Een initiatief van Judith Spijk & Annet van den Oord

What’s your name?

Kateryna Tymofiienko

Where do you live? And with how do you share your home?

I live in the east of Amsterdam with my husband and my cat.

Are you still making Urban Sketches?

I am still sketching outside, but mostly nature. I don’t sketch in the city, only views from my windows.

Or not? Or something else?

I sketch a lot of subjects at home. Also every weekend I go cycling with my husband outside the city. I make a lot of sketches during our trips. Actually, I even can say that there is a positive change for me because of the quarantine: before the quarantine, I was afraid of cycling because of the busy traffic in Amsterdam. But now since we are not using public transport, bicycles are the only way to get out of the crowded city. So I learned to cycle better I now I can’t imagine my life in the Netherlands without a bicycle. My favourite location for sketching and walking these days is the beautiful park Zuid-Kennemerland.

Do you take part in #uskthuis #USkAtHome #VirtualSketch?

I do make sketches at home, but I don’t draw from photos. For me, the most important part of drawing from life is a chance to catch the atmosphere, to feel the wind, the smell of flowers, to capture the colours of sunset and to show all of that in my painting.

Some of us find new challenges, or maybe a subject you never drew before?

Oh yes, I found a lot of new inspiration inside my apartment. I couldn’t even think of drawing my shoes or my lunch before:) But now I see, that you can find beauty basically in everything around if you try to look at things carefully.

Do you want to share a Photo with us?

Sure!

My view from the window and some fruits from the supermarket.
I love drawing trees against the background of the blue sky. This sketch was made in Zuid-Kennemerland.
Colourful peppers were waiting in the fridge to be painted. It was forbidden to eat them before I sketch them:)
We cycled 30 km to get to the sea. It was a great challenge for me, but totally worth it. The sea is amazing!
My green shoes.
I was cooking and sketching borsch – national Ukrainian dish (I am originally from Ukraine).
Quiet place near the river.
The lighthouse in Marken.
My lovely cat:)
Windmill at sunset.

Do you have any tips and tricks?

Look around carefully, don’t rush, and you would be able to see the beauty in simple things. I think inspiration is not something that artist can find only in faraway places, we can find inspiration inside ourselves. Sketching can be a way to meditate and relax, a distraction from the problems in these difficult times.

Thank you, Kateryna!