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.