October 2025
Hello, my dear friend,
We’ve moved to a new house, and many of our things are still in chaos, but we’re slowly putting things right. We’ve prepared the garden for next year, stealing away a few square meters from the huge lawn to grow vegetables—and many more for bee- and butterfly-friendly flowers. The dog had his first encounter with a fox that lives at the back of the garden.
Throughout all the busyness and change, I’ve drawn in my small sketchbook every day. This month, I’ve started my fourth one! I also want to finally show you the pattern with birds in berets, and another one with magpies.
Patterns
The colors are candy-crazy, but it does have its charm! Here’s a picture of my working document when I was almost finished. I started off with reference pictures of sparrows and a more realistic style, but I drifted away from that quite a bit.
You can find this pattern on Spoonflower, Redbubble and as a wallpaper just for you, if you’re subscribed to receive my newsletter by email.
The second pattern I want to show you also depicts birds, but the color palette is quite different. I must say I like them both—it really depends on the mood I’m in. At the moment, I’m leaning more toward muted, neutral colors.
Here’s a picture of my document setup:
I ended up using less colors than I had planned, which is mostly a good idea! You can also find this pattern on Spoonflower and Redbubble.
Sketchbook
My most frequently drawn subjects seem to be my dog, my daughter, and myself—approximately in that order.
Other news
On the 22nd of November, I’ll be taking part in the artisan market organized by Het Lindegroen in Buizingen. I’ll bring some of my cards, notebooks, and brooches made by my mum. Drop by to say hi!
That’s it for now — see you next month,
Ema
Find all my patterns and illustrations below:
As an illustrator and pattern designer, I believe in the power of imagery to bring joy.
My work centers on hand-painted repeating patterns, inspired by the fantasy and magical realism stories I love to read.
I work in both traditional and digital mediums.
Long walks with my little dog are one of my favorite pastimes.
If you're interested in collaborating on a project, feel free to reach out and ask about my availability.
