NB Watch an English spoken version here.
Yes, fine, but who is KK?
In 2007 I started making art, after having spent most of my life writing, and reading about writing, and thinking about the miracles and the mechanics of sharing one’s thoughts on paper (I was a journalist for NRC Handelsblad, Elsevier and many other publications and love to teach writing and blogging, which I do to this day- see my other website, Blogstylers.nl, here.).
But why on earth? I get asked that a lot so if you want to know more.. read my thoughts on changing your life’s direction here. In short I am just really enjoying using a different part of my brain to create with. Instead of analysing data and reconstructing them into a new story I am letting myself be inspired by quotes or lines I read or overhear. The lines I like are about things we all think, but never say out loud. Our private thoughts. In a way I make up and illustrate my own mini-stories now.
There is a lot more freedom, and on top of that, there is colour.
It is great fun, you should give it a try!
All right, but which art school did you attend? Just so that we can nail you down.
I am self-taught. The big advantage of not having attended art school is that I remain untouched by modern day artspeak. I do not explore, or juxtapose. I do not aim to confront or lay bare. I build no oeuvre. I make no distinction between high art and low art, between fine arts and applied arts, between art and illustration.
I just make whatever catches my fancy or what I am asked to make. Sticking to one style I find boring to no end so I will often seek new ways of working. Collage, stamp cutting, drawing on my Wacom tablet, painting, sewing: I do all of these things and often together.
If I find a cool new technique I try to share it. Check out my technique posts and tutorials here. I interview an artist I admire each month. You can find those artist interviews here.
You are sure we are talking about the Real Thing here? Serious, post-modern, post-retro, post-conceptual Art?
Whatever I make is lighthearted and lightfooted.
I aim to amuse and to decorate – life being serious enough as it is.
What else do you do anyway?
I live in the pretty medieval town of Utrecht, in the center of the Netherlands, with my husband, our youngest son and a cat with a funny name. Our eldest son is away at university, studying Japanese. We miss him but we get to take him out for sushi regularly. Holland is a small country and he is only 40 minutes away by train.
We cycle around a lot. In between the many hours I spend at my Mac I love to go for a run or a swim. The other thing I love is hanging out in coffee bars, chatting with friends. At night I read newspapers or crime novels. (If you know of a good read, drop me a line!)
Utrecht – Nieuwegracht, one of the medieval canals lined with wharfs and cellars
