Portrait of an Artist

Friday, July 3rd 2015. Location: Scheveningen Beach. What began as two colleagues winding down after a long work week, ended as two partners in crime with solid, creative plans that would change everything. While watching the sun set  – and a lot of drinks – the first plans and sketches were made for topfloorpics.com and ingridvanosch.nl. A year later I went to the New York Film Academy to study photography and launched topfloorpics.com. Ingrid took it a step further and quit her job to study graphic storytelling at the Sint Lukas academy in Brussels. 

Jill-of-all-trades

In the beginning Ingrid helped me navigate the search of the right name for my blog. She vetoed early ideas like ‘A few good pix’, ’The Floor is yours’ and ‘Floorboard’ (thanks for saving us from that one 😉 and encouraged me to keep going when inspiration did not seem to hit. Eventually she designed the Top Floor Pics logo by integrating the New York skyline with landmarks from my hometown Den Haag. When Ingrid applied to the St. Lukas academy she asked me to help her select the 10 images for her portfolio. It hit me right there: my friend is not only very creative, but also a master of different styles. From more dark and abstract work, she also makes colorful illustrations and paintings with clean lines  that could easily work in a magazine or advertising campaign. Already a versatile artist, I was eager to see what she would do with more training. You can understand that I was happy to repay the favor and shoot the pictures for ingridvanosch.nl. 

How to make a drypoint print

I’ve always been fascinated by artists at work. Whether it’s a dancer learning the steps to a new choreography in an empty studio. Or a musician composing a song with just a guitar or piano. And in this case, the graphic artist working in an industrial atelier with sturdy machinery and materials. Surrounded by large working tables, easels, endless supplies and creative work from other artists in different stages of completion. I got to witness the entire creative process of making a drypoint print. Beginning with scratching an image on a zinc plate to the final print. I made a short video by photographing and filming Ingrid while showing her craft. 

Portrait of an artist

A stately museum provided an interesting backdrop for a series of portraits. With it’s stately halls and smaller, dated galleries Ingrid spent hours sketching while I was drifting around looking for different set-ups to portray her. Although my main focus was to capture Ingrid as an artist, we are also very good friends. And friends goof around. As a photographers dream, Ingrid is always open to try out any number of weird set ups, even if it means that she needs to hang upside down.

Ingrid, I think this is the beginning (and middle) of a beautiful friendship 😉