ZenaZBlog

Dutch Winter - Ice Skating on Natural Ice in the Netherlands

2012-02-07T08:53:00.005+01:00

Last Sunday, Febr 5th I made this impression of how the Dutch spent their Sunday afternoon on a winters day.

Morning Walk through the Fields

2012-02-06T11:21:00.003+01:00

A short impression of a Morning Walk through the Fields in the Summer

The Making of the Confucius China Light Festival

2011-12-03T14:50:00.013+01:00

A short The Making of movie we just made for the Groningen Confucius Institute and Hortus Haren.

From December 2011 till the end of January 2012 there will be a Chinese Light Festival held in the gardens of Hortus Haren near the city of Groningen in the Netherlands.

During the November month 46 Chinese artist have been working hard to get things ready. The lantern artists work for the QuanZhou Decorative Latern Company in China.

The Light Festival is open each day from 17.00 until 22.00 pm.
More info: Hortus Haren

The Making of... is produced by MOZO Productions.

The Animal Journal

2011-10-25T16:50:00.010+02:00

The Animal Journal features 14 fine art photographs of the animals I met during my visit to the National Museum of History in New York.

The museum is the home of a large collection of dead animals. They are living their second life behind the walls of the museum. Famous are the so called dioramas, three-dimensional, full-size replicas or scale models of landscapes showing nature scenes, for purposes of education or entertainment.

All animals are prepared by a taxidermist before they can start a new life. This can be accomplished without opening the body cavity, so no internal organs or blood will become visible. Depending on the type of skin, preserving chemicals are applied or the skin is tanned. It is then either mounted on a mannequin made from wood, wool and wire, or a polyurethane form. Clay is used to install glass eyes and other forms.

Animal Totem wisdom is added to the photographs. This has its origin in shamanism. A so called power animal travels with the shaman on his journey into non-ordinary reality or the spirit world. The animal guides and protects the shaman and will help him find the information he is looking for.

A Totem Animal is a spirit guide that helps in a life-positive way. You can call on the animal for inspiration, guidance, healing, protection and encouragement. Some animals are with you for a lifetime, others only stay for a special period.

Michael Harner, Scott Alexander, Steven D. Farmer, Ted Andrews, Sandra Ingerman and Brad Steiger wrote about animal spirits. Read their books if you are interested…

The Animal Journal is for sale on blurb.com
More info can be found here...

Animal Calendar 2012

2011-10-17T15:02:00.004+02:00

Animal Calenda...

The Animal Calendar...

By Tine Eelman / Zen...

Book Preview

A wonderful Animal Calendar weekly planner for 2012!

The Animal Calendar 2012 features 14 fine art photographs of the diorama animals from the National Museum of History in New York.

The Calendar comes in a handy size ( 5 by 8 inch or 13 by 20 cm) available with soft cover and hardcover ImageWrap to manage your activities and appointments for 2012.

5x8 inch or 13 by 20 cm,
90 GSM paper.

Night Photography

2011-03-02T23:44:00.004+01:00

Night photography

Night Photography

The first night photography project I did was back in 2005.

I stayed on a tiny Dutch island, called Ameland and it was one of these real nice summer evenings. Sitting on the porch my eye was caught by a lonely and lost sunflower, who didn’t belong in the dune landscape at all. It was standing there tall and strong , in the middle of darkness while stars were moving by.

A moment later I had my analogue camera set up on a tripod, connected a remote release cable, got my watch, pushed the button and waited 7 to 8 minutes.
Before I knew it was three hours later.

Night photography is something special. It depends where I am, but most of the time I am out there alone. Because of the long exposure time you will make about 4 photos in one hour. Looking around, trying to see with your ears and waiting is what you do.

What fascinates me most is the way our familiar surrounding(s) change into an almost new and unknown world. It all looks more mysterious and while our eyes cannot function so well in the dark, many things stay hidden and undiscovered.

Here you can see the whole series I made that summer evening.

Amanda Friedman is a photographer who also makes wonderful images at night.
Cypress Trees, Marina Del Rey is my favorite. It somehow connects me with another, hidden world I cannot reach…

Huis Marseille - Marrigje de Maar & Bert Teunissen

2011-03-01T10:44:00.006+01:00

Marrigje de Maar

Marrigje de Maar & Bert Teunissen
Huis Marseille, Photography Museum

Keizersgracht 401
1016 EK Amsterdam
The Netherlands

March 4th - June 5th 2011

Both Marrigje de Maar and Bert Teunissen travel to remote spots in the world in order to photograph people in their homes. They show how these people turn their houses into places where they feel at home, how simply and sparingly they may be furnished.

Natural light determines the atmosphere and how things are arranged inside the house. Averse to any international fashions or trends, these people choose, in the privacy of their own surroundings, to have furniture, everyday objects and souvenirs for reasons that relate to availability and tradition, but also because they find them beautiful or inspiring.

The fact that they allow strange people into their houses attests to the conviction, the respect and the tact with which these two photographers approach their work. The interiors in these photographs tell stories: about individual situations and desires (De Maar), and about the influence of economic change on the lives of individuals (Teunissen).

Focusproject2011

2011-02-28T13:22:00.006+01:00

I uploaded my Ocean Boy for the Focusproject 2011.

You can vote for me.

It is very simple...just follow the link and click vote for me

Thanks!!

Stories & Images # 6 Summer Pond

2011-02-19T15:59:00.005+01:00

# 006

Latitude 29°11'01.34" N, Longitude 81°42'44.68" W
SE¼ SW¼ SE¼ sec. 17, T 15 S, R 26 E

The day started early. We had to drive all the way from Ocala to St. Augustine. On our way to the other side of Florida we made a stop at Juniper Springs in Ocala National Forest.

We parked the car at the Recreational Area, grabbed our swimsuits out of the suitcase and walked along the trail until we reached the spring.

It was hot, around one in the afternoon and we loved to cool off a bit before heading on. The spring looked lovely under the subtropical vegetation of the forest. A wonderful place with blue green inviting water. But as my toes reached the water surface I pulled my foot back immediately. It felt icy cold and I wondered how all these people were able to swim around as if nothing was the matter.

As the spring was surrounded by big trees not much direct sunlight was able to reach the water and heat it a bit. Later on I found out the water has a more or less stable temperature of 72F or 22C.

But I eventually made it into the water after my body, skin and blood had adjusted to this sudden temperature drop. The water felt different then the ocean around Sarasota I had swum in a few days before. I dived under and tried to locate the deepest – and coldest – point of the spring. Air bubbles were coming out of the white sandy bottom. Underwater I was surrounded by a bunch of small white fish who lived there.

It was a great experience, swimming in the cold water of Juniper Springs.
We had a picnic in the sun while being watched by a hungry raccoon, walked a part of the trail, did not encouter alligators and then headed on to the east coast of the peninsula leaving spring country behind.

The Find Out Quality Print

2011-02-10T00:12:00.005+01:00

Find out my work and the quality of my prints by ordering a small size, 3x3 inch print on a quality archival 3.8 x 4.8 inch card.

Try and find out yourself...

Look for the whole collection at ZenzPhotography

Large Format Fine Art Photography Prints

2011-01-28T13:08:00.005+01:00

Just added to my ZenzPhotography shop the possibility to buy large(r) format prints.
The photographs will be printed in a professional photo lab and send to you in a stiff cardboard tube.

More sizes will be available soon.

Winter SALE

2011-01-26T17:16:00.004+01:00

Have been working hard in my ZenzPhotography shop today.
New descriptions, keywording etc etc...

And I started a Winter SALE with images I made of the cold, white and icy winter we had so far, here in the Netherlands.

Dood & Leven

2011-01-03T11:21:00.009+01:00

Mathilde Hemmes photography Loeske Bult

Dood & Leven is the Dutch title of a short documentary about visual artist Mathilde Hemmes.
As a former midwife Hemmes is fascinated by the thin line between life and death which reflects her work as an artist.

At the moment the documentary is only in Dutch.
Subtitles will be added somewhere this year.

This is a MOZO production.

Click here to see the docu.

Stories & Images # 005 Stock Photography

2011-01-01T16:20:00.003+01:00

#005

About stock photography
This is what buyers found my most favorite stock photo. It has been sold over 675 times.

I have been in the stock photography business for a while now and besides selling images this way I learned a lot about the technical background of digital photography.

Selling stock photography is not easy. The competition is high, the prices are low, there are a lot of companies and they all have their own rules to keep in mind.

A stock photo has to be technically perfect and delivering such an image may take some time in post processing. The sky or a water surface like the ocean is often difficult and contains a lot of noise because of the highlights and reflections caused by the movement of the waves. You have to correct the picture by hand getting rid of wrong pixels you don’t want to be around.

So after a while you learn what images fit you the best. What is a time consuming image and what is not.

Having a perfect image is not a guarantee for being accepted by a stock photo company. They can and will reject when they feel up to it. This can be very frustrating as the given reason for rejection not always corresponds with the real reason. Be aware of this when diving into this business.

What I also learned is that your own favorite images might not be favorite at all by the buyers. It is hard to indicate which images will sell well beforehand. You never know and might be surprised that the one you eventually did not want to sell at all, becomes a high seller.

As I said before there are a lot of photo stock companies around. Corbis, Getty Images, Alamy, IStockphoto and ShutterStock are just a few. When you like photography, want to learn more about digital images, like to earn some money, know that you will be frustrated now and then, just google these names and find out more. Welcome to the world of stock photography!

Stories & Images # 004 Dinétah

2010-12-19T13:11:00.006+01:00

#004 Dinetah

In the beginning there was only the mists. There was no world then, only the white, yellow, blue, black, silver, and red mists floating in the air. The mists came together and laid on top of each other, like intercourse, and Supreme Sacred Wind was created. ( from the Navajo Creation Story)

This is one of my favorite photographs.
I took it a few year ago while traveling around in the United States. It was a hot day in August when I met the Mittens, the famous red elevations of Monument Valley.

We entered Navajo Country from the north over Highway 163. It was a bright and sunny day. I remember the straight road as we moved closer and closer into the red landscape. And there they were. The huge butts and mesas I had seen so many times in old cowboy movies and photographs. They were popping out of the earth. Lonely but powerful they stood under the burning sun as we moved closer and closer.

From that point I realized the Earth being one of the planets hanging in the universe. A harsh and rocky world, in many ways unfriendly to us humans. From my observing distance not much was going on. You had to zoom into the landscape much closer to find the stories connected with the land I was looking at.

The road was quiet and we were the only car until we came to the visitor center. Suddenly I found myself in the middle of an ants nest. All quietness was gone. Cars were waiting in line for a place to park. People were moving around, coming and going. Shouts and laughter was filling the air. This was Monument Valley!

Navajo Indians were giving directions to the invasion of tourists that had entered their territory and wanted to see their land. Tourism is one of their main activities. Besides running casino’s the Navajo now also explore their land by organizing trips through their sacred and holy land.

The Navajo Nation is a semi-autonomous Native American-governed territory covering 26,000 square miles (67,000 km2), occupying all of northeastern Arizona, the southeastern portion of Utah, and northwestern New Mexico. It is the largest land area assigned primarily to a Native American jurisdiction within the United States. The exact boundaries are unclear, and are generally marked by mountain peaks which correspond to the four cardinal directions.

Like all the others we left our car and went into the visitors center for information, photography books, tours and food. People everywhere until I noticed an empty table in a quiet corner of the cafeteria. You will be standing there when looking at the photograph. A great view over Dinetah, the traditional homeland of the Navajo.

The Navajo creation story, Diné Bahane, centers on the area known as the Dinétah, the traditional homeland of the Navajo people. This story forms the basis for the traditional Navajo way of life. The basic outline of Diné Bahane begins with the Holy Wind being created, the mists of lights which arose through the darkness to animate and bring purpose to the Holy People, supernatural and sacred in the different three lower worlds. All these things were spiritually created in the time before the earth existed and the physical aspect of humans did not exist yet, but the spiritual did.

After our visit we went back to our car and took the 17 mile self drive that runs through the valley. A dusty red dirt road winding around the rock formations in mythical and wonderful Navajo land.

A small copy of the photograph is hanging on the wall behind my computer monitor. I glance up and look. It is a connection to another world and offers me a way to escape for a moment and be there again. Yes… this is one of my favorite photographs and it always will be.

Stories & Images # 003 Misty Winter Field

2010-12-08T11:10:00.007+01:00

#003 Misty Winter Field

It is so beautiful outside.
The whole world is covered with a thin white layer of snowy ice. The details of plants and trees, their branches, dried seed pods and more are being highlighted.
Yesterday I walked across the fields. A thick mist was hanging over the frozen land and I could hardly hold my camera.

Wind from the east is blowing thru the landscape while a flock of sheep is having a late lunch and do not seem to be bothered by this harsh winter weather. The thick layer of crème yellow wool protects their bodies like a warm winter coat. But looking at their thin bare legs I ask myself what a sheep with bad blood circulation would do to keep the feet warm.
As I have cold feet easily I can hardly bare to look at these small sticks on hoofs standing in the icy grass. I am so glad with my moonboots and wool leg warmers as I follow the meandering sand path further into nothingness, leaving the disappearing sheep behind.

The mist is getting thicker and thicker. Hardly anything to see now and I sort of regret bringing my camera on this walk. The path is slippery and I have to be careful not to fall down. My dog Kafka does not mind the frozen surface and runs up and down all the time. Now and then he slips on the ice and it is funny to see his four legs bending in different directions. He loves to walk in any weather. He does not bother at all!

We cross the main road and head on to the other fields. Frozen barbed wire, tree deer fenced in, lonely horses, two white cows, and a solitary tree are standing in the silent world I have entered. It seems to be less cold here so I take off my gloves and get my camera. The metal body is cold and I have to hurry . While I take the photographs my dog is standing next to me, he shivers.

We have to move on. Follow the path for another twenty minutes before we reach the border of a small village, called Onnen. That is where I left my car.
We get in and drive home . It’s around four in the afternoon and already getting dark.

Later that evening I look at the image of the lonely tree in the misty landscape. It will be a nice reminder of the walk, the animals I met, the cold, the mist, the winter landscape and the silence. An early dark day in a December winter scenery.

zenzphotograhy on Etsy

Stories & Images # 002

2010-12-05T23:00:00.010+01:00

No.157 Heavy Dinning - Breakfast with Dracula

You have seen my studio.
Now ... what is hanging on my walls.

Number #002 of my new series Stories & Images is something I made a couple of years ago.
A small sized 1,5 by 2 inch image called No.157 Heavy Dinning
I made it for the mail art exhibition Breakfast with Dracula, in the national museum of art in Cluj Napoca, Transylvania, Romania.

The national museum of art is located in the old Banffy Palace, a wonderful baroque building where Dracula had his breakfast before the sun came up at dawn.

It was some sort of fun making this image and I posed for it myself. To give my face a little extra weird expression I decided to photograph it while holding my head upside down. The veins in my face filled up with blood and the gravity added a slight though to the skin around my eyes and did something strange to my eyes.

Afterwards I received a nice catalogue curated by Ovidiu Petca with support of the Minister of Culture of Romania.

Stories & Images # 001 The Studio

2010-11-27T11:33:00.012+01:00

#001 The Studio

The Story behind the Image

Today I start with a new series of blog posts.
I will call it Stories & Images

The posts will be about photographs I made as ZenaZero ArtWorks, for my zenzphotography shop on Etsy and as a stock photographer for different stock agencies.

What is the story behind the image, why did I make it, what were the circumstances, where was I, what were the conditions and more…

I started with photography in the late seventies and I still remember the day I entered a dark room for the first time. The acid smell of the chemicals, the first film I developed, the silence in the room, the magic of the white paper turning into greys and blacks and whites. Prints hanging all over on lines in the air to dry. That was the beginning.

Today no more darkroom. My Olympus, Minolta, Nikon F5 and Mamiya are out of work for a while now as I switched completely to digital photography some years ago.

Now, all the action takes place in my studio where I work as a visual artist, independent film maker and photographer. One part of my work space is filled with a large desk for my printers and Eizo monitor. Fortunately my studio has an under floor heating system and I am very happy with it because I spend many hours behind my desk, hardly moving my legs and I get cold feet easily.

The studio used to be the garage and is now rebuilt into my most favorite part of the house. One side has large windows and connects the outside world with this inner space where I do a lot of thinking. It is quiet here and that is what I like. Right now I only hear the fan in my computer and a soft humming sound of the heating system. It is a good working space and I love being in here...

Architect of Small Buildings

2010-10-16T15:12:00.006+02:00

Architect of Small Buildings
Architect van Kleine Gebouwtjes

A short documentary about Alex den Braver
Only in Dutch, but I am working on the English subtitles...

View movie:
http://www.mozoproductions.nl/portfolio/Alex-den-Braver

Hello said the Ostrich

2010-10-08T12:51:00.003+02:00

"Hello said the Ostrich"

I am working on this new series of photographs. Wonderfull and funny images of different animals. Great to decorate your home, the room of your child or your office.
More will be added in my ZenzPhotography shop soon!!

The Sketchbook Project

2010-08-26T16:24:00.003+02:00

Participate in The Sketchbook Project 2011 Tour!
A project by Art House.

Anyone - fron anywhere in the world - can participate.
Sign in and receive your sketchbook.

Modern Photographic Still Life - fine art print

2010-08-19T16:18:00.005+02:00

New is my series of Modern Photographic Still Life fine art prints.
Visit ZenzPhotography for more info

ZenzPhotography

2010-07-05T10:48:00.001+02:00

I opened my ZenzPhotography shop on Etsy.
Fine Art Phtography prints available in different sizes.

Buddha Project

2010-05-20T08:01:00.002+02:00

Buddha Project
Images of Buddha can remind us to take a breath, to look around, to feel calm and compassionate, to be here now. You can notice Buddha almost anywhere — laundromats, store windows, barbershops, farmers' markets, souvenir stands, tucked away on someone's night table.

An archive of hundreds of Buddha images may well generate good karma for everyone involved, viewers and contributors alike. Watch as it grows. As of May 4th, 2010 there are 900 photos in the collection.Please participate by contributing your images of Buddha. Notice Buddha in your surroundings and share your discoveries with others. It will make you feel good. Guaranteed.

Sketchbook Project Tour 2011

2010-05-18T16:55:00.000+02:00

The Sketchbook Project Tour: 2011 is one of Art House's most exciting projects to date. You sign up and pick your theme, and then we send you the sketchbook. You fill it up and send it back to us and we'll take it on tour to Brooklyn, Atlanta, Chicago, San Francisco, Austin, Portland, and more! To sign up - and to view the full set of rules - please check out the website at http://www.thesketchbookproject.com

Art House Projects

2010-03-18T12:05:00.003+01:00

Art House Projects
We’re tired of artwork sitting in artists’ closets collecting dust. The Art House Library is a place where artwork can mingle with other artwork, see the light of day, and know the joys of fingers flipping through their pages again. Anyone can be a part of the library by participating in one of our projects.

A permanent collection
We're working to build up a collection of artist books. We just opened, so we're still in the process of cataloging them all. However, just with the books from our last Sketchbook Project, we have 1,148 books in the collection.

Each book is barcoded, cataloged and assigned a home inside of The Library.

Lanzarote Triptych

2010-02-14T11:10:00.005+01:00

I love to make and take photographs when the sun is down and the darkness of the night has taken away most light.
Sitting there in the quietness, waiting behind my tripod for the minute or more my camera needs to record what is still visible, is always a special moment. Not being able to rely on vision only is not something we are used to. So the ears take over where the eyes leave off.
The places I photograph are mostly in the middle of nowhere like an open space in the woods, a deserted field, the beach …

This triptych was made on the island of Lanzarote in the Atlantic Ocean near the coast of Morocco.

Into the Woods

2010-02-08T15:20:00.008+01:00

Into the Woods
travel there in your mind, whenever you want..

Fine Art Photography by DutchCraftWork

Mailart Call - Pony Express - Modesto Art Museum, California

2010-02-08T15:09:00.004+01:00

150th Anniversary of the Pony Express

Be part of the historic 150th anniversary celebrations by creating a piece of Pony Express mail art and sending it to the Modesto Art Museum for the international exhibition in April 2010.

Format/Media: Envelopes, post cards, and art stamps.
We will display only the side of your mailing with postage and address. We will not open envelopes or packages. Mail art must be on the outside of the envelope or postcard.

Exhibition: Modesto, California in April 2010.
Watch the museum's web site for details. Also, online exhibit on the museum Flickr site.
Viewers and artists will be able to comment online about the art.

Documentation: online at museum web site http://modestoartmuseum.org/
No returns. All mail art will become part of the museum's archive.

Note: Please include your mailing address on your entry for acknowledgmentInfo: modestoartmuseum@yahoo.com

Deadline to be received: March 5,
2010Pony ExpressModesto Art Museum
404 Patrick LaneModesto, CA 95350 USA

Letters Home

2010-02-08T13:18:00.003+01:00

" What a luxury to have a home that gives you such a feeling of comfort and strength only by thinking about the place. In 2003 I started to travel and take pictures of personal homes. Homes that I could imagine to be my temporary sanctuary – if only in my dreams."

Read more in Letters Home, a blog about the photography work and travels of Marrigje de Maar.

Natural wooden Mala or Prayer Beads

2010-01-29T10:45:00.003+01:00

Handmade wooden Mala or Prayer Beads.
Contains 54 beads.
Use it for your daily meditation or mindfulness exercise...

more info DutchCraftWork

Photography in the DutchCraftWork shop

2010-01-28T09:28:00.007+01:00

I recently added a new Photography section to my DutchCraftWork shop.

Last Journey

2009-11-14T00:26:00.009+01:00

What does your last journey look like?

CellaVie ... for your final destination.

Day of the Death - November 1st

2009-10-30T15:02:00.009+01:00

Many people believe that during the Day of the Dead, it is easier for the souls of the departed to visit the living. People go to cemeteries to communicate with the souls of the departed, and build private altars, containing the favorite foods and beverages, as well as photos and memorabilia, of the departed. The intent is to encourage visits by the souls, so that the souls will hear the prayers and the comments of the living directed to them. Celebrations can take a humorous tone, as celebrants remember funny events and anecdotes about the departed.

Plans for the day are made throughout the year, including gathering the goods to be offered to the dead. During the two-day period, families usually clean and decorate graves; most visit the cemeteries where their loved ones are buried and decorate their graves with offerings, which often include orange marigolds. These flowers are thought to attract souls of the dead to the offerings.

Toys are brought for dead children and bottles of tequila or mescal for adults. Families will also offer trinkets or the deceased's favorite candies on the grave. Offerings are also put in homes, usually with foods such as candied pumpkin, bread of the dead, sugar skulls and beverages such as atole. The offerings are left out in the homes as a welcoming gesture for the deceased. Some people believe the spirits of the dead eat the "spiritual essence" of the ofrendas food, so even though the celebrators eat the food after the festivities, they believe it lacks nutritional value. Pillows and blankets are left out so that the deceased can rest after their long journey. In some parts of Mexico, such as the towns of Mixquic, Patzcuaro and Janitzio , people spend all night beside the graves of their relatives. In many places people have picnics at the grave site as well.

- Wikipedia -

New Life

2009-10-24T15:23:00.009+02:00

A while ago I was travelling around on the island of Lanzarote.
As I always visit the local cemeteries for my ongoing Living Landscapes photography project, I discovered these silent graves.

Lanzarote is one of the Canary Islands, located 130 kilometres from the Northwest coast of Africa. Living conditions force people to leave their country and try their luck somewhere else. The southern Mediterranean countries are the goals for a new life for many of these refugees.

Travelling conditions are poor, the boats are small and old. Many never make it to the other side. Then, when you are so lucky and do make it, life is harsh and uncertain.

This handmade wooden box contains 5 fine art photographs, a photo essay and a map.

The artist box is called New Life.
One unique box is available...

click on the image for larger view

more views

Land

2009-10-22T22:48:00.012+02:00

New photo series Land added on my website.

This is what I love to do most ... ( I think) ... take photographs of landscapes.
Landscapes without humans, but with signs of their existence.

The image with the blue sky and cypress trees , made in Italy, is an exception. When you zoom in you see a tiny man standing in right hand bottom corner. Almost overpowered by nature.

To see a larger format, click on each row separately.

ZENZ for Sound Massage

2009-10-20T23:59:00.007+02:00

I designed this card for ZENZ, my Sound Massage Studio.

Short Story

2009-10-17T14:15:00.006+02:00

Short Story
What do you think happened?

Tell me ...

Nightscapes

2009-10-16T00:23:00.003+02:00

While driving in my car, from A to B.

The daylight landscapes I knew so well had transformed into dark and light compositions.

Dr Jenny and the Cymatics

2009-10-15T00:03:00.004+02:00

In the 1960s and '70s Swiss engineer and medical doctor Hans Jenny performed experiments using sound frequencies on various materials such as water, sand, dust, liquid plastic and milk.

Dr Jenny placed the material on a metal plate attached to a crystal oscillator which was controlled by a frequency generator capable of producing a wide range of vibrations. He then filmed and photographed what happened on the plate.

He coined the term Cymatics (the study of wave-form phenomena), which is derived from the Greek 'kyma' meaning 'wave', and 'ta kymatica' meaning 'matters pertaining to waves'.

Fine Art Print

2009-10-11T16:48:00.000+02:00

Travelling, an original Fine Art Print by DutchCraftwork

Just take a moment for yourself, look at the print and let your mind wander off...

Happy Healing Doll to Inspire and Encourage

2009-10-08T19:55:00.007+02:00

The Happy Healing Doll is one of the new so-called Good-do Dolls.

A unique and handmade, one-of-a-kind doll to inspire and encourage and who will help you to bring back the 'good and positive'.

How? Very simple ... by doing an affirmation exercise.

There are 11 different Good-do Dolls available.

Click here for more information.

Made First Short Movie

2009-10-07T14:31:00.006+02:00

My first - ultra - short movie is a fact.

It was made in two days.
There were 4 people in the film crew.
We shot 2 scenes: 1 indoors and 1 outdoors
We needed 12 shots for the movie.
It took us 3 hours to shoot.
We needed 3 hours to edit.

It's called The Glove and takes 1 minute and 20 seconds to watch.

Moroccan Mountains

2009-10-04T00:48:00.006+02:00

Mountains are something special.
Maybe it is because I am living on the Dutch flat lands, I do not know, but everytime I see mountains I get a little weak around my heart.

I know the Alps a little, have seen the Sierra Nevada in Spain and the Yosimite Mountains in California and now I have also been to the High Atlas Mountains in Morocco.

While driving Road No.9 - from Quarzazate to Marrakech - I saw the most desolate landscape unfold before my eyes. Beautiful colors in stone and vegetation changed all the time. It was wonderful.

The most amazing thing of all was that where ever we stopped, people popped up out of nowhere to beg for money or candy. Without having seen villages, houses or BerBer tents they seem to be around all the time.

I really wonder what it must be like to live in such conditions, in a landscape so rough and mighty. An environment to move through but not live in...

Photographs

2009-10-03T02:11:00.010+02:00

Today I have been working on some stock images, to get them ready for submission.
As I wrote before on this blog, it is always very time consuming.

Working on the image above, wasn't so bad as I really loved the place where I took the picture.
We drove to the cape of Ioannis on Crete around four o'clock in the afternoon. A small and winding road climbed all the way up and in no time there was a wonderful view of the mountains and the Mediterranean sea.

We drove further and finely reached the end of cape Ioannis where a small white chapel stood in the windy fields accompanied by eight or ten wind turbines. I had never been so close to these white windmills before.

My imagination immediately starts to take over when I see this photograph. For me it is a rocket. The small stairs are leading to the entrance where the astronauts are waiting patiently for take off. The sound of the wind turbine simulates the engine and the blue sky will welcome them within minutes.

And then ... it happens very fast and before I know the rocket is gone. Leaving behind a cloud of dust in the orange colored light of late afternoon.

I must admit ... I loved the Thunderbirds ... and always get a little exited when the landscape reminds me of this Saturday evening show from the sixties.

Portrait Photography by Stephan Vanfleteren

2009-09-16T00:15:00.004+02:00

I went to Gent (Belgium) last weekend and visited the exhibition of Stephan Vanfleteren.

Large format portrait photography in black and white.

The exhibition is held in the former Wintercircus Mahy.

Still open till October 16th 2009.

End of the Summer

2009-08-26T20:18:00.006+02:00

The summer is almost over and daily life has started again.

Lots of new things are about to happen.

After some weeks without computer, Internet and other technological devices besides my camera I had a wonderful time on the island of Crete. Days of doing nothing, just sitting, watching and eating. A good moment for thinking things over and making new plans for the months to come.

Besides my two Etsy stores - BlueImageDesign and DutchCraftWork - and my online stock photography I am jumping into two new worlds.

I will start following a course in film directing, screenwriting and editing in Amsterdam.
And I will start a course in sound healing.
An exiting time!

MyDay 016

2009-07-09T11:40:00.000+02:00

MyDay 016

After I made this photograph I ate the fruit.
It tasted delicious, strongly flavoured, sweet and spicy with a little sour touch...
The taste of summer!

MyDay 015

2009-07-06T22:06:00.006+02:00

MyDay 015

The Gooddodoll
I have always s been interested in the mind.
As it is part of myself there must be a way to be in more control over the many functions it has. And yes, there are many ways to work with your mind. Using affirmations is one of them.

Self talk or affirmations is the language your mind works with on a subconscious level. You might not be aware of it but you are doing it too. It is very normal and natural.

I started with pale creme and pink Gooddodolls.
The new series will be called the Chakra Gooddodoll and it is a combination of affirmations, color therapy and chakras.
They will come in the vibrant colors red, orange, green, blue and dark purple.
Two different sizes: small is 7 inch and medium is 9.5 inch.

more info: DutchCraftWork

MyDay 014 - MemoWood

2009-06-29T23:22:00.006+02:00

MyDay 014

A new DutchCraftwork design: the MemoWood.
An handy organizer for all your notes, bills, cards and photographs.

The MemoWood is an natural and eco friendly product. Made of recycled wood.
Solid and a great friend on every desk!

MyDay 013 - Ciudad Juarez

2009-06-28T12:19:00.001+02:00

MyDay 013

In 2006 I participated in an exhibition in Durango, Mexico.
The exhibition was called The Death of Juarez II 2005.

It is now 2009 and Juarez is still an extremely dangerous place for women.

Since 1993, women and girls have been murdered and remain missing in Ciudad Juarez and Chihuahua, Mexico. Most victims are slender, dark-haired girls between 14 and 18 years old who work in one of the numerous u.s.-owned maguiladora factories. Many are killed on their way to and from work. Their bodies have been found - sometimes with their blue factory issued aprons on - dumped in the desert or next to the roads leading to the unlit squatter camps ringing the city. In some cases, the victims are mutilated and horrilby disfigured. Objects have been stuffed into their vaginas or anuses and in some cases their left breasts have been hacked off. Many are strangled, then stabbed repeatedly. Others were found with their hands tied behind their backs. Some have their panties removed, even if they are still fully dressed.

More info:
Bordertown - a movie directed by Gregory Nava.
Ciudad Juarez

Thank you Ladies

2009-06-28T00:19:00.003+02:00

Treasuries

I want to thank Evihan, Missminoes, ChromaSmear and Alatvian for featuring my work in the beautiful treasuries they made!

MyDay 012

2009-06-26T22:14:00.006+02:00

MyDay 012
It wasn't a great day today.

Nothing serious happened but time sort of slipped thou my finger while I slowly lost control over the day. Around 15.30 I decided that I could do two things. One: lying down in the hammock in the garden. Two: preparing some stock photographs.

I choose the last possibility as I was sort of afraid to fall asleep and wake up around six and then having to move my body to the kitchen to cook dinner. Not very appealing... so with a handful of jellybeans spread out in front of my keyboard, I opened my photography map on the PC and looked for the Curacao images.

The funny thing with preparing travel images is that you sort of jump into the scene and revisit the place again. So after about ten minutes I was back in Curacao.
Did some pictures of the Quarantine Building near Spaanse Water, a shot of Boca Pistol with splashing waves on the coral rocks, two kids in a fishing boat near Saint Michel, an image of a old sport complex just outside Willemstad and this one of the oil refinery and the Jewish cemetery.

A weird place for a cemetery. I wonder who ever choose this location.
I also made sound recordings. The noice of flames from the pipes combined with the smell of an oil plant under tropical conditions.

For all the dead, rest in peace...

One and a half hour later, I had finished nine images and felt much better.

MyDay - 011

2009-06-24T21:53:00.009+02:00

MyDay - 011

The cascade of Santa Maria Tzeja, a tiny village in the jungle of Guatemala in Central America.

I lived here for a while, in the late 1970’s. This cascade is where we went after a hard day of work on the field, to cool off and let the water massage our backs.

In the village lived about 80 families. They were Mayan Indians.
You could not get here by car. We were flown in from El Quiche and had to walk another 2 to 3 hours to arrive to the village. Our luggage on horses and on our backs.

I was there to assist in a agricultural project. We had to test different crops like soya and all kinds of beans and see how they would do under this tropical climate in highland jungle.

There was no western luxury at all, no stove, no refrigerator and no washing machine. Next to this cascade on the photograph the Indian women taught me how to wash clothes. On the stones in the river. And on the route to the cascade was also the well where we had to get our daily drinking water. A walk of about 10 minutes downhill and then back up with a water barrel on my head. I remember my protesting neck muscles in the beginning.

During my stay the political situation was not stable. Things escalated and we had to leave Santa Maria Tzeja all of a sudden.

And the situation did not get better. In the early eighties life turned into a nightmare. The military slaughtered the inhabitants of Santa Maria Tzeja. Some escaped and fled into the jungle, in the direction of the Mexican border where they tried to survive with nothing left like their horrible memories.

Now many years later, those who survived and returned, have been trying to get their life together.

I have not been back to this small jungle village. But I have sweet memories.
My dear Mayan friends, for those still out there, I learned a lot about life from all of you and I hope you are doing well…

MyDay - 010

2009-06-23T22:49:00.001+02:00

MyDay 010

Growing old...

MyDay - 009

2009-06-22T17:47:00.006+02:00

MyDay 009

Almost every week I drive 60 km up and down to visit my parents.

They are living in Friesland, a province famous for it's cows, cheese and sailboats.

There are a lot of lakes here and during the summertime many tourists will spend their holidays on the water.

I was sixteen when I moved to this part of the country and during that time didn't like it at all.

I used to live near the beach and close to Amsterdam. Moving to the north felt like going to Siberia. And worst of all, they speak their own language in this part of the Netherlands. It is an authentic language, called Fries. I would not understand a word...

But as hard as life can be... you get used to everything.

And so did I.

Now, many years later I live again in this northern region of the country. I have been away for a while and lived on different continents, but eventually came back to the north. It is quiet, green, flat and windy here. A good place to live...

MyDay 008

2009-06-21T13:55:00.003+02:00

MyDay 008

Hubby reading a magazine in the garden.
Strange coincidence...

MyDay - 007

2009-06-20T00:23:00.010+02:00

MyDay 007

Again a day behind my desk.
Well ... it was no summer day at all, so staying indoors was not hard.
Working on stock photographs again. I can tell you , this is not one of my favorite things to do. Just like yesterday, the routine is the same... before uploading: cleaning up technically, writing descriptions and finding keywords like:

... Hut; beach; thatched; sub tropical; sea; sand; ocean; color-image; blue; nobody; outdoors; horizontal; nature; landscape; seascape; cloudscape, clouds, concept; tourism; travel; destination; vacations; non-urban; coastline; horizon; tranquil; lifestyle; leisure; Florida; North America; square...

All of a sudden, while working on this Beach Hut image, I got this clear and bright thought:
Finding keywords is actually a beneficial thing to do as you train your brain while looking for synonyms and more. My braincells are challenged all the time and while thinking of this positive side effect, I don't mind doing keywords anymore. It keeps my brain sane and might slow down dysfunctions that walk hand in hand with getting older.

Lucky me, still hundreds of images left, waiting for their keywords.

(...little smile)

MyDay - 006

2009-06-18T00:52:00.005+02:00

MyDay - 006

It was a lovely day, sunny with a temperature around 22 C and not too much wind.

But instead of lying outside on this dark blue fatboy on the lawn, I spent most of the day inside (see MyDay 002) behind my desk working on a bunch of stock photographs.

Technically checking each image, inch by inch. Followed by writing descriptions and finding keyword and concepts. Very time consuming, I can tell you that!

I did twenty photographs today ... another twenty are waiting for tomorrow.

MyDay - 005

2009-06-16T23:57:00.009+02:00

MyDay - 005

Ever heard of a sprout vegetable kit!

Well, I got one as a present from my sister.

Growing your own sprout vegetables is easy and healthy.

It seems that these little green sprouts contain a lot of wonderful nutrients, like vitamins and enzymes. They should also slow down the aging proces.

As I am the eldest of three, was this present a silent hint or just a healty gift?

I will ask her...

MyDay - 004

2009-06-16T01:01:00.002+02:00

MyDay - 004

Every day, after dinner, with an espresso and feet on the couch, watching the daily soap Good Times, Bad Times on the TV.
Twenty minutes watching silly people doing more silly things...

MyDay - 003

2009-06-15T14:07:00.005+02:00

MyDay - 003

Every now and then my daughter and I make this little shopping trip to Germany.
Most of the time we go to a town just across the border, but this time we drove a little further to a city called Oldenburg.

Our trip roughly consists of the following ingredients: shopping for clothes and new bra's, drinking coffee and eating Torte at a local Konditorei, and shopping for cosmetic bargains like John Frieda shampoo, make up and special deodorant.

We always finish our trip by doing some groceries at one of the large Familia supermarkets.
Unfortunately, now with this one big Europe thing, a lot of items you find in the supermarkets, are sold in many supermarkets all over the European countries.
As I always loved to take home products that were typical, it gets harder and harder to find something that is not available in Holland as well.

Now, while writing this, something pops up. Over two weeks I will be going to Belgium and I sure will visit a Belgian supermarket to get some bottles of Krieklambiek beer. Beer made of sour cherries. Dark red, almost a little thick and soo good! The Dutch Krieks are not to be compared with this delicious Belgium beer.
My little supply will only last for a short time but that is ok. This way the Krieks remain something to long for. I do not need to drink them all year around, just once in a while. That is enough to keep them special. And that is the way I like it.

MyDay - 002

2009-06-14T09:33:00.007+02:00

Well, this is where it all happens.
My studio ... always messy ...
Many hours I have spent in this part of the house.
I love the way the light enters this room.
It is a nice place to be...

MyDay

2009-06-14T00:15:00.005+02:00

MyDay will be a new item on this blog.
On a daily basis an image will be uploaded.

The image has to be made by me and will be connected to something that happened during that specific day.

Peeping into somebodies life is a natural human thing many of us like to do. And not to speak of the people who liked to be peeped at...

Hope you will enjoy.

I do not know where this will lead to ...

You Are What You Eat

2009-06-13T13:30:00.004+02:00

A week ago I started my You Are What You Eat photographic ZenZProject.
The first images of my breakfast, lunch or dinner are online now.

Week 1 and what I ate:
apple, kiwi, eierkoek, cappuccino,
shoarma bread, apple, strawberry jam, cappuccino,
soft tortilla, stracciatella yogurt, kiwi, woodberry jam,
rice, chicken, tomato, cream, red wine, union, bascilicum,
tropical crusli, yogurt,
tropical crusli, mango yoghurt

YART SALE on Etsy

2009-06-10T12:57:00.004+02:00

ART + YARD SALE = YART !

There will be a YART SALE on Etsy.com from June 10 till June 14.
DutchCraftWork is participating as well.
During these 4 days all the Small Sketch & NoteBooks will be available for $ 9.00 instead of the regular $11.50.
So grab you chance and get one of these great notebooks for your holiday activities or use them just around the house.

Treasuries

2009-06-09T20:40:00.007+02:00

My No.13 Small Sketch & NoteBook is in this great treasury by Dinafragola

And... my work is also featured in a Mostly Blue by Blueterracotta and in Simply Natural by Vaisto.
( ...thanks...)

You Are What You Eat...

2009-06-07T12:57:00.008+02:00

I started a new photographic experiment.
It is called You Are What You Eat.
During a period of a year I will photograph my daily breakfast, lunch or dinner.

You are welcome to follow this process on ZenaZ Projects

Gooddodoll - part 2

2009-06-03T15:23:00.011+02:00

It is great!

My first and lovely white Gooddodoll is sold last week and now living her life somewhere on the western coast of Canada. Her continental travel with the Dutch TNT Post only took 4 days from door to door. And I think that is amazing.

One doll sold and I hope many more to follow. As these dolls are all one-of-a-kind I am experimenting with different fabrics, making new pins, combining photography and maybe use ink stamps. It is always a surprise what they eventually will look like as I discover new things while working.

So today I made these new pins as the red and pink colored roses from China are not very strong. Using small gemstones - as lapis lazuli, carnelian, red carnet, chrysoliet - with gold colored beads make lovely pins in different color combinations.

Using these tiny gemstones also add something extra to the doll as every stone has its own characteristics.

In the Middle Ages, lapiz lazuli was thought to keep the limbs healthy, and free the soul from error, envy and fear.

Carnelian's healing properties are thought to help purify the blood, relieve menstrual cramps and back pain. It is also thought to be beneficial in the treatment of infertility and is worn to enhance passion and desire.

The red garnet was popular as a talisman and protective stone, as it was believed to light up the night and protect its bearer from evil and disaster.

Light green chrysoliet is good for the eyes, the brain, takes away anger and envy.

The Gooddodoll and the gemstones go hand in hand. They fit very well together as they are both about positive energy and positive thinking.

New NoteBook called DayNotes

2009-05-29T19:04:00.004+02:00

A tiny, cute notebook called DayNotes was born this week.

Inspired by Twitter, I made up this concept of descibing or sketching the day during a period of 31 days in a row.

The only limitation is the size of the page you can use. As Twitter gives you 140 signs to write your message with, DayNotes has a limitation of page size. The white space to fill is only 2 by 4.5 inch. That is all.

One page a day and after a month your little DayNotes is filled with keywords that made your days.

more info: DutchCraftWork

Gooddodoll

2009-05-16T15:54:00.007+02:00

I am happy!

I finished my Gooddodoll project.
The first doll, made of crème baby ribcord is the result. It was so much fun making her and writing the manual that is part of the Gooddodoll kit.

When I was a child I was already interested in the brain. My father’s profession influenced me and this interest, that gradually grew into a fascination never vanished. I am always curious in how I - as the owner of my own private and personal brain - can manipulate it in a more desired direction.

I meditate, do Hatra yoga but also love the more technological devices to work with. Years ago I bought myself a mindmachine.

As you might or might not know, our brain resonates in specific frequency patterns. These patterns correspond in a certain way with the mood, state of relaxation or stressfulness we are in.

We all love to walk on the beach and watch the sunset, or sit around a campfire and stare into the ever moving flames. Doing this will stimulate the so called alpha waves in our brain. We start feeling peaceful, happy and relaxed. So the mindmachine sort of takes over the role of the sun and the fire and makes it possible to tune your brain with different wave or frequency patterns. Thinking positive thoughts and making use of the positive energy, is another way of tuning the brain.

We live in a competitive world, with high set goals. Our society has a tendency to focus on what we cannot do. We feel as if we have failed, as if we are some sort of loser. This is negative energy and that is never any good.

Negativism leads to nothing. It makes us depressed and takes away the fun and wonder of life itself.

So we have to believe in ourselves a little more and that is where Gooddodoll is about.
Create your own possibilities, be active and become the director of your own life.
Focus on what goes well and you will be amazed …

To be continued with my new project: the Gratitude Journal Kit

Interested in the Gooddodoll?

I love Birds

2009-05-13T09:53:00.009+02:00

I love birds.

When someone would ask me what animal do you want to be I’d say immediately : a bird.
It is not that I do love the bird for being a bird that much, but it is more his ability to fly. This amazing way of moving over the world and watching what is below. Ever saw a bird move his head from left to right while flying...

I wonder, when sitting in my garden and looking up: do these bird know where they are going?
Like us, we take our bike, car or scooter and move ourselves from a to b. But does a birds know beforehand where he is going or is he flying at random. And then I am not talking about a group of migratory birds. No, what I mean is this single individual that is passing over my garden. Sometimes in full speed. Small birds can fly amazingly fast.

With their build-in gps system they are wonderful navigators. Take for instance the mail pigeons. For years I wanted to have one of these birds and make up different flights plans and call the project Traveled Messages. Tie - in an animal loving way - a small, tiny message to his body, drop him off somewhere far from home and wait...
Imagine the sensation of his return. A wild animal, who is free to go wherever he wants, returns home. And home = me.

Some years ago I was also fascinated in becoming a falconer. Hunting with a bird. But Dutch law is very strict and of course they have their reasons. So after reading a lot of information I decided the Netherlands was not the place for falconer training and I let the fascination go…

( Now I have Faverolle chickens instead and pretend…)

My most incredible bird encounter was in Costa Rica. I visited Monteverde Cloud Forest
This is one of the only spots left on earth where the Quetzal is living. This colorful emerald bird used to be a holy bird in Mayan times. Back in the Yucatan ( see other blog posts) the kings loved to dress up with the long and beautiful green feathers. These feathers gave them power.

As many people leave Monteverde without having seen the bird at all, I was tremendously lucky. It was the beginning of May. That means mating season for the Quetzal. Their small bodies filled with hormones, made that the birds had lost a little of their shyness. They - a couple - let us observe them while being busy making a nest in a hollow tree trunk. Later that afternoon we spotted two more. Four quetzals in one day will last a lifetime!

So, for me a bird is something special.
When you look at my No.Small Sketch & NoteBook series you'll find some designs with birds.
I just made 2 more and hope you will like them,

They will be available in my DutchCraftWork shop soon.

Three Treasuries!

2009-05-08T07:57:00.005+02:00

Found my work, the new Illustrated WOODCARDS and the Fisherman's Wife Bag in 3 Treasuries yesterday... and that is great!

They were made by Vilte, Vaisto and Amoronia.

No.07 Small Sketch & NoteBook by DutchCraftWork

2009-05-04T16:44:00.002+02:00

I listed another Small Sketch & Notebook to the Series.
This one is called No.07

Visit my DutchCraftWork shop to see the other designs!

Two New Sketch & Notebooks by DutchCraftWork

2009-05-03T12:09:00.003+02:00

Listed two new Sketch&Notebooks form my No.Series: No.04 and No.09

You can find more info in the DutchCraftWork shop

Say "Hello" to Mr. Frog

2009-05-01T16:37:00.002+02:00

Say ‘Hello’ to Mr. Frog. He lives in my garden pond. He loves to pose for the camera and because of this almost humane characteristic, I believe he might be a fairy prince.

As a child I loved frogs. I used to catch them on our lawn. When the grass grew too long, the frogs loved it there, so this was a splendid hunting place for me. Before the hunting party I spend hours building my so called frog villages, with sand-homes and little ponds for them to play in. Beds covered with fern leaves so they could rest a little. And broken biscuits for when they might get hungry.

At the end of the day I always put them back on the lawn. Freedom again.

When I grew too old for these frog games, I helped my mother moving the big lawn with our lawn mower. This mower had a motor and made a beautiful sound. In my imagination it turned into some sort of special motorcycle. Time flew while playing these games.

Childhood days filled with yellow light, dark shadows and the smell of fresh cut grass.

That is why I love the summer.

Noriel Vilela - Brasil 1968

2009-04-30T00:43:00.005+02:00

Noriel Vilela and his mesmerizing voice.

Tarahumara

2009-04-26T15:20:00.003+02:00

My trip to Mexico was wonderful!

Lovely people, an amazing turquoise ocean, good weather, great trips to Chichen Itza and Rio Secreto and a lot of chilling. Laying on a sun chair on the beach or next to the pool, reading in one of the books I brought with me.

One is called Mexican Snow and is written by the Dutch journalist Karin Anema.
The book has nothing to do with the hunt for drugs but tells about an Indian tribe called the Tarahumara's or Raramuri as they call themselves.
These people live in a very remote area, the Barranca del Cobre which stretches from the Gulf of California to the Mexican town of Chihuahua.

Against the advice of the people she met, Anema searched for the Tarahumara, became friends with the Indian Jose, traveled in full speed through an amazing landscape and lived among these Indians for a while.

A rough life. The Tarahumara live high up in the mountains, in caves or simple constructed sheds. They do not value material possession. One of the only things that matter is their personal blanket, which is carried around wherever they go. They sleep on the floor, rolled up in this blanket, inside or outside their so called homes.

They are masters in sitting in silence, just doing nothing. Looking around and being part of the landscape.
Tarahumara children never cry or ask questions, they just are.
A traditional way of living which has been so for ages.

To break their introvert attitude a little they love to celebrate. Days of drinking is their way of letting lose of the surrounding world and making contact with voices deep within.

They brew their own corn beer called tesguino. Spit and sometimes baby poop is added to speed up the fermentation process. Also herb and plants like the Datura stramonium are added. This last plant will give you hallucinations which enables you to get in contact with the world of the gods and spirits.

Tarahumara are also great runners and on their huarache sandals they have these running competitions through the rough mountains. It crossed my mind that the Aboriginals are also great walkers in a surrounding environment that is not extremely human friendly.

One of todays struggling problems for the Tarahumara is the attraction of money and wealth. Just like in many other countries the young people are leaving the countryside and are moving to the city.
So are the young Tarahumara leaving their mountains for Tijuana or Chihuahua in hope to find work and eventually cross the US border.

Most of them end up living on the streets of these big border towns. Trying to keep themselves alive in all possible ways you can think of.

And there I am. Laying on my beach chair in a tropical resort. Reading about people who do not value luxury at all but trying to hold on to their traditions. To keep connected with the world they know best. A landscape of rocks, trees and rivers. Their mountains.

More about the Mayan another time...

DutchCraftWork

2009-04-17T11:52:00.002+02:00

My new shop opened today and is called DutchCraftWork.

Main materials used are Wood, Fabric and Paper.
Everything at DutchCraftWork is original and handmade.

What can you buy at DutchCraftWork?
The MemoWood, a must have for every desk.
Bags, all unique and one of a kind.
Artistbooks will follow soon just like my handmade notebooks.

And the Goodoo Doll by DutchCraftWork is soon for sale!

Still in the process of preparing the shop ... so please visit again.

2009-03-30T13:14:00.005+02:00

Travel Gear

Yesterday I started getting my things together for my trip to Yucatan, Mexico later this week.

As traveling is always a combination of working and not-working I walk around with a backpack filled with gear. Carrying several kilo's on my back so where-ever I go, my backpack follows.

To give you an impression what I carry around, I made a list:

First of all there is my camera, a Canon D5 with Canon EF 24-105 mm f/4 L IS USM lens. this combination is no light-weight!
To be in charge of the light I have a Canon Speedlite 580 EXII external flashlight and the Promax System of LumiQuest for better lighting.

I use several SanDisk memory cards and an external X-Drive hard disk to empty the cards when full.

For the sound recordings I use a Sony Hi-MD Walkman MZ-RH910 with mini disks. I have two microphones. The first one is a binaural one for wonderful recordings and I can wear it on my head. The other one is the Electro Voice 635A which is used hand held.
There is also the Olympus DS-40 digital voice recorder with a stereo mic.

The Snap Sight Camera on the photograph is just for fun and I hope to use it while swimming and snorkeling in one of the many cenotes in Yucatan. It is not a digital camera and uses old fashioned high sensitive films.

Besides all this I carry pen and paper, property and model release forms just in case, extra batteries, a flashlight and depending on the activities a tripod.

Last but not least, my sun hat to protect form sun and rain. And not to forget mosquito repellent and some sun lotion.

All together it is quite some weight, but well... that is all in the game!

- to be continued -

Going to Yucatan

2009-03-21T21:12:00.005+01:00

So … plans have changed a little since last Saturday.
Instead of going to Curacao I am flying to Mexico and will be spending a week in the leisure world of Playa Del Carmen.

I like to be lazy, hang around in this tropical setting that is so much different from my everyday Dutch surrounding world.

But I also like to work. Shoot new photo work in the Yucatan lowland jungle, make recordings of what the world sounds like over there and work on my ‘all over the world and never ending cemetery photo project’.

It is not my first trip to Yucatan. Sixteen years ago I visited the Coba ruins and was impressed by the leftovers of this once so powerful Mayan empire. After climbing the steep stairs of the Nohoch Mul pyramid I had this wonderful view. A roof of trees was covering everything and I tried to imagine how different the view must have been in the past. Most parts of Coba are still hidden under the soil and will probably never see the daylight as the excavations are too expensive to continue.

So besides visiting another Mayan ruin, taking photographs, making sound recordings and searching for cemeteries I would love to swim and snorkel in one of the many cenotes you can find in Yucatan. There is something special with this part of Mexico as all waterways are underground. The cenote is part of this underground water system and actually it is a sinkhole. Used by the Mayan people to perform special religious ceremonies, the cool water in the cenote was also used for drinking water and for watering the crops on the fields.

Before I go, I might watch Mel Gibsons Apocaliptico another time. A cruel and violent movie about the people who used to live in these Mayan cities. A time when the life of a human being had different values and the many gods had to be pleased with offerings of fresh cut human hearts.
The steep stairs of the Nohoch Mul in Coba have witnessed these ceremonies and while climbing them, I imagined what these bloody stairs must have looked and smelled like. I could almost hear the watching crowd yell and scream.

So this trip is not only about relaxing on a tropical beach. It is also about trying to look behind the façade of this dull lowland jungle landscape and connect the leftovers of a fascinating past with today’s world.

Curacao, Leith O'Malley, Thomas Barbey, Sunbathing

2009-03-15T12:10:00.006+01:00

It is rainy, cloudy and cold outside and I'd love to go to Curacao for a week.

The island has put some weird kind of spell on me. I do not know what it is, but I keep coming back to this dry, hot rock in the middle of the Caribbean Sea.

As my mind keeps wandering around I search for payable possibilities on the internet. KLM has some nice offers during the recession Spring.
And surfing on the internet can sometimes be a wonderful thing. Also this time…From Leith O’Malley on Twitter I discover Thomas Barbey’s Sunbathing.

With this image –black and white photography– it is not difficult to make a mind travel and while my body is still sitting on the chair behind my desk, my mind has moved elsewhere.
A combination Barbey and the Caribbean.

It is going to be a great Sunday afternoon!

I bought myself a Hand Drum

2009-03-12T11:28:00.001+01:00

Drumming is beneficial, it is good for your health, gives energy, burns calories, develops your two brain hemispheres, connects you with old rhythms and much more…

So I bought myself a 10 inch Remo hand drum. And it is amazing how many different sounds the drum can make. It varies from loud and dark to light and high pitched. It is a wonderful instrument and my drum definitely has a soul and a voice.

While looking for something that had nothing to do with drumming, I bumped into the names of Glen Velez and Layne Redmond by coincidence.

I found their music videos on YouTube and one thing led to another.

The web is filled with information about the hand drum. Written down rhythms from all continents, instructional video’s … it is all there.

The drum is laying on my desk, so I can grab it whenever I want and need a little inspirational break from making graphic designs on my computer.

I play every day, have discovered the different sound spots on the drum, practice the sometimes complex rhythms and try to speed them up. Or I play along with a CD… it is so much fun to do.

Buy yourself a hand drum and you have a friend for life!

Curse of the Black Gold - Ed Kashi

2009-03-09T11:25:00.002+01:00

A few days ago I received this amazing photograph made by Ed Kashi.

From March 7 till April 27 his photographs are shown in Noorderlich Fotogalerie in Groningen, the Netherlands.

This photo documentary tells about 50 years of oil in the Niger Delta.

More information

BlueImageDesign by ZenZPrint

2009-03-08T17:39:00.005+01:00

BlueImageDesign by ZenZPrint is the place for digital image sheets.
Good quality, original designs and just a little different...

Use the sheets for your own art and craftwork. You may resell your work.

Easy to download, 300 dpi PDF files, free shipping & delivery within 24 hours worldwide.

LaPomme, AthenaPetra and Kreativlink

2008-11-17T09:53:00.006+01:00

Grasses, Suede Journal: Kreativlink

Moon and Tree: AthenaPetra

Rosenda, a pocket fairytale. greeting card: LaPomme

Hat, Collar and Doll

2008-11-11T17:13:00.011+01:00

Tinytoadstool Label : funny hats from Japan

Ellita: mohair and chenille collar from New York

Ravenhill's Thora Matryoshka: art dolls from Norway

Stay Visible

2008-11-06T10:05:00.004+01:00

Stay visible while riding your bike in the dark!
MonkeyLectric offers a fantastic and revolutionary bike light.

And as the Netherlands is a real bicycle country, this could become a wonderful & colorful winter...

Lauri Anderson

2008-11-03T15:05:00.004+01:00

Lauri Anderson: Only an Expert / Maybe if I Fall

Last friday, October 31/2008, Lauri Anderson was in Groningen for her HomeLand tour and a performance with the NNO ( Orchestra of the North Netherlands).

It was a wonderful and fantastic experience!

New Dutch ZenaZero Webshop

2008-10-29T12:29:00.002+01:00

Besides my ZenZPrint webshop I also have a Dutch shop online now where you can buy my work.

Besides my fine art photography prints, note cards and gift tags I will offer other works of art in this Dutch shop.
Artistbooks, artistboxes and limited book editions will be added soon!

A New Life - a photo essay in JPG magazine

2008-10-20T23:40:00.004+02:00

Belleruche

2008-10-18T00:15:00.002+02:00

Belleruche is a London based band.
Kathrin deBoer (vocals), Ricky Fabulous (guitar) and DJ Modest (decks).

Belleruche describe their sound as handmade hip hop blues soul, like Sarah Vaughan, Charlie Christian and Cut Chemist stuck in a dusty, second hand record store with wine and a sampler, Belleruche make turntable soul music.
Their sound is pure soulful jazz with scratches a-plenty. Their influences vary from the likes of DJ Vadim to Nina Simone to Hendrix, which results in a beautifully soulful, melodic and energetic album with a sensational voice you can’t quite pin down and hooks you can’t forget.

My Desk - the place where it all happens.

2008-10-16T14:29:00.003+02:00

This is my desk. The place where it all happens.

I already spent a lot of hours sitting on this chair and many more will follow.

My desk is only part of my workspace but I see it as some sort of headquarters. From here I have a connection to the world, to my three printers, to my files and computer programs.

Here, is where the thinking takes place.
My desk is the spot where idea’s become materialized.

Where thoughts become things...

Route AB - photography

2008-10-16T11:59:00.007+02:00

Another photograph I recently added to my ZenZPrint shop is called Route AB.

Route AB is a sequence of lightimpressions made on Monday November 17th 2003 while driving my car from A to B.
Time: 18:07 - 18:59 pm

There is also the Route AB Box. This box contains a photo - and textbook with info about this project.

View all the images

MysticLand - Monument Valley

2008-10-16T11:51:00.003+02:00

A photograph recently added to my ZenZPrint store is called MysticLand, Monument Valley, Arizona, USA.

This area belongs to the Navaho Indians and is part of the reservation they live in. In Monument Valley there are living at the moment 200 Dineh as they call themselves. There is no electricity and no running water. The Navaho call their land Dinehtah.

Living on Holy Grounds is a photo series taken in the same area.

Wall sculptures

2008-10-16T11:00:00.003+02:00

Counting Sheep, Bugs in my Belly, Misanthrope Monarch and Mother Nature are some titles of the wonderful, strange and fantastic illuminating wall sculptures made by ToodlePip Studios.

Looking back at the art I made when I was a little girl, it is very clear to me that I haven’t changed a bit. I am that same happy, free spirit making art out of objects, putting lots of color into my work, and collecting and building things. I try to view the world with as much wonder and amazement as I did when I was a child. Life is short - be open-minded, stay genuine and nurture that child within!

ToodlePip Studios

Leah Giberson - Suburban and urban landscapes

2008-10-08T14:02:00.006+02:00

Leah Giberson (USA) is a freelance interactive designer who started to sell her work on Etsy.com in March (2008).

In my current mixed-media work, I search for personal meaning in the most ordinary of surroundings.I start by photographing suburban and urban landscapes and then use these digital printouts to begin my mixed-media collages. I work back into the prints with paint and sometimes embroidery thread to alter the setting and distill the essential elements of each image.

The lines between the "fact" of the photographic image and the "fiction" of the paint are blurred at times, but not denied. I am not trying to hide the process, but rather, I am investigating where fact and fiction meet and how they influence and inform one another, creating a new and arguably truer story.

More info: http://www.leahgiberson.com/
Her Etsy shop

Marrigje de Maar - Take a Dream for a Walk

2008-10-05T16:40:00.005+02:00

Wonderful fine art photography by Marrigje de Maar, a Dutch photographer who loves to travel through rural areas like Karelia in Finland and different parts of China.

With a translated letter to introduce her by the local villagers, de Maar literally knocks on the front door and asks the house owner for permission to photograph the interior of his home.

After three years of traveling she now has an admirable collections of photographs.

In 2009 there will be a solo exhibition of her work in Amsterdam.

On her website you can visit the places she has been to like Finland, China, Russia, Japan and the Netherlands

Go to her website Takeadreamforawalk

Melting Away

2008-09-20T16:12:00.000+02:00

In 1999 photographer Camille Seaman traveled for the first time to Alaska. On a later trip she discovered the island of Svalbard in the arctic north of Norway. And she got fascinated by the landscape of this part of the world.

In her project Melting Away Seaman is looking for the individuality of the icebergs. Wonderful photography! You can see the images at her website.

F-Stop Magazine

2008-09-18T11:28:00.001+02:00

F-Stop is an online magazine about contemporary photography. You can subscribe and receive the new issue bi-monthly.

They also offer the possibility to participate and submit your work.

The featured artist this time is Regan Avery with a series of 12 images about seascapes and mirrors.

The coastline impacts a feeling of being at the edge of the known world, a sense of being able to go no further. To transcend these limitations is to go beyond the natural world and into a spiritual one. I hope to engage the viewer to imagine and appreciate, with eyes wide open, the evanescence of life. (RA)

Avery's photographs