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The art of motherhood with Cathelijne Biskop

The art of motherhood with Cathelijne Biskop

Cathelijne Biskop is the creative force behind Cate Adriana. She lives in Breda in the Netherlands with her boyfriend Jurgen and their son Fedja James who is almost 1-year old. She divides her time between parenting and working as an artist and freelance illustrator.

What does your average day look like?

It is nice to have a specific rhythm with your baby, but at the same time, we try to be flexible and go with the flow. Jurgen always leaves early for work and Fedja & I start the day around 7:30 am. After our breakfast, Fedja will play a bit, so I have to time to get dressed and then from late morning until midday he will have a nap. On the days I don’t spend in my atelier, we will see what the day brings and most of the time we will go out in the afternoon and he will have another nap. Jurgen will arrive home again in the early evening, and we will have dinner together. Fedja will go to be around 7 pm, then we can spend some quality time together. On the days when I am working in my atelier, Fedja spends the day with his grandmother or one of his aunts.

The art of motherhood | Blog

How do you balance family life and your art? Is it hard to find the time to be creative?

To be honest this is going very well. I am always planning my own days in the atelier and because my boyfriend finishes his work early, we are flexible. My creative mind is always on, that has always been the case but there are definitely days when I think ‘this doesn’t work’. Through motherhood, I’ve learnt to take everything in small doses and to look for what is really important and needed. This helps me find peace in my head and I feel blessed to do it this way for my son.

How would you describe the style of your work?

The organic lines are the types of lines found in nature. They are irregular, curved, and often fluid. They convey a sense of gracefulness, beauty, dynamism, and mystery. I want to show the strength of the female body and mother nature. And I’d like to leave something to the imagination.

The art of motherhood | Blog

What has been the highlight of your career so far?

My highlight is not so much a publication or a special exhibition, it’s more the fact that I can do this full time and I can plan my own time. Besides this, my collaboration with The Souks was something I’ll never forget. Together with Emma Peijnenburg I designed a special handmade pillow/blanket collection for the Amsterdam-based label. The journey to Morocco with the three of us was magical. I am also very excited for my upcoming exhibition at the Hoxton Hotel later this year.

Were you creative when you were growing up?

Yes, I have always been the creative kid…. drawing, painting, making collages, pottery etc.

Is Fedja currently showing any signs of inheriting your creative genes?

At the moment, he is too young to express this. He did make a couple of ‘drawings’ with pencil and one with paint. He likes it and his work is very abstract.

The art of motherhood | Blog

How are you passing on your passion for art to Fedja?

I hope he will look to the world with an open mind, with respect for mother nature. We will definitely visit museums together, but I will never push him to ‘like’ something. It would be fantastic to work together with paint in my atelier when he is a bit older.

The art of motherhood | Blog

You and Fedja recently took part in a photo shoot for the Bugaboo Fox Classic, how was the experience?

It was a beautiful day with a great team! To be able to do this with him was super nice and it’s a great memory for later.