Marijke van Oostrum is a visual artist from Amsterdam. She makes the most amazing sewn woodland sketches. I first saw her work at Zomer Expo (Summer Exhibition) in GemeenteMuseum The Hague last year. This year was her third(!) year in this exhibition. I asked Marijke if she wanted share a little more about her work process:

Take a step back and see a beautiful game of light and shadow unfold.

“I walk my dogs twice a day in the Amsterdam Forest (‘Amsterdamse bos’) and take photos. I make my sewn woodland sketches from those images.”

“In my studio in Amsterdam I have a wall filled with old patches of fabric, which I stitch together with my sewing machine.”

Marijke in her studio

“My work is small: the size is approximately 30 x 24 cm, but by using various layers of fabric and yarn it becomes quite sturdy. Through those different layers I try to attain depth in my work.”

“The branches weave their own pattern.
The sun makes it magical and everything is changed but a moment later.
I don’t have to travel far, everything is right here.
A little piece of woodland that catches my eye is what I’m trying to retain.
With sewing machine lines and patches of fabric.”
(translated from Dutch)

Find more beautiful work on her website: marijkevanoostrum.nl.
All images: © Marijke van Oostrum