Tag Archives: Painting

Goodbye

Posted on by

One month to go until this blog will be gone. Well not completely gone, I’ve decided to move it to a subdomain of my oldest domain, one I got in October 2006. This domain name will be deleted though along with everything else that once was. I’ve started a new chapter in my life, one that I’m grateful for and I’m counting my blessings each day. I’ve bought a home near the sea and dunes, a light bright home with separate studio space where I can work on my jewellery. A home that brings me happiness ever since I’ve moved there on the eleventh of June this year.

I’ve been redecorating since… Every bit of spare time you’ll find me assembling wardrobes, shelving units, painting walls, putting wooden floors in throughout the apartment etc.etc. Every time I put my love and energy in this home it becomes more beautiful and brighter. I love the view of the sunset that I can see from my kitchen window (and studio window). I love the bright and light living room with the green, taupe and brown colours. Warm colours that create a calm, serene and peaceful oasis. My carnivorous plants are thriving!!! Just like me…

It’s the best decision I’ve made in years. I finally have no more stress in my life, well of course there is just, not the amount of stress that living in Amsterdam was giving me on a daily basis. The streets here are quiet, peaceful. No millions of tourists on one square metre that are trying to take over the once so beautiful city. The only way to enjoy that place was to walk through the quiet streets at night, the only time where Amsterdam would be Amsterdam again, how I used to know it, the city I once loved. But I have a different city to explore now!

A couple more months of decorating and I’ll have time to enjoy and explore, take on yoga classes again and continue with my jewellery business. But first things first. Finish redecorating and styling the studio (gonna be SO much fun!!!), build a raised floor with steps -Japanese style- and sliding doors in the bedroom. Move some of my furniture to the new home and after that it will all be just details to take care of: like buying some more cool plants and getting some accessories. Can’t wait to spend time cycling through the city finding new adventures on my way.

So it’s a new quest on an old domain ;) This domain name reminds me of a time in London 13 years ago, it’s still a quest just not the one related to London, a brand new one. So time to say goodbye to the old and welcome the new… Goodbye A Zestful Quest (.co.uk) 12/09/2007 – 12/09/2019.

I’ll leave the comments on for once, until deletion on the 12/09/2019

Creative Collector

Posted on by

I have this addiction for colours, paper and ink or to be more precise about the latter: the process of printing. Each as a separate drug or a combination of them will give me my ultimate high. I can’t remember at what age this started but I do remember what it started: felt-tip pens and ‘vouwblaadjes’. At times my mum would take us to the toyshop after nagging her for hours, explaining that we ‘just wanted to have a look around’. My brothers would go for Playmobil or Lego toys, I’d always make a beeline for the craft and art supplies section.

I would be instantly mesmerized by the organised ranges of colours no matter what it was: beads neatly arranged by colour in their separate compartments, crayons or felt-tip pens sets sorted by the colours of the rainbow and 250 sheets packages of square and coloured paper called ‘vouwblaadjes’ used for the Dutch version of origami: paper folding art. I still know a thing or two about paper folding and whenever my mum would buy me a package of ‘vouwblaadjes’ I would try my best to keep it neat and in exactly the same order of colours.

Not just the folding paper, I also had to keep my felt-tip pens arranged by the colours of the rainbow. You see, all these craft and art supplies were treasures to me and of immense value. I wanted to enjoy this for as long as possible which meant you’d have to look after it and keep things tidy and neat. My parents always encouraged creativity over grades: both have amazing drawing skills and my mum has a degree in fashion design and sewing. School was important, just not as important as a natural skill set, the grades were good anyway.

This is how it all started. These days resulting in a large variety of beautiful designed labels: food, whisky and wine, intruiging [Moleskine] notebooks, Talens Acrylic paints, Daler Rowney brushes, Conté crayons, Derwent watercolour pencils, Derwent color pencils, Van Gogh soft and hard pastels, hand-made paper containing cotton fibers and embedded leaves and/or flowers, Joss paper, wrapping tissue paper, rice paper, blue airmail paper, Chinese ink and nib pens, Pilot fineliners, Staedtler markers, glitter pens and my good old fountain pen…

And what I just mentioned is probably not even half of the things I have neatly stored away in my cool chest of drawers flight case… There’s another collection of graphic design tools, like a Pantone Color guides set, cutting tools, drawing tools and lots and lots more. So you see… this is why I could not resist the urge to buy those two notebooks last Saturday, it’s in my genes…

Blame my parents *wink*

Aladdin’s cave: Paper

Aladdin’s cave: Pencils

Aladdin’s cave: Pastels

Aladdin’s cave: Vouwblaadjes