It's been full on fall here in Holland this week and fall means flu and phlegm. I know, I know. You live for these kinds of blog posts. Fortunately, over-sharing is my middle name. Also, that's how Mr. Floor got the flu. We're like communists, sharing everything even if it makes no sense and it takes away your will to live.
In any case, these were again done in watercolors and Copic markers and I had real trouble getting the colors just right, but I just couldn't be bothered.
© Anna Denise Floor - Click to enlarge
© Anna Denise Floor - Click to enlarge
© Anna Denise Floor
Keeping an illustrated travel journal of your journey can be incredibly rewarding and romantic. It is an amazing souvenir and the process of creating will help you be more attentive to the little things and big sights you'll see on your trip. You'll remember and appreciate everything around you that much more.
It can also be hard and annoying. Why would you spend all this time drawing and sitting around when there's so much to do and see? Why carry around a notebook and paints and pens, when you can just bring your phone and take a quick snapshot?
Good point and this is why I believe in having a good travel-ready journal kit with you wherever you go.
© Anna Denise Floor
The kit fitted comfortably in my small backpack and weighed next to nothing.
© Anna Denise Floor
© Anna Denise Floor
I made a little zine about how to keep a journal on the road. It's not huge, but it's got some good tips and fun illustrations! You can buy it here, in my Etsy shop.
Because I love paying my bills and I did not throw a tantrum like a two year old, like, at all.
© Anna Denise Floor- Click to enlarge
© Anna Denise Floor- Click to enlarge
© Anna Denise Floor- Click to enlarge
© Anna Denise Floor- Click to enlarge
© Anna Denise Floor- Click to enlarge
I would actually never say 'bits and bobs', but in preparation of our move to London I'm trying to catch up on British slang. Obviously, this will most likely turn out to be a disaster in which I say mostly Irish or Australian things in entirely wrong contexts with a terrible faux-British accent (one person actually said my British accent sounded like a drunk American trying to speak French, but hey - I happen to like Americans who at least try to speak French so whatevs, brah) and lose more friends than make them, but failure is the key to success, no?
Anyhow! Here are some bits:
© Anna Denise Floor & Kyra de Vreeze - Click to enlarge
© Anna Denise Floor
I'M WORKING ON A COOKBOOK with the talented and inspirational Kyra de Vreeze!!!
We're keeping most of it a secret, but it's going to be an e-book, in English, available online starting sometime late September. The book will feature quick, easy, and tasty recipes (99% vegan & gluten free), tons of information on health benefits and nutritional values, plus plenty of essential culinary inspiration. All of the recipes and photography are done by Kyra, who has written three amazing books (two of which I have and use often) on food as finger-licking medicine. I am working on the accompanying illustrations and layout, which means I get to draw food all day! Yay!
I'm also working on a private project - ILLUSTRATING A CHILDREN'S BOOK written by my brother's father-in-law. It's a time consuming process as I am determined to make the backgrounds look amazing and well, that means I spend most of my free time drawing leaves. It's a miracle I still know what those look like. Obviously, they look like multi-colored stripes. We'll first just print copies of the book for ourselves, but if there's demand - who knows!
And now for some bobs!
So, that's all for today, but fret not - I've also been working on a boatload of new journal pages that I'll share with you soon. (If you wonder why I'm so productive these days, it's because I've developed a cocaine habit, obviously. No, I kid. I'm way too cheap to maintain those kinds of habits. It's vacation, folks, vacation. It's the cocaine of the people who are scared of drugs, haven't you heard?)
Happy weekend, all!
© Anna Denise Floor - Click to enlarge
Yes, this happened. I remember everyone else (my parents, neighbors) was much more upset about the whole thing than I was. I just thought the man was a little cray-cray.
I think I can safely say that I am now famous. I did two interviews in one month AND I was recognized by a fan in my local supermarket! Actually, that was my sister-in-law, and I went up to her as she didn't even see me, but she DID recognize me and talk to me. But the interviews happened! They're both in Dutch, so sorry everyone else.
Gratitude @ Allihoppa
I did an interview with Annelies from Allihoppa. I share my thoughts on drawing, form and function, on my process, and gratitude. If you speak Dutch, I definitely recommend following the Annelies' blog as it's filled with DIY tips, interior design inspiration, interviews, and craft!
Life & Work @ 101 Woonideeën
I also was interviewed for a new feature on the 101 Woonideeën blog, where Etsy makers talk about and show the spaces they live and work in! All of the lovely photos in that interview and this blog post were made by the talented Riley Salyards from Swift & Roe. I talk about my work, our house and the million things I bought off of Etsy that fill my house (I call it 'investing').
In addition to the amazing photos Riley took of my house and Miso she took some really nice photos of the studio and me at work.
Thanks Annelies, Riley, Monique, and Ingrid for making me feel like a rock star!
I've been feeling tremendously inspired these past few weeks. Inspired to read, inspired to work, inspired to draw, inspired to... cuddle with my new kitten MISO! AAAHHH!!!
© Anna Denise Floor - Click to enlarge
© Anna Denise Floor - Click to enlarge
This last weekend, the Stripdagen Haarlem took place in... Haarlem, a gorgeous town not far from Amsterdam. I'll devote a separate post to some of the artists I saw, discovered, and rediscovered while browsing the many booths and exhibitions, but it was a lovely day and I'm still riding the wave of creative energy it gave me.
What inspires you? Who inspire you (right now)? I'd love to know!
Oh hai. What's up? Cool, cool. Me? Oh, well, it looks like I've got manflu, so I'm not sure I'll make it. Thanks for reading my last words, in case these are indeed them. You see, I was in Berlin last week, and my boss was there too, and he had the manflu, and then I got sick. I may actually be on the mend (and in London!), but probably not. It's probably lethal, as most cases of manflu are.
Anyhow. I had this whole fun weekend planned with dates, parties, and dinners, but alas. Every time I try to be Little Miss Social, I either get some kind of semi-terminal illness, or all of my two friends are busy (or don't pick up their phones, probably because they don't recognize my phone number). This weekend it was the former, though, so we took it easy. Bed, park, bed. Bed, garden, bed. We picked up a few plants from my dad and stepmom's garden (Mr. Floor did the digging, I did the pointing) and relocated them to our garden. The fern in particular is very special to me, as it's been in the family for as long as I can remember, was specifically mentioned as an exception in both the deed when my parents sold their house, as well as in the notary agreement when they got divorced. Pretty funny stuff, as far as divorces go.
© Anna Denise Floor - Click to enlarge
© Anna Denise Floor - Click to enlarge
I usually don't really have any issues with calling myself an 'artist' or 'illustrator'. It even says so on this site, doesn't it? And it's on my Twitter profile! Yet, when I was surrounded by about 20 "real" illustrators, I didn't really know what to answer. Funny how that works.
© Anna Denise Floor - Click to enlarge
I try not to complain about traveling lots for work, because to be honest - I love it. Sure, I don't always get to see much of the city I'm in, and I often miss Mr. Floor terribly, but I'm working my dream job, and I've got amazing colleagues who will put up with me dragging them along for a 2 hour walk along the Thames after working hours. I did feed her Indian food afterwards, that helped.
Married life is amazing. I know people often say getting married didn't change anything for them from when they were dating, but I disagree. Of course, I wouldn't really know, since Mr. Floor and I have been married for much longer than we had been dating before we decided to get married, but still. I feel connected, protected, loved. It feels very special that the one person I care about and admire most in this world, chose to go on this journey with me, and promised me, my family, the state, everyone, that they'd be there for me always -and vice versa. We've entered into a pact together, it's us now, no matter what this crazy adventure will turn out to be. I don't necessarily think getting married is the only way to make that pact, but it's what we did, and it's awesome. It also a great comfort to me when we're both busy with work and traveling, and it makes those shared moments together even sweeter. Like, we're building something here. This month was full of those sweet moments, like when we went to the Kröller-Muller Museum together, biking around the national park, playing in the sculpture garden. Or that day we spent in the sun, sipping coffee, reading books.
If you had gone to college with me, and had been so fortunate as to have been invited up to my room, you'd have noticed one thing, immediately: I keep lists. I used to have three big to do lists taped on the inside of my dorm room. One for study tasks, one for 'private' tasks, and one for long term dreams and goals. I was a very serious student and I guess being able to get up from my desk and cross a task of my list made me less anxious, but I don't feel like I'm very serious adult (heh, adult), and I still keep lists, just a lot less visible. Anyhow, we were going on vacation, and I finished every tiny little to do off my list and it felt awesome. You see what I did there? Turned this mundane and slightly OCD event into a story. And that's how blogging is done, y'all. Booyah (do people still say that? Probably not, eh?)!
I tried to come up with a clever name for this bit, like a combination of the word 'Prague' and 'Art' but all I could come up with was 'Partgue' - but that doesn't mean anything at all, so that'd be weird. But yes, we went to Prague!
Not only is Prague one of the prettiest cities I've personally ever been to, it's also filled to the brim with art. Gorgeous art nouveau buildings everywhere. Mosaics for all. Golden cafés with Mucha illustrated menus and Jugendstil silverware. Pubs filled with dreamlike (or nightmarish) cartoons and graffiti. Large canvasses of naked women and poems for sale in a wine bar (65 kronen for a glass of Moravian red, canvasses: price on request). An Italian restaurant with an eclectic art collection (gifts? friends? family?), where well done copies of seventeenth century vanitas paintings are hung alongside Schiele-esque portraits of the maître, the obligatory painting of a crying gypsy boy, and a well done sketch of the Vlatava and it's many bridges. I drew a lot, photographed a bunch, and a week felt like two weeks.
Did you go anywhere over Easter? Let me know in the comments.
Also - follow me on Instagram here (and I may follow you back!).
© Anna Denise Floor
Click image to enlarge.
Every childhood has a trauma, and this one ranks pretty high on my list.
Basically, I was telling Mr. Floor about this sweater last week and because he was of course fascinated by the thrilling and dramatic story behind it, I decided to draw it for you. Yay for you. Enjoy.
© Anna Denise Floor
Last week, Mr. Floor and I went on a weeklong city trip to Prague (Czech Republic)!
The man had never been, and I hadn't been in about seven years and obviously needed a hit of art nouveau art and architecture after having moved out of my old beautiful art nouveau neighborhood of Ixelles in Brussels.
Day 2 in Prague © Anna Denise Floor - Click to enlarge
Prague did not disappoint. Even though one of the main art nouveau landmarks, Grand Hotel Europa was closed, we sought refuge in Cafe Savoy, and drank in the splendor of the Municipal Hall (or Obecni Dum). Mr. Floor also surprised me when treating me to coffee with an amazing view from the Hotel Golden Well.
Day 3 in Prague © Anna Denise Floor - Click to enlarge
We, of course, of course, had to visit the Mucha museum. I am a huge fan, and found the (tiny but full) museum absolutely amazing, although I must say I was a little creeped out by the nationalist work Mucha did as well (this angry girl has been in my nightmares). I also drew some buildings and we found out that Czech food isn't really our 'thing' (very heavy on the meat), but found an amazing Italian restaurant: Trattoria Cicala. The restaurant, filled with an eclectic collection of art and very friendly staff is apparently frequented by the likes of Morgan Freedman and Johnny Depp, which isn't BS - we saw the pictures on our way to the bathroom. BAM! So close to hanging with the famousses, us jet setters, we are. Oh, and now that we're talking food - THIS is the most romantic and surprising place I've ever had dinner. Go there. Do it.
Day 4 & 5 in Prague © Anna Denise Floor - Click to enlarge
Halfway through the week our legs were hurting pretty bad from all the walking, so to remedy the issue - we walked some more! The weather was mostly great, apart from one magnificent thunderstorm, and we scoped out most of the city on foot. Once Pesach was over, we headed over to the old Jewish cemetery. I had seen it on my previous visits, but it didn't fail to impress this time around and we sat for a while, drawing some of the tombstones.
Day 6 in Prague © Anna Denise Floor - Click to enlarge
On our final day (well, last full day, we flew back the day after), we had breakfast at Café Louvre (pretentious, and the food wasn't great, but the interior is nice), spent all day looking at art in the Veletrnzi Palace (part of the National Gallery), drinking coffee and sketching in the awesome museum cafe, Café Jedna.
I'm sure I've missed a ton of things we did in this post, but since we mostly walked around all the sights and parks, I didn't do any more drawing than this.
Do you draw a lot on your trips? How long will you spend on each session? What tools did you bring? I may actually do a separate post on this, so I'd love your input!
© Anna Denise Floor
Last weekend was a fun one with lots of books (reviews to come!), terribly romantic walks, perhaps a tad too much alcohol, too little yoga, and some great music.
If you're looking for a sunny soundtrack to your life this spring and summer, may I definitely recommend Sunday Sun. Some of my favorite songs are 'Sunday Sun', 'Highly Respected Rebel', and 'Ordinary Love' - but to be honest, almost all of their songs are absolutely charming, fun, with a slight Beach Boys vibe to them.
What are your favorite books and albums right now? Please share in the comments!
© Anna Denise Floor
© Anna Denise Floor - Click to enlarge
Look what I did! I colored that stuff in by hand! Aren't you all excited? Yeah, so was I, actually, until I tried to scan this baby. Above: photograph, with realistic looking colors. Below: scan, with shitty colors that I got tired of trying to fix in Photoshop. Now, either my photoshop skills are deteriorating (hah! right), or my scanner is in need of replacement after a mere ten years of service. Yah, they don't make those things like they used to no more, do they? Now get off my lawn.
© Anna Denise Floor - Click to enlarge
Anyhow, this was a little while ago. Because I was in New York for my birthday, of course Mr. Floor has to turn around and go to New York for work on his birthday as well. Always trying to one-up me, that one, un-bah-lie-vah-bah! ;-) In retaliation, I obviously proceeded to throw my own birthday party for my family on his very birthday, so I got gifts and attention on his birthday and was in NYC for mine. Having my cake and eating it, so to say, if only I ate cake. Nah, in truth, I was kind of sad and lonely and it was awesome to have them there. Awww...
© Anna Denise Floor
March was a productive month for me (on Instagram, at least). I snapped pictures of pretty much everything from the view from the top of the stairs coming down from the bedroom one morning to my beautifully crafted (really) lunch. Behind those pretty pictures, however, much less romantic stories can be told, as I recently plummeted down those stairs to something that wasn't death, but was definitely painful, and the pretty little lunch box nearly bankrupted me (€15,-? Un-bah-lie-vah-bah!)
You know how I am with plants right? Or rather, how plants are with me. I give them all my love and attention, and they die on me. I'm not going to say that this time around that won't happen, but with capable help (Mr. Floor), I am perhaps going to admit that gardening is kind of a lot of fun.
Ha, far from it. Even though you wouldn't say so from my Instagram feed, March was actually kind of stressful. Both Jochem and I were away for work a lot and I think we saw each other a total of 5 days this month. Fortunately, we managed to grab a coffee at Blackbirds in Utrecht this month (very hip and happening), and we got some much needed family time in, because MY BROTHER GOT MARRIED!!! Yay!
For my 30th birthday, I went to hang out at the Mothership, aka Etsy HQ in Brooklyn. Ok, maybe that wasn't the reason, I went there for work, but it still was pretty awesome. My colleagues threw me a smashing party, and I got lots of work done and met colleagues I had previously only seen via Google Hangout. Also, I had about 2 hours to stroll around Brooklyn before heading back, and came by these pretty doors!
And that's all folks! Was your month as busy and colorful as mine?
Let me know in the comments, or follow me on Instagram (and I may follow you back!).
© Anna Denise Floor
A little while ago my good friends and bi-lingual couple extraordinaire Xander and Estelle from Brussels contacted me to tell me that they were expecting their second child and that I was the only one to know its sex and name before its birth. Now, I wish I could tell you that they singled me out as their only confidante because I'm such an awesome and special person (and very good at keeping secrets), but they actually wanted me to make their baby announcement, which is also if not more awesome and special (and I'm really not that good at keeping secrets).
Working with Xander and Estelle was fun and easy. They had the concept all worked out: they wanted a portrait of their daughter Juliette with her baby brother, and the text was to be her introducing him. She actually told Xander she looked forward to teaching her little brother "everything she knew", so that definitely made it on the card that was printed in both French and Dutch. Awwww. Adorbs.
© Anna Denise Floor
© Anna Denise Floor
It was such a fun assignment and once again I'm so glad that doing illustration allows me to be such a special part of those big moments in the lives of those around me and even strangers. Thank you, Xander, Estelle, Juliette, and Sybren!
If you're expecting and are interested in ordering a custom announcement for your baby, please check out my Etsy shop, or check out more invites and announcements I designed on Flickr!
Two weeks.
A mere two weeks I don't post to the blog and all of a sudden, you make me turn 30! There I was, minding my own (well, everyone else's) business in Brooklyn on a work trip - next thing I know, people are singing happy birthday to me (in Dutch!) and handing me shots of tequilla. I was absolutely flabbergasted. One minute you're enjoying youth, hotness, full of promise, and then next thing you know, BAM you're thirty. In hindsight, I probably should have seen this coming for a while, but you know, thinking about age is très mundane.
© Anna Denise Floor -- Click image to enlarge
Nah. Enough with the hilarious jokes. I had a great birthday, and then had another awesome birthday when I got home w/ the fantastic Mr. Floor.
But! All of that has nothing to do with this week's journal page, which is actually a journal page from two weeks ago, but I was busy trying to stuff sixteen outfits into a broken suitcase, so I forgot to share. We gardened (may or may not have been my very first time, ahem) and it was actually really fun. Look at me! All domestic and stuff!
I know, it's been March for a while now, but you know, things.
I wasn't very active on Instagram in February, mostly because I was too busy traveling and working and felt a little down, for some reason. I feel like February is just one of those months where that inexplicably happens to me. It's probably the lack of sunlight. Also, I read Stoner, which is a beautiful but depressing novel. Fortunately, London welcomed me with a rainbow (and coffee).
Whenever I wasn't traveling, we spent some time exploring our new neighborhood (we found these awesome doors on our way to the supermarket), witnessing some pretty dramatic sunsets.
And then, February turned bright blue and sunny! I walked around Amsterdam some, where our office is located, and started reading a new book (One More Time by B.J. Novak).
Exciting times.
March, so far, has been much brighter and creative. To see what that means, you can follow me on Instagram here.
© Anna Denise Floor
Last weekend was a good one, I got spoiled by my man, slept in, went out for coffee, cake, and vintage record buying. Also: I drew a journal entry! Click on the image to see it larger.
I know, yay, right? But I can hear (at least one of) you thinking:
Sometimes people ask me what happened to my daily journal pages (on paper). Well, to be honest, after almost six years of doing daily illustrated journal pages (see them here), I was just kind of worn out. It wasn't exciting to me anymore, I felt empty, uninspired, even a little resentful. The daily drawing and sharing came to feel like a task. Another thing to do on my never ending list. With the crazy changes going on in my life last year and the months leading up to it, I just dropped it. I had nothing to say, and the things I did draw felt too personal to share.
When I started in 2007, the daily drawings were a way of getting back in touch with my creative side, to re-train my hand-eye coordination, to turn drawing into a habit. It then changed my life. I started drawing and sharing my work, I met other (closeted) creatives and collaborated with some amazing artists, I started working on my Etsy shop, got involved in the community, and finally started working at Etsy in my dream job where I can both be creative and feel inspired, use my intellect and OCD-style love for organization, and benefit from running a blog and freelance business on the side. Mission accomplished, and the daily drawings no longer felt necessary (and I'm a sucker for goals. I'm kind of like a dog, really, if you switch balls with goals, minus the drooling and hair and yucky smell. I don't like dogs). Kthxbye.
I let days, trips, travels, big life moments, go by without recording them on paper, and I didn't really care. I wrote some, got addicted to Instagram, did the occasional commissioned piece, but mostly just let it be.
And then I started missing it again, and now I'm ready to reclaim this journaling thing for myself again. That probably will mean that I'll do them in this new semi-digital format, as it's more of a challenge to me, and right now I'm inspired by doing this. I'll probably only do it on weekends only, not daily (unless I feel like it), but I'll make it a goal to actually do it. In short: I'm ready to have fun with this once more. So stay tuned!
