XMAS TREES 2015

In previous years we have seen many spin-offs of the Xmas tree. 
Made of used wood and many variations to wall trees and collages in the shape of a tree. 
This year i decided to go easy on the decoration and keep it pure and natural like these ones below.

GETTIN' READY FOR XMAS

                                      moodboards by Studio Jeannette Groen                                 

                         

THE HOMESMAN

A beautiful sober atmosphere you'll find in the movie The Homesman, directed by Tommy Lee Jones. The story tells you about three women who have been driven mad by pioneer life. |They are to be transported across the country by covered wagon by the pious, independent-minded Mary Bee Cuddy (Hilary Swank), who in turn employs low-life drifter George Briggs (Tommy Lee Jones) to assist her. A must see!

WOONBEURS 2014

This year's 'woonbeurs' most creative space to me was the 'secret house' of VT Wonen magazine. 

Take a peek in the imaginary house of King Willem Alexander & Queen Maxima and their daughters. In the 50 year anniversary issue of the VT Wonen magazine you can see even more ideas and details of this modern royal way of life. 

In the last picture of this post i find myself merging in the background of the Karwei stand. They had their scoop at the woonbeurs this year with furniture products and a busy shop. 

BRITAIN'S HOTTEST GARDEN

Last week i visited the south coast of England. I hopped over for a day to the Isle of Wight's botanical garden in Ventnor. 
The garden has an impressive collection of over 30.000 rare and sub-tropical plants and trees. The plantings are based on geographical regions of the world and because of the garden being situated on the Ventnor Undercliff, it has a unique microclimate with an average of 5 degrees warmer than the rest of the UK. 
Such an experience, especially because i love to make endless close up's of the flowers after photographing them. 
I think i took about a hundred photo's of leaves and flowers. Many of them were still about to bloom or just transforming their flowers into seeds this time of year. 
With the holidays being over, the huge garden was quiet and magical. Here's a few flowers that i think are extraordinary in their design and color...

funny shape

green flower

green pastel mix

all furry

shine a red light

berry flower

giant waterlily over 2 m wide 

funny enough i just came across this giant waterlily in a previous post about the work of Ruud van Empel

JOE ROMUSSI

In 2011 i made a post about Berend Strik, a Dutch artist who uses stitching and fabric in his photo work. He does this to make his work more physical. 

Another male artist who works with threads (stitching and embroidery) on photographs is Jose Romussi.

He was born in Chile where he studied landscape design.
Over the past few years he has gained a significant following for his silk screens and collages in which he combines black and white photographs with colorful forms of embroidery. Since 2011 he lives and works in Berlin. 

In his work he intervenes images by applying his own perception of beauty to them. Sometimes by giving them a new identity or a different aesthetic concept. It’s the chance to give this image a new emotion, a new life, a new interpretation of beauty through embroidering.

RUUD VAN EMPEL

Yesterday's art program 'Avro's kunstuur' (of which could be several if it was up to me) had an item about Ruud van Empel and his digital photo collages. He cuts, glues and manipulates to create new images and surroundings in an astonishing way.
His photo's may look quite realistic, but what they represent has in fact never existed. 
They are creations, subtly and meticulously composed by combining as many as 100 images into a single scene and almost too perfect to be true, every detail, every color is sublimated.
When looking closer, you'll find that all that perfect scenery really has an unreal and indefinable content.

TADA ASUKA

Tada Asuka is a Japanese artist. She is the creative mind behind the stunning ad campain for Japanese Nishinihon Tenrei funeral services. 

They made this brilliant ad which aims to bring a more lighthearted spirit to the funeral preparation. 

Reminding us all of the beauty in the cycle of life, death and rebirth. These life-sized skeletons made of flowers are amazingly beautiful....

AMFI TRANSIT 2014 CATWALK SHOW

Last saturday i visited the Amfi transit show 2014. The show was playful for the use of materials, prints and colors. Transparency, layers, clean cut styles & laser cut patterns....fake fur, latex, embroideries, graphics, new type dots and leather....all in the mix. Unexpected shapes and fabric combinations made it into a real spectacle. Below you'll find a selection of the beautiful eye-candy collection of Marijn Rikken. 

'DE REIS VAN DE HELDINNEN NEDERLAND'

i was proud to contribute to the book 'De reis van de heldinnen Nederland' with the theme: 'Make a living out of your passion'. 
A great and positive initiative of Peter de Kuster to bring all these ladies together in a book speaking about their passion in work and what inspires them. In the back of the book you'll find interviews with all the contributors.
Peter made a series of these books (Nederland, Nijmegen, Arnhem, Den Bosch, Eindhoven, Maastricht, Den Haag, Rotterdam, Tilburg and a few other big cities) 
You can order a hardcopy of the book here!

Let all these creative & passionate women inspire you!

Trots om te hebben mogen bijdragen aan het geweldig leuke en positieve initiatief van Peter de Kuster om een serie boeken uit te brengen met als thema: "Met jouw passie je geld verdienen". Je kunt hier het boek bestellen.

EARLY MORNING WALK

In front of my home i find myself in these pretty surroundings. So waking up slowly on an early sunday morning while walking the dogs is a wonderful thing. No need to say that these first sunbeams make pretty sights. We actually saw a fox running just a few feet in front of us. Too late to capture him...