AtelierXVIII

Based in the Netherlands but having one foot in the South of France, I am lucky to combine the best of two worlds.

On bright days my homecountry is flooded with this beautiful northern light. Having inspired painters like Rembrandt and Vermeer already in the 17th century, it inspires me today to create items from the little scraps of fabric and paper or the pieces of giltwood I have collected over the years.
The other part of the world I call home is the Provence. My husband and I are the happy owners of a tiny appartment, really nothing special except for the fabulous location in the Drôme provençale. During our stays there, I enjoy the sun, the fragrances of lavender and ‘garrigue’, the singing of cigales. Of course I never fail to go out searching and hunting for treasures that add to my collection.

About my found treasures: my heart beats faster when discovering somptuous silks and brocades, but I also love the more humble remnants of the past, a faded toile, handloomed linen and sturdy hemp. According to its condition I decide to leave the fabric untouched or – if the fabric is not in mint condition or simply to scrappy - to use it for my projects: a pillow, a lampshade or something else.

I really have a weak spot for giltwood. I simply cannot resist old church candelabers or any other antique architectural element with the right patina - a little time worn, showing traces of the past in a way which is simply impossible to produce today. I love to turn these fragments into lampbases, giving these elements a new purpose, a new life.

Ever since I studied French history and literature I found my mind wandering to 18th century France, also poetically known as the age of ‘la douceur de vivre’. Books are still important to me. Reading memoirs or a correspondence is seeing people to come alive. Their voices may not be heard any more but they still speak, and they speak directly to us. I think this is exciting.

to be continued...

Stella