De Schildertuin – about the project

“De Schildertuin – research with and about Dutch nature” is a project I started in february 2025.

I am creating ‘De Schildertuin (The Paint Garden’), featuring (organic) dye plants and organic flax, to deepen my research into pigments and painting materials. In this project, I aim to cultivate nearly all the materials I use in my creative process myself, so I can be sure of their origins, that they are grown sustainably, and that they are part of a biodiverse system where birds, hares, deer, bees, and worms are all welcome.

After all, the vast majority of the materials I use can be derived from plants and the earth—and can be returned to nature again. I want to expand my knowledge of plants as materials. Plants are already a circular system in themselves, and with the right knowledge, I hope to ensure that my work (largely) fits within that same system; that it is always an option to return much of my work to nature. For example, flax remains biodegradable even after being processed into linen canvas, and I use natural and safe substances like citric acid to create different shades of plant-based pigments.

I am establishing this garden in a place that always inspires a creative urge—the garden at my parents-in-law’s home, which includes an orchard with sheep, a young food forest, “het notenbos” (/the nut forest), and “het sprookjesbos” (/the fairytale forest); a rewilded high-stem orchard. Alongside material research, I will also conduct a visual investigation, with and about this garden. It is a visual exploration of Dutch nature.

De Verftuin will include:
– Flax (Linum usitatissimum)
– Woad (Isatis tinctoria)
– Dahlia (Dahlia)
– Poppy (Papaver rhoeas)
– Lady’s Bedstraw (Galium verum)
– Hollyhock (Alcea rosea nigra)
– Goldenrod (Solidago virgaurea)
– Sage (Salvia patens)
– Red cabbage (Brassica oleracea convar)
– Onion (Allium cepa)
– Hibiscus (Hibiscus syriacus)