2021 Wrapped Up
Visited countries: none
Flights: none
Most liked post on instagram:
Hours of music: 440
Most Played Album/Playlist: “Lofi Girl Favorites”
Most Played Song: Fateful Slumber – Towerz
Song I had stuck in my head: The Contours – Do You Love Me
Number of books read:
I am currently reading ‘Een steekje los’ by Iris ten Haar, ‘Show your work’ Austin klein and ‘Art inc.’ by Lisa Congdon.
Some series I’ve seen this year:
Siren, The Witcher (season 2), AJ and the Queen, Pose, Nadiya bakes, The wheel of time, Lupine, Emily in Paris.
Favorite series(s):
Outlander, The Witcher
Some new movies I’ve seen this year:
Cruella, Peter Rabbit, Jungle River, Die Hard (not new but it’s the first time I saw this movie),
Favorite movie:
The Rescuers in down under.
Favorite thing(s) I’ve made:
If I really have to make a choice, then the pins from last summer are my favorite and the birth announcement that I was allowed to make. That was so cool! When I received the finished card in the mail, that was a moment. The illustration I made for Steinisch at the beginning of this year was also a lot of fun to make. Marloes later sent postcards to me with the image, So cool to see!
Best piece(s) of practical knowledge gained:
Water-based varnish will not work on gouache, take the copyrights of Disney (and all the other big companies) seriously and don’t think ‘oh I can do it just this time’, Put your phone away (from time to time) and printers can’t be trusted .
Sketchbooks filled: 2
How many new products made:
Postcards: 13, stickers: 14, totebags: 3, clay products (pins etc.): 23-25
Artists I’ve come to love:
My three favorites are Sophie McPike (@sophiemcpike), Leigh Ellexson (@leighellexson) and Minnie Small (@minniesmall). Last summer I even became a Patreon of Sophie and I absolutely love her because of her own style. Feminine lines, colorful impressions and challenging compositions. Leigh and Minnie make amazing content for instagram and YouTube and I love watching their vlogs and living as full time artists. Other artists I got to know this year and really appreciate are; Bronagh Lee (@bunti.lee), Mona K. (@ghost_puff), Magali (@magalifranov), Octavia Bromell (@tinkoutsidethebox), Megan Wang (@studiomeggy), Marloes de Vries (@marloesdevee), Fran Meneses (@frannerd), Marloustration (@Marloustration), Valerie Lin (@itsvalerielin), Kristiāna Doroščonoka (@inspiredbykriksis), Franziska Frahm (@ kaspaara),
Favorite medium of the year:
Clay, gelly gouache and ink.
Favorite color of the year:
Burned Sienna – Midnight Blue.
Challenges completed:
3. March meet the maker, peachtober and advent challenge.
Best date:
curry friday. Every Friday Richard (my partner) and I made a special curry and it was delicious! Cooking a dish from the country where the F1 race took place was also a fun way to try other dishes.
Shittest day:
In the beginning of 2021 there were still a lot of shitty days. It was only from March that the dark days became less and I now experience more good than bad moments, thankfully. The last day I remember feeling completely emotionally and physically drained was sometime in September. Emotional all day and getting upset by the smallest things. Calling my mother didn’t help and even when Richard was finally home I felt lost and alone and my complete body hurt.
Moments when I felt so happy I could burst:
Sometime in the late summer when we sat on the balcony with music in the evening and I was completely relaxed. And every night on the couch when I can cuddle up to Richard and Cleo (the cat) crawls on my lap.
Best purchase:
A rice cooker! Nothing fancy but really the best purchase.
Questions to me by Instagram followers
In which moment/on which day did you feel most yourself:
I notice that in the evening, when I know that the working day is over, I can really relax and therefore be more myself. The later it gets, the better I feel in my own skin. Quite a shame actually… If I had that same feeling in the morning, it wouldn’t be such a drama to get through some days. My favorite day is Friday and I slightly dislike Sundays.
What was the funniest moment of 2021?
Wauw. Eh, a specific moment? Oh, I remember something! I was doing a window drawing for Halloween and just as Richard was taking a picture of me, the blind fell out of nowhere. And yes, he captured this. The photo may be funnier than the falling roller blind.
Who changed your life in 2021?
Tough question though. I couldn’t name one person, but I do notice that some followers of De IJverige Bij are really becoming a part of me. That certain followers really form a community/’circle of acquaintances’ for me. Fun to experience!
What was your favorite drawing/sketch you made?
My favorite are the robins I made for the Advent Challenge. We also used this image as a Christmas card for friends and family this year.
A recipe you won’t try again.
Classic Borsjtsj. This is a beetroot soup that neither Richard nor I really like.
2021 in pictures
March / I participated in the ‘march meet the maker’ challenge and shared several things about me and De IJverige Bij. Including my desk in two different situations; at work vs. cleaned up. This month I made some new stickers like this shell and a summer set with a sunflower, straw hat and watering can.
April / We celebrated that the webshop existed one year and therefore had nice discounts in the shop. For Everything Sweet I made labels for their chocolate packaging and I took some skill share classes.
Mei / I became more and more interested in urban sketching and made this image of the Maria Magdalenakerk in Rijen. The sun and moon stickers were personal favorites this month and I made my first clay pins. Portraits of our two cats; Cleo and Cesar.
July / The birth announcement card I made came in the mail! A big shop update with lots of pins and a bowl (which really sold within 1 minute, thanks again Kelly!). I made these quick sketches after a tutorial from Sophie McPike through her Patreon.
August / It’s my birthday (month!) I had discounts in the webshop this entire month to celebrate my birthday with you. Last month I bought gelly gouache and started experimenting with it by painting different fruits. In preparation for Halloween I started sketching and working on Conny de Vleermuis.
September / This month was filled with preparations for peachtober. I made a swatch card with the ink I was going to use to see how much depth I could create with one color. The spooky shop update came online with new cards and pins.
October / Peachtober was a success and I managed to make 27 drawings. Halloween was coming up and I came across a very cute video of a boy and his pumpkin (head). I seized this opportunity to make a nice sketch and baked delicious lemon blueberry muffins.
November / The last shop update of this year with self made Christmas ornaments and three new (Christmas) cards. I spent many hours at my desk and at the end of November I was preparing to participate the Advent Challenge.
December / The advent challenge was super fun and challenging to do! Working with backgrounds for the first time and this way of working is becoming more and more familiar. Of course enjoyed the holidays and even had time to continue with an old hobby.
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