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Time for snowdrops

Lino cut card spring theme
Every year it’s SUCH a relief. The first snowdrops and crocuses raising there heads near the end of the winter season. Just like these colorful flowers, I long for light and air around this time of year. To shake off the dust and dark earth left over from winter time. Spring, I have been waiting for you!

Lino print snowdrops on laid paper

After six weeks of classes at the Teekenschool (Art School) of the Rijksmuseum, I have started to experiment at home with printing techniques. Lino prints are my favorite. Although I loved the magical result of the engraving last week, but this technique is a lot more messy to try at home (very persistent ink). Also, I prefer to work with color and find working in black-and-white a bit limiting. Lino prints are easy to make with a roller and special block print paint. I’ve also tried it with the regular acrylic paint that I had at home, but this is too runny and fills up the cuts in the lino, which makes the lovely details in your print disappear. I just love experimenting like this!

Block-printing-paint lino print

Make your own lino cut cards

Snowdrops lino cut

Snowdrops lino cut cards spring theme

Working with block print paint

Snowdrops greeting card

Snowdrop greeting card with envelope

2017-02-28T12:20:10+01:00February 28th, 2017|2 Comments

Imagine a wildflower meadow

Art class Amsterdam - printing techniques

Since a few weeks, I am taking a wonderful Printing Techniques class at the Teekenschool (Art School) of the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam. It’s so much fun every Wednesday evening, trying out all sorts of techniques and learning from my class mates. Drawing, pasting, linocutting, engraving… And then covering with paint or ink with a roller and start printing away. The results feel like a gift, every single time. Your own drawing can look completely different when mirrored!

Engraving a little godwit

This week, we engraved a small metal printing plate. With a burin we carved our drawing into the surface. Pretty difficult and hard work! The electrical burin workes much faster, but makes a lot of noise. With gigantic plastic protection goggles and headphones I carved away. I just love losing myself in the creative process. Below you can see the result of my little godwit chick in a meadow filled with Pentecostal flowers. A true Dutch picture perfect. As you can see it’s a lot of fun to play around with the amounts of ink that you leave on the printing plate and the movement with which you remove the ink (with cheese cloth). Next week we will try woodcarving. Can’t wait!

Art classes Rijksmuseum

For more fun art classes at the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam, take a look at the website of the Rijksmuseum.

Art class Rijksmuseum - Art by Anne-Lieke

Art class Rijksmuseum - Various bird prints by Anne-Lieke

2017-02-14T13:08:01+01:00February 12th, 2017|2 Comments

The entire universe on a card

birth announcement cards Anne-Lieke

About two years ago, I started going to yoga classes, and am hooked since. Well, that’s not completely true… the first class was just torture (I could not believe how people could move with their bare knees on that hard floor). But that feeling soon went away. I love Hatha yoga (no strain but relaxation). And I love my favorite teacher Asha (she is just the best yoga guide ever). The last couple of months I have witnessed how she was pregnant, beautifully, and in miraculous ways, was still showing us how to do elegant poses. But now it is time to say goodbye, luckily for just a little while. To celebrate the start of her pregnancy leave, I wanted to make here a special card.

The entire universe is inside you

While browsing Pinterest, I found this wonderful saying: The Entire Universe is Inside You. I knew right away I had found the theme for my card. Not just because this is exactly what yoga is about, but it is also the perfect celebration of the new life that a pregnant woman carries inside here for nine months. Once I got going, I made a few more cards in the same style. One for the newly born daughter of a dear friend from Australia, and a happy birthday card. It may still take a while before spring is here, but these lovely pastel colors make it feel like it’s almost here.

The entire universe is inside you

The entire universe is inside you - card

Birth announcement card birds and flowers

Hand painted cards with flowers and birds - by Anne-Lieke

2017-01-08T10:53:26+01:00January 8th, 2017|3 Comments
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