. The colours are always as vibrant as I intended them to be. This picture features the orange version of my "In Bloom" series.

Yellow

Filing some pictures I came across this "yellow" one taken at an art opening in Amsterdam. Besides wearing yellow I also love to use it in my paintings, especially cadmium yellow which has a beautiful depth and warmth.

Come rain, come shine

Unbelievable the amount of rain today. I am longing for the sun pouring into my house. Here is a picture I took this summer. A glimpse of my interior with plenty of sunlight.

Women & Shoes

I have done quite a few shoe paintings and illustrations. I did these summer slippers as a greeting card for a goodiebag at the International Amsterdam Fashion Week. What is it with women and shoes. A shoe to a woman is what a woman is to a man. Simply irresistible!

Playing with Vogue Nippon

I have been playing with pages of Vogue Nippon today as I need to create some fun affordable pieces for an event this Sunday. I have painted my signature blossoms, but what a different feel they have with models and Japanese characters shining through.

Working Sundays

It is not unusual for me to work on a Sunday. Today it was cold and wet, ideal conditions to sit behind my apple with a cup of tea (and too much chocolate!!). From my desk I look outside but also into my open plan kitchen. Here is a snapshot of a little corner in my kitchen.

Oblivious

Spring cleaning today (in October!) made me go through boxes with old photographs. This is me 12 months plus, completely oblivious of what it takes to get from where you are to where you want to be...I love life!

Exposed!

I would not be able to "expose" my work with the help of other creative people. This is the advert for Singapore magazine Expat Living that graphic designer Petra Bullee is working on. We are still making some changes but it's looking fab already.

Sales efforts

There are days that one just has to tend to sales. Creating is one thing, being admired absolutely wonderful, but hey......Here is a picture of my marketing campaign for my designer pillows, courtesy of one of my French corporate clients Sofitel Accor.