Dieuwertje van de Moosdijk created some de-stressing coloring-in patterns for the Dutch Flow Weekly #9. Here, she talks about her work as a freelance designer and illustrator.
“All my drawings and designs have a handmade appearance: either drawn, painted, stamped or sewn. My creations range from colorful collages to simple black-and-white pen drawings in a playful style.”
Sources of inspiration
“I’m inspired by everything that grows, flies and moves in nature. Ideally, I make flowers and botanical-inspired prints. If I’m walking in Betuwe in Gelderland, South Limburg, Tuscany or England, I always stop and take the time to observe the landscape. It never ceases to amaze me. Something always comes back with me from my walks – be it a twig, piece of bark, seed or flower.”
Black and White
“The black and white drawings in Flow Weekly come from a fabric design I’m working on. I make summer fields, with all kinds of animals, flowers, cakes and teapots. If there’s anyone who is crazy about color, it has to be me – and yet, I love working with black pen on white paper. If I’m waiting around somewhere, or lounging on the couch in the evenings, I’m always busy creating patterns in black and white.”
Drawing in the garden
“The greatest thing about my work, I find, is that I can be inspired and get into a flow, and when that happens, I simply don’t want to stop making beautiful things. I don’t even want to sleep late, as I just want to carry on with my work. I’m very happy sitting in my garden, drawing, and during autumn and winter, I usually draw from photos I took earlier in the year. When I draw flowers and plants, it is always a simplified representation of reality, because I don’t have a great deal of patience.”
Wooden shed as a workplace
“I work from my garden studio – a wooden shed – in the countryside in North Amsterdam. I use one wall as a notice board, and my desk has a view of the garden. It’s in a delightful, picturesque spot with apple trees, a stream, flowers and berries. An office garden would be no good for me, I’d find it difficult to be creative there. I do miss having colleagues, but fortunately there are lots of birds, butterflies and cats in my garden, that pop by on a regular basis.”
