The best sketchbook?
I often get the question of which sketchbook I use or think is the best. And the most straightforward answer is this: the one you're ok with trashing. Let me explain. I have...
Reading in May
1. De stem van de Noordzee, (2020) by Laura Burgers, Eva Meijer, Evanne Nowak. 2. Pressing Matters magazine. 3. In her studio magazine. 4. In Limbo, (2023), Deb JJ Lee. 5. Hoe de tijd...
Beachcombing in Normandy
Perhaps you remember our trip to the Jurassic coast in England last year to go fossil hunting. This year we visited Normandy in France, and while the focus was mostly...
International Tea Day
I am a tea lover, but only recently I started to learn more about the fascinating world of tea. My journey is deliberately slow, and while I'm far from any tea-wisdom, International...
World Bee Day
We all depend on the survival of bees World Bee Day is celebrated on May 20. On this day Anton Janša, the pioneer of beekeeping, was born in 1734. The purpose of...
May studio moments
Spring is the busiest moment of the year at the studio, and luckily it is fueled by the vigorous intensity of spring light and inspiration. And to add to that,...
Forever space diver
This is a very personal piece that wasn't meant to be shared at first, but in an uncomfortable way, it should be here. There are these moments in life when all...
Monet’s house and garden in Giverny (France)
For one of us, Normandy was all about D-day and war monuments, for me, it was the cradle of 19th-century Impressionism (and fossils but that's a whole other story). Impressionism is...
Some enticing studio chaos :-)
We live in a rainbow of chaos. -Paul Cezanne I love nothing more than the scent of printmaking lingering in my atelier. Perhaps mixed with some warm hints of leather craft. Paint...
Inside my sketchbook
I've been drawing and doodling, line by line, mark by mark. Spots dripped and shapes found their place. And as you might see, all kinds of things happen as the...
Nature’s light show
It's been a while, but we've been incredibly lucky to have a clear sky and crisp air right when the northern lights were beautifully dancing in the sky. The light doesn't...
Silver clay experiments
It's been quite some years since I attended a silver clay workshop, but I never forgot how fun it was- and how I wished I could do this at...
Inside my sketchbook
Welcome to the pages of unfinished thoughts, experiments, and visual notes :-D I started this year by adding an extra sketchbook because I wanted a spot for a daily thought- including...
Watching & reading in January ’23
1. Roderick Nieuwenhuis, Een simpel leven (2022) 2. N. Kamminga, Breinfitness (2022) 3. Wednesday (Netflix) 4. D. De Wachter, De kunst van het ongelukkig zijn (2019) 5. Theegeheimen (2022), Dille & Kamille 6. Marc Chagall...
2023, planning and core values
First of all: Happy New Year!! Wishing you all a joyful and healthy 2023. Core Values as a foundation. Recently, a friend told me about an exercise she got from her coach; picking...
Small pleasures, Belgium edition
Sometimes when you've been longing for something, it becomes almost a myth in itself, something much bigger and better than reality. But that hasn't been the case with the desire...
Winter solstice
The 21 of December marks a special day with the earth's axis tilted at the furthest point from the sun which results in super short days and long nights. This winter...
Winter Bucket List
Winter a difficult time? The light might not be there but the colder months are perfect for trying out new hobbies, cherishing traditions, connecting with others, and enjoying the beauty...
A minimalistic leather camera strap
Since I'm still learning anything and everything about leathercraft, I don't usually take orders, but when Kati asked me to make a simple (DSLR) camera strap, it sounded like a...
Leather pocket (for my favorite knife)
This lovely knife, made by 1924US is my absolute favorite, and it's been wandering around my bags and catching some sand and dust along the way for quite some time...
Happy Halloween!
While my neighbors were already installing their Christmas decorations, I've been drawing monsters and bats on my windows, carving pumpkins, and making pompons haha! -- And keeping it all sweet and...
Crochet practice
The unexpected crochet mood is a returning element when the temperatures drop and wild storms pull on the rusty-colored leaves. Around the same time last year, I learned how to...
Exploring the Swedish West Coast: Bohuslän
Have you watched "The Fjällbacka murders"? It's in the area where this series takes place, that we rented a house. No worries, unlike the series, the area is rather quiet and...
An Autumn Bucket List
Autumn Bucket list * Picking apples * Making apple sauce * Picking mushrooms * Early morning walks * Looking for slag stones * Making plans for winter * Burning scented candles * Movie nights with my favorite tea...
Art studio porch makeover
This is the story of how a simple paint job turned into a slightly bigger renovation project- thanks to Joeri who had the energy and vision to make it happen. In...
Wednesday Wanderings
Autumn settled under my skin as the chill mist slowly spread over the landscape. The greens turn into a wide variety of yellows, oranges, and browns, that even seem to...
Cabin mood
“It is good to know that out there, in a forest in the world, there is a cabin where something is possible, something fairly close to the sheer happiness of...
Welcome Autumn
As the leaves turn yellow and red, and the air feels crisp while days get shorter, we're guided into a new phase, and these signs of the new season arriving,...
Kitchen cupboard makeover
[caption id="attachment_5875" align="alignnone" width="800"] -Before-[/caption] The convenient but worn-down cupboard in my studio's kitchen has been an ugly corner for a while but is now transformed. The outside of this cupboard...
Snowberries
...
Diy handmade paper from cattail
Can you even call yourself a paper lover if you've never tried making your own paper? I'm not sure, so I'm up for the challenge! Paper plays a crucial role in my...
Homemade apple sauce with cinnamon and honey.
It's apple season! After months of sunbathing, growing, and becoming sweet and juicy, the little apples from my garden are slowly getting ready! Despite some sweltering weeks and a healthy amount of...
Lars Lerin/ Gallery Sandgrund
Lars Lerin, a watercolor wizard, is so far and by far my favorite Swedish artist. For years I've been hoping/planning to visit his gallery 'Sandgrund' in Karlstad (about 3 hours...
A pop of yellow at the studio
At my studio, I've collected a pile of paint swatches to find the right color to freshen up the scratched doors, but none is a match. And I have had...
Back to leathercrafting
Finally, back to leather! I've missed learning and experimenting, and all the frustration that comes with new skills :-D The past few months have been busy with a lot of work for...
Feeling watched?
...
Dopamine dressing
You can't imagine how thrilled I was to come across 'Dopamine Dressing' after some seasons of dog poo and cat vomit colors. Sure some soft neutrals can be nice, but...
Sup & sunrise
I wanted to see the sunrise at the lake where we often go swimming and the best way to make sure you're in time: sleeping right next to the water! ...
Morgondopp
I'd say this is the ultimate feeling of freedom. Early morning, rising sun. Slowly it's getting warmer. Then you step into the fresh blue mirror, making ripples, taking a moment to prepare...
Imaginary Places: Draw, Paint, and Digitize on Photoshop, a course by Francisco Fonseca on Domestika
Francisco Fonseca is a Portuguese artist with a special interest in spaces and places. Buildings with a lot of character, traces of people, myths, and moods. I've been following Francisco for...
A night at Kolarbyn eco-lodge
Thanks to our friend from Amazing Nature Scandinavia, Mogwai and I got the unexpected opportunity to try out the Kolarbyn eco-lodge. Kolarbyn means something like ‘the coal village’ and it’s also...
Watching: For no good reason
Johnny Depp visits Ralph Steadman, the renowned artist and the last of the original Gonzo visionaries who worked alongside Hunter S. Thompson. It's a curious sight, this Hollywood movie star alongside...
Is Bloglovin dead?
Yeah, I'm old school and I still love reading blogs. The app/website that I've been using for years though seems to be down for quite a while now- and I'm...
Rock tumbling
Between spring and autumn, the rock tumbler works almost non-stop to smoothen and polish the rocks I've been collecting during winter and early spring. The slag stones are local finds from...
Summer snacks from the garden
It takes a while before a Nordic garden produces some edibles, but it's worth the wait. At my studio, the first raspberries are delicious and sweet despite the many rainy...
Open atelier July 2022
In early July, I joined 'Konst Runt Barken', a local arts & crafts event where creatives and makers from our area (Barken is a lake) show their work in art...
Summer garden
It's absolutely incredible how my garden transforms after a long and cold winter. Until early May, it can feel as if everything is dead and dry forever. But then suddenly,...
Welcome summer!
Today is the longest day of the year and the official start of supseason summer! Soon the lakes will get warmer, the mosquitoes less hungry, and fruit will start to ripe....
Spring destruction
I've been curiously waiting all winter to see the flowers that I planted come out. In September, we started our Valborg-garden-project, transforming a weed-covered corner of our garden into a...
Tumbling and treasure hunting into summer
Summer is (almost) here and since that means that liquid will remain liquid, I've started the rock tumbler again! Rocks tumbling around in a barrel obviously make some noise. It's probably...
Ammonites on my mind
My main goal in traveling to England's Jurassic coast was to search for fossils like ammonites, Belemnites, and Ichthyosaurus vertebrae. And yes, I chose the word 'search' rather than find...
Watching: The Andy Warhol Diaries
The Andy Warhol Diaries is the dictated memoirs of the American artist Andy Warhol, posthumously published. It was edited by his frequent collaborator and long-time friend, Pat Hackett, and first...
Still a Famous Five fan :-)
Did I get ginger biscuits just because I used to read about them in the Famous Five books? Yep! Very much. I even texted a good friend who lives in England...
Jurassic coast, England
Visiting the United Kingdom has been on my bucket list for...
We will rock you
"So what are you going to do will all those rocks?" -- this was the number one question that I got after finally getting a rock tumbler (a simple machine to...
Watching in March
1. What identical twins separated at birth teach us about genetics. 2. Blown away. Unconsciously I've been waiting for a series like this...
The beauty of early spring
Sure flowers are pretty and they bring unique colors to a landscape, but to me, there isn't much that can beat the beauty of ice in all shapes and forms....
Going big(ger)
The past few weeks have been all about working on larger formats both on paper and canvas. It's been a search by 'goesting' (desire) for textures, colors, a narrative, and...
Getting on TikTok as an artist, worth it?
While I feel late to the party, I know that many people are not really aware of what TikTok is, so I'll start with a brief explanation. Wikipedia writes:" TikTok is...
Glass ball photography
Some simply call it a glass ball, others go for a crystal ball or lens-ball, but the concept is the same. One gets a clear round object to shoot through...
Inviting spring with vibrant window drawings
Only a few weeks ago we had a snowstorm so bad that when I tried driving to my studio, I had to turn back after barely 100 meters because the...
What gives away that I’m not Swedish?
One simple fact: I wear color in winter haha :-) Recently I saw a few TikTok clips about dressing Scandinavian/Swedish and every single one of them was wearing black head to toe....
A new flexible phone case (from Redbubble)
There is a special kind of joy that comes with seeing your designs on real products in the real world. One day this pattern was just an idea on the...
Watching & reading in February
- The L-word, generation Q, S2. I'm actually not so much into drama series where people fight over stupid things and relationships change every five minutes, but well, here I am...
Pink and blue play
Lines and shapes, pink and blue, playful experiment. This design is available in my Redbubble-shop. ...
Creative inspiration: James Ensor
While sketching, grubbing, and searching the right lines for this work, I noticed the skulls and skeletons were finding their way again into my work, and perhaps it was the...
Canada goose sunset
Dreaming of traveling just like the birds when the sun chases away the cold winter dust. This new design is available at my Redbubble shop. ...
Pouring bright pink and purple jesmonite
Recently I shared my very first jesmonite (terrazzo) experiments and promised some further updates. This set of 4 coasters isn't sanded yet but straight from the mold- the same silicon type...
Before the snow storm
Today I'm staying inside with a hot cup of tea on my windowsill and sleepy dogs cuddling against me. This morning I did try to get to my studio, packed...
De fanfare van honger en dorst
We liepen in Gent rond, we waren met zessen We kwamen van nergens, gingen nergens naartoe Vanaf de terrassen, in de koffiehuizen Bekeken we de mensen en hun drukke gedoe We liepen met ons...
Granit och Morän
Granit och morän by Lars Winnerbäck Jag flyger över ett land Det mesta är skog Och byggvaruhus och miljonprogram Där jag fick min första kyss Där jag förlorade mitt första hjärta Det mesta är granit och morän Där...
10 things I don’t miss about Belgium :-)
A while ago I wrote a blog post about the things I miss about Belgium now we're living in Sweden and many asked me why I'd stay here up north...
Leathercraft: turned edge wallet and currency wallet
A little update on my leathercraft progress as I now finished a small wallet with turned edge and the Flightmaster currency wallet- both designed by Leathercraftmasterclass.com. There are so many ways...
Jesmonite Terrazzo experiments
While scrubbing this Jesmonite experiment for hours, I was wondering: Why the heck do I always pick hobbies with so much sanding involved?!?!@%&$@%" :-) But I have to admit, I've had...
New designs on Redbubble
A few new designs have found their way to the Redbubble print shop. I think that perhaps there is already a hint of spring energy rising up in my imagination,...
January 2022 Sketchbook
The past month, I added daily sketching back to my routine. Sometimes, when life is busy, uncertain, or challenging, sketching and doodling can feel like a waste of time. As if...
Reading and watching //January 2022
Movies, documentaries & series: 1. Let them all talk. When Meryl Streep plays a role, I'm in. It's as simple as that. This movie might not be for everyone, but it's rather...
Strömsholm Palace in winter
About 100km west of Stockholm, in Västmanland, you can find this charming Baroque castle called Strömsholms slott. On the site of a fortress built by Gustav Vasa, this Swedish royal palace...
Beachcombing/ strandjutten
For weeks in advance, I was hoping for some really stormy weather. Big waves, wild wind, maybe even some thunder! After about 2 years in the woods, I was longing...
Rubjerg Knude Lighthouse/ Denmark
When we visited the lighthouse a few years ago, it wasn't standing in the same spot but almost balancing at the edge of a cliff. We had climbed up the...
Round leather purse
The first leathercraft project of this brand new year is a small round purse. Something for coins or perhaps -if you're like me- collecting rocks or other found treasures :-). With...
Happy New Year!
As 2022 arrives, we're ready to unlock a new year full of unknown moments and events, and hopes and dreams to turn into plans. With the world still in pandemic chaos,...
A Belgian/Swedish Christmas
This winter will be five years since we moved to Sweden and until 2020, we celebrated Christmas partly at home, partly with friends, and partly via zoom (the family we...
December rewind
December used to be the craziest month of the year, especially when I was still studying. When school ends, you dive into your books to study and after all the...
Watching and reading in November 2021
1.Yves Saint Laurent (Netflix) Sometimes it's hard to imagine how quickly our surroundings and trends change around us, and perhaps it's something we can only start to understand better (or at...
Leathercraft practice: glasses case
Oh, it felt so good to be creating another little leathercraft project. There is something so calming yet exciting about the million steps to go from raw material to a...
Happy Halloween!
Happy Halloween!! I have to say, at first I had a very different plan for Halloween decoration/photographs, but after watching "The Chestnutman" (Kastanjemannen) on Netflix, all I could think about were...
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