Wish you White Beaches with Blue Skies Collage

Yasmine Enneking Studies: Commercial Art, London Working experience: Launch of interior magazine ‘Residence’ in the Netherlands. Painting is my passion From paintings for nurseries to designing logo’s and prints for clothing/textiles. Or special assignments such as the designing/painting of baby birth announcements. Throughout my life I have always been a collector. I keep everything. It can be a shell given to me by someone on a beach, a stone, or a handwritten note on a little piece of paper or card. I have saved items ever since I was a little girl. Everything around me can inspire me. Wherever I go or whatever I encounter there is always something that can fascinate me to create a new painting. Sometimes I dream about it. I write my visions in my small notebook which I keep beside my bed. I also carry a notebook in my handbag. Inspiration can come from everywhere a song, memory, street bazaar, display window or foreign country. Symbolism All my life I have been fascinated with the past and present, the old and the now, combined and layered with symbols, cultures, faith and superstitions. The merging of the old with new impulses.The simplicity of a manuscript, every letter so personal and beautiful, is a character on its own- which keeps on fascinating me.I believe in life after death. I believe in signs given by the ‘other side’. Indians believe a beloved one who died can emerge to you as a butterfly. I believe this as well. Watch the butterfly. A lovely, wonderfully symbolic creature, extraordinary if you look at its shape and bright shiny colours and at the same time so vulnerable. Fish live in a world unknown beneath us. Equally as special because they represent happiness. I also believe in angels, Guardian angels and I am convinced they watch over us. This is the way in which I embrace and love the symbolism and the mystery in every thing. You can see it reflected in my work. “Postcards from heaven” My series ‘Postcards from heaven’ brings all this together. You can loose yourself in a memory, which I did while painting ‘Lente me’, inspired by the song from Toon Hermans. Every painting in this series is a ‘card’ complete with a picture, postage stamps, words and sender. You can gaze at it forever and as does every painting – it carries its own story. Hearts Look at my series of hearts. Hearts are very special and important to me. It is our most beautiful possession and we cannot live without.