THE BIG CHANGE

The start of 2015 is the start of something new and I jumped in with both feet without looking.
This first blog I will use to introduce myself, what I do and why.

I grew up in a family of artists. My father is a glass artist, and together with my mother they run a successful studio. So after I finished my studies as a scenographer it was the natural course of life I started to use glass as my material.
In the fall of 2013 I was doing pretty good as a independent glass artist. I had my own studio at my house, so I could combine my work with being a mum and wife. I walked with my dog every day, fed the chickens, worked and every month or so we packed the van with big heavy pieces of art, and go somewhere to exhibit.
October the 14th we were packed to go to Strasbourg for the international glass biennial.

The barrage Vauban in Strasbourg as exhibition space

The exhibited work 'Aurora'. Made in cooperation with Royal Leerdam Chrystal

The day before that, I went to gym and for a swim afterwards. Unfortunately I slipped and fell on my hand. That  night I was bothered with so much pain in my right wrist I couldn't ignore it, and we went to hospital. There they took pictures but couldn't find anything, then put a cast around it anyway and send me home. I thought I got away easy. The pain was pretty bad though and in the back of my mind I knew this wasn't good at all. We put up the exhibition, with lots of help from my husband and my son.  That was the beginning of a whole year in and out of hospitals, they took scans, MRI's, and still couldn't find what was wrong. In April I had surgery and started to recover. All that time I couldn't work, I had no use of my right hand. Basically, my whole life had stopped. Couldn't play saxophone, couldn't walk my dog or drive my car, couldn't go to the gym for workout, or swim. I was feeling really bad.

So, I entertained myself with watching old movies, listen to music and because I can not sit still, I found a way to use my sewing machine with my left hand, cut fabrics and draw patterns. When it was really bad, like when I was in a cast for the second time after surgery, I watched DVD's with instructional video's about tailoring and read books about vintage fashion and techniques. I spend my days and learned, and enjoyed it. Then it started to grow on me. After all, I studied costume design, it is not a really big step towards vintage clothing. The strength in my hand wasn't going to come back easily, if ever, and I don't want to spend the rest of my life mourning about what could have been. So I made a decision. I had to change my profession, out with the glass kiln, and in with the sewing machine! Not something that is easily done, but it was now or never. I am still young enough to do this, so better take the chance when misfortune forces you to do so. Was it a misfortune? Or an event that helped me to be bold enough to take the step? I think the latter..

So my studio had to be transformed, and cleaned. A big spring clean followed. Out with the old, throw away old stuff and old thoughts. Clean my studio and my head. Away with all the spiderwebs!

I am very proud to present to the world: My little peace of heaven on earth, my studio:

There it is.. My big change.
It's a new dawn
It's a new day
It's a new life for me
And I'm feelin' good