Growing up, my paternal grandparents grew their own vegetables. A large part of their garden was their vegetable patch, and us kids were not allowed in without my grandmother there. I remember us getting cabbages, beans and especially bundles and bundles of rhubarb wrapped in newspaper, which would mean my mum would cook rhubarb compote, which I loved.
My parents also had an allotment for a while. I remember me and my sister getting water from a little pump, and picking gooseberries straight from the bush, and carrots straight out of the ground, although my mum would make us wash them first.
Now I don't have a big garden, or even an allotment, but I do have a small balcony and decided to have a go at growing my own veggies there. It's just raddishes, lettuce and carrots, as I haven't got more space, but it's something. Let's just keep my not-so-green thumbs crossed that they'll do alright and I'll be able to have a nice salad this summer!
As most of you know, I'm Dutch but living in the UK. I think I have adjusted pretty well, I say 'sorry' when someone bumps into me, I put salt and vinegar on my chips and I know which way to look first when crossing the road. But there are some days when I feel very Dutch...
On 30th April, our Queen Beatrix abdicated. She had been Queen for 33 years and decided that was long enough and it was time for her son to take over. We had not had a King since 1890, so it's all new and exciting. Amsterdam turned orange, our national colour as the Royal Family is 'Van Oranje Nassau', and aside from all the Royal guests and all the protocol and official business, it was party-time!
Thankfully, I could watch it all online, live as it happened, on a special Youtube channel that was 'on air' for 14 hours straight. I got to see Beatrix sign the official document, saw the new King's daughters wave at the crowd, and enjoyed the concert that was being held at Museumplein, right next to Masterpieces by Rembrandt and Van Gogh and so many more Dutch painters.
Of course I had to do an Illustrated Journal-page myself. It's the kind of thing I'll be doing for Summerlong, the online art retreat, too... (You can still sign up and join the fun!)
Have you ever found yourself drooling over art retreat announcements, but thought to yourself it's impossible to go there?
Because they are too far away, or too expensive, or you couldn't possibly get time off work or find someone to babysit your pet goldfish?
The lovely Rhomany of Rhomany's Realm has created the solution: a Summerlong class, which will be held from May to September, and it's online, so you don't even have to dig out your passport! She asked six of her arty friends in Britain to take anyone who enrolls on a daytrip, and then create art from all the inspiration found when out and about.
And the best thing yet.... She asked me to be part of it! I'll be taking you for a walk in my new town, showing you all the sculptures we have here and then taking you back home to draw. Or... if I get really brave, I might even draw on site... But I haven't decided yet. ;)
The class will run from May 1st to September 30th, and there's an early bird sign-up fee of £50/$75 until May 8th.
(regular price £55/$83)
Follow this link, and tell Rho I sent you by putting 'Eveline' in the message box.
Test... test...... Yeah, I do believe this blog still works....
I know, it's been a long long loooonnnnnggg time since I last wrote a blog post. At first I was incredibly consumed with trying to find a new place to live, then there was the move, and Christmas, and my birthday, and then my sister had the most awesomest baby boy so we went to see him and the rest of my family in Holland, and before you know it it's April and I'm missing my blog...
I'll be honest, I haven't done much arting. The second bedroom, which will have my art table, is still a huge mess (car boot season is just about to start, thank goodness! There's so much stuff we need to get rid of...) and we now have wooden floors so I can't art journal the way I'm used to with tons of acrylic paint messes. Or maybe I could, but not yet.
So I'm baking. Bread and bananabread and more bread. <
And I've been crocheting like mad. First for my nephew, and then for us, and now for us again. And I've been getting used to my new surroundings, finding new places to go for a walk, or try new places to have a bite to eat.
The last couple of weeks I have been drawing again. I found the Lamy Safari fountain pen I had purchased before the move and filled it with waterproof ink and started doing drawings of all the new stuff around me. And it feels good.
So.....
I'll see you again tomorrow!
Yes, tomorrow, because I've got really exciting news, but I didn't want to throw that right at you the first time I blogged again in months. So tomorrow it is.
(as you can see, I use one of those 'breakfast in bed' tables to work on. I've got non-existing studio space and this table is a life saver. Also, I love arting in bed!)
First layer of colours:
I added some shadows:
And then I called it good. Time to eat! (sorry, I didn't save you a bit....)
Sometimes Tye goes into the Tesco supermarket around the corner on his way back from (night-)work. He did again this morning, and surprised me with the Sorted cookbook!
I'm not sure when I first discovered Sorted on Youtube, but I know it's been well over a year since I started watching their cooking videos. The Sorted crew - Ben the chef, Barry who took the amazing pictures in the book, Jamie, Mike and I'm sure there are others - have a new recipe on their website every day, and every week they will have a so called mealpack, a couple of videos using the same ingredients so you don't waste anything.
Sorted started as a way for Ben to get the other boys interested in cooking, became a huge hit on Youtube where they show you how to cook amazing recipes and have a great time at the same time, although I'm not sure if I could do any cooking at all with Jamie poking fun being my back. Ben, you're a star for not getting your fingers chopped off! (although, I do remember that blue plaster on your finger in the early videos....)
Now, I know it's too early to start talking about Christmas, but this book would make a great gift for someone interested in cooking, or needing to learn to cook for the first time because they're moving out (hellooo new Uni students off to campus!) or even those of us who are a bit older *cough* but want to get out of the rut of preparing the same meals over and over again.
Time to get Sorted, so I will leave you with their latest video on Youtube:
