- A Day in the Life -
Marijke Buurlage of Marijke Illustrations
Marijke Buurlage is a talented illustrator from the Netherlands. When I discovered her shop, I spent over an hour sorting through her eye-catching, versatile designs, trying to narrow my order down to a select few! Her brilliant color combinations can be either sophisticated or playful depending on the subject matter. Marijke has an impressive history of professional illustration work including working with one of my favorite children’s brands, Mudpuppy. I think you will find Marijke to be as gifted as I do! Her designs are sold as postcards without envelopes.
WHERE I LIVE ternaard, the netherlands
Ternaard is a very small city near the northern tip of the Netherlands. With a population of approximately 1,400 people, it is a quiet town with a supermarket, butcher, schools, sports clubs, a health center and retirement center. A late gothic church, Grote Kerk (“great church”) dating from the 1500s remains an architectural centerpiece and national monument in the town.
Due to the abundance of local clay, the town streets are made with brick and are lined with picturesque brick houses. The town is lined with dairy farms and sits a few miles away from the North Sea.
in marijke's words...
MORNING
A typical workday for me always starts with a big cup of tea and overnight oats to wake up slowly and to get ready for the day. My studio is about 11 km (7 miles) away from home, so within about 30 minutes I arrive on my bike at my work place. My studio is in an old school building, in the former chemistry classroom. It’s a very cosy space with great light through all the big windows, and I really enjoy working there. When I arrive in my studio I make another cup of tea and start packing Etsy orders first. I always love to make sure orders are packed before I start illustrating because it’s an easy task and it always feels great to be able to check off something from my to do list early on. It’s motivating!
MIDDAY
After packing up orders and maybe answering some emails I start working on my current project. I mostly work on (children’s) books and games and packaging designs. At the moment I am working on 3 fun children’s projects that involve topography and birthdays. So much fun!
For lunch I always like to walk to the local supermarket and get some fruits and veggies. I love to take small breaks often and go outside for a walk, even if it’s just 15 minutes. It always clears my mind and makes sure I can continue working with loads of energy and motivation. Sometimes I work on personal projects in between commissions: it’s super relaxing and always fun to illustrate new items for my Etsy shop!
SHOP MARIJKE ILLUSTRATIONS
EVENING
I usually end my day at 5, cycling home and eating dinner with my family. We have 2 lovely daughters (2 and 5 years old). The eldest is a big fan of drawing and painting as well. She loves to sometimes come along to the studio and work on her own creative projects beside me. I am definitely not a night person, so I go to bed very early – around 9 o’clock. That way I am feeling fresh in the morning when another working day starts!