Hi First name / dear reader! This past month, I’ve barely left the house because I was completely absorbed in creating new artwork. Picture me: slightly feral, hair resembling a bird’s nest, emitting the occasional disgruntled growl. But don’t worry—I’ve still been brushing my teeth, so there’s at least a shred of civilisation left in me.

 

It’s not just my studio that looks like a paint bomb has exploded—now the living room has succumbed too. There are paint pots, tubes, brushes, giant sheets of paper, bits of wood waiting to be painted, and enormous canvases scattered everywhere.

 

Here’s how that happened: a few weeks ago, Marie-Louise from the Graphic Atelier in Den Bosch asked if I wanted to do a solo exhibition.

Yes, please! Who would say no to that?

 

Just one tiny problem… I didn’t actually have any work for an exhibition. 

Sure, I’ve got plenty of commissioned illustrations, but they’re not exactly gallery material.

 

As for personal work (art that isn’t created on commission), I’d barely made any over the past year and a half. Between full-time illustrating, I simply hadn’t had the energy to create anything just for myself. So, I had to get a move on.

I can juggle multiple illustration commissions just fine, but creating personal work? That’s a whole different ball game. I need a certain level of mental calm for that. If I’m balancing commissions at the same time, it just doesn’t work—those two creative tracks run in completely different lanes in my brain.

With an illustration commission, I take on a service role. My job is to translate someone else’s message into visuals (and sometimes text), always keeping the audience in mind.

Personal work, on the other hand, comes from me. It’s the story I want to tell. I always consider the audience, but there’s no client to please, no brief to follow. That gives me the freedom to create in a totally different way.

 

Since it had been so long since I’d made anything just for myself, I first had to get back into the right mindset—ease the old engine back into gear.

So, in January and February, I worked like mad to get ahead on all my illustration and writing projects, clearing the entire month of March to focus solely on creating new work for the exhibition.

This past month, I started my days immersing myself in the thinking process. Reading, scribbling down ideas, writing long, winding streams of words—trying to get to the heart of something. I found that tricky. I had to accept that thinking is part of creating and that you can’t always expect something to appear on paper or canvas straight away.

 

Illustration work is different. I read a brief, brainstorm and by the end of the day, I have sketches on paper. Even when I write (like my weekly comic Lotta) I steer my thoughts in a set direction and come up with an idea that same day.

 

But no, personal art doesn’t work like that.

It demands to simmer.

It wants to skip around ideas and waltz with possibilities.

 

I’d made nothing for myself in over a year and suddenly, I’ve created ten new artworks in just one month! Turns out, I can make personal work under pressure. Now, I want to see if I can do it without a looming deadline.

More time to simmer, skip, and waltz—because, honestly, I quite enjoyed that.

 

Thankfully, the chaos in my house is nearly under control.

In two weeks, my first solo exhibition in a decade opens. The new pieces will be on display in Den Bosch (Netherlands) for six weeks, ready for anyone who fancies a look.

After the opening (12 April) the new works will be available to buy on my website.

I’d love to invite you to the opening of my solo exhibition in Den Bosch on Saturday, 12 April, at 4:00 PM.

The exhibition will be right by the entrance of the building (Spiegelzaal).

Entry is free, open to all and there’s no need to RSVP. More info →

 

ARTIST TALK
On Saturday, 19 April, at 3:00 PM, I’ll be giving an Artist Talk about the works I’ve created. Led by the Grafisch Atelier, there will be plenty of time for questions and conversation. Afterwards, you’re welcome to stay for a chat over coffee and tea. For this event, you do need to sign up in advance.

 

I could have kicked myself! One of my favourite artists, Andrew Cranston, had a big exhibition in Yorkshire—just an hour’s drive from where I’d been staying for a month and a half. But I only realised after I’d landed back in the Netherlands.

 

Cranston inspires me endlessly with his thick, textured oil paint strokes on canvas and old book covers (a shared love: we both paint on book covers).

Just look at the painting above: a few carefully placed brushstrokes, colours chosen with precision, not a single unnecessary line.

 

His work fascinates me because he can create an atmosphere with just a few marks. The undefined parts invite me to project my own thoughts and meanings onto them. I admire (hyper)realistic paintings for their skill, but I often find them boring: they leave no room for interpretation, no space for my own imagination to roam. And if I’m not being challenged to think, I lose interest.

 

Cranston’s paintings have this brooding quality, as if a storm is brewing, yet at the same time, they feel familiar. There’s a tension within the calm he captures.

He spent years working as a builder before he started sketching on holiday, simply because he didn’t have a camera. At 47, he had his big break as a painter.

I love stories like this—people who’ve lived entire lives before finding their way to art. It reassures me: there’s a time for everything.

Happy Eyeballs is a new addition to my newsletter. I’d like to hear what you think!

1) ADOLESCENCE I mentioned this British drama series several times on Instagram already, and for good reason. Best series of 2025, and I'm not sure anything will top it. It tackles the dangers of toxic masculinity in boys. Oh, and it was filmed in one continuous shot. Absolutely masterful!

 

2) Why people are unhappy According to psychologist Erich Fromm in 1977, and how it’s still relevant in today’s world of extreme technology.

 

3) Billie Eilish ABOUT writer's block Maybe writer’s block just means you need to create something bad first. Or take a bath. (I don’t have a bath, but I reckon a shower counts.)

 

4) bit-sized LITERATUre If chunky novels overwhelm you but you love beautiful writing and great storytelling, try Faber Stories. Slim little books with short stories from brilliant writers. My picks: Sally Rooney and Claire Keegan.

12 April–25 May Exhibition Hardop leven | Den Bosch (NL) | Info →
19 April Artist Talk Hardop leven | Den Bosch (NL) | Info →
22 June Talk at Bunte Hunte | Hamburg (DE) | Info →
11–15 August Art retreat | Wales (UK) | Info →

Thanks for reading! Feel free to let me know your thoughts or share tips.

My name is Marloes De Vries, and I work as a writer and visual artist.

I also make art, which I sell in my shop.

Want to know more? Feel free to take a look at my website.

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