A Sense of Things: Netherlands /Guidebook
A reminder of key details
Workshop dates/ Mon 8 - Fri 12 June 2026, 10am - 5pm
Location / IJsseldijk 270, 2922 BL Krimpen aan den IJssel
Website / A Sense of Things / Netherlands
Workshop programme
The following is a workshop outline, subject to change depending on weather, creative conditions, work flow and general mood! As a minimum, throughout the five days, there will be lessons in collage, printing with found objects, cutting and printing with lino, watercolour painting, sketching with a range of drawing materials, choosing and working with a limited colour palette.
You’re welcome to arrive at Hannah’s studio from 9.30am for tea or coffee to start each day. Teaching starts at 10am and finishes at 4pm but you can stay on and work with our input until 5pm.
Day 1 / PLAY
A gentle day, printing patterns with found objects, exploring playful ways of drawing and painting collections of items inspired by Hannah’s studio.
Day 2 / VISIT
A morning visit to Villa Augustus by boat to soak up their colourful interiors and succulent market gardens. Lunch in the restaurant before returning by boat to a large art supplies store in Rotterdam.
Day 3 / COLOUR
We’ll begin by selecting colour palettes, before exploring ways to develop the previous day’s sketches using colour and pattern. An optional shared evening dinner in the studio/garden.
Day 4 / LINO
An introduction to lino cutting and printing, using this graphic technique to build pattern and add detail to drawings. Developing rich, colourful illustrations building on the inspiration of the previous three days.
Day 5 / PROJECTS
A final day to consolidate ideas and develop personal projects, with tutor input. Materials, techniques and themes can be led by what has inspired you during our time in Krimpen.
What to pack
In the spirit of this year’s theme of Collections I’d like to you to bring a small object that reflects you, or an object from an intentional or unintentional collection you own. If your item has significant financial or sentimental value, or is too large to transport, please bring a printed out photo instead.
You should wear clothes that aren’t precious and/or bring an apron. You will also need to think about how to transport your work home with you (largest paper size 30x40cm) so you might like to bring an A3 folder or poster tube.
For our trip to Villa Augustus, I’d suggest a small bag to carry your materials (small sketchbook and one or two pencils) and a bottle of water. Please pack and dress appropriately for the weather. There will be quite a bit of walking and standing/sitting outside to draw.
In addition to shared workshop materials*, you’ll need a selection of your own materials (see list). We will also be visiting a large art store in Rotterdam after Villa Augustus on Day 2 if you want to buy additional materials.
Finally please come with an open mind, ready to play, aiming to be free of self-judgement!
*What will be provided: colouring pencils, chalk pastels and neocolor wax pastels, all lino printing equipment and ink, plus loose sheets of paper and cups for water.
Workshop materials kindly supported by:
Materials to bring
An A4 sketchbook (portrait) with thick paper, suitable for wet materials (minimum 200gsm)
A small drawing sketchbook (A5 size is perfect)
A couple of graphite pencils
A pencil sharpener
An eraser
A set of watercolour or gouache paints
A range of different size brushes
Your own preference of drawing and painting materials (no oil paints, spray paint or staining inks)
A glue stick
An old tea towel/cloth
A camera/camera phone. An iPad/tablet to refer to your photos at a larger scale may also be useful, but not essential.
Travel info
To reach the studio from the centre of Rotterdam travel by Metro (lines A, B or C) to Capelsebrug. From there take bus 98 to Krimpen aan den IJssel. Bus stop: Koekoekstraat or Nieuwe Vliet or Middenwetering. It’s a 7 min walk to the Studio. In total it takes about 30 mins to travel from central Rotterdam.
You can tap in and out of the Metro and buses using a bank card.
If you are staying with one of Hannah’s neighbours and would like to use a bike during your stay, do ask if they might have one you can borrow. Alternatively you can hire a bike from Swap bike. You can find these at Mariniersweg 10 in Rotterdam.
August update: The main bridge from Rotterdam to Krimpen aan den Ijssel will be closed for traffic during August, except for cyclists and pedestrians. The detoured route hasn’t yet been shared but we will update this page as soon as we have more details. It does mean that if you plan to find accommodation in Rotterdam you will need to allow a longer journey time to reach the studio every day, or hire a bike (30 min ride). For those in the August group arriving into Rotterdam Centraal by train and staying in Krimpen, we can advise the best route closer to the time.
Accommodation
Local hosts
A limited number of rooms are available in the homes of Hannah’s neighbours for 45€ per night. If you would like a room, please let Laura know and she will pass on your details to Hannah who will aim to find everyone a place. The exact arrangements differ from host to host - some will invite you to join them for an evening meal for an extra small cost, some may not be at home during your stay so you will have the place to yourself. It is an informal, and often personal, arrangement and we welcome you to agree the details directly with your host. If you have specific preferences, allergies or access issues, please let us know so Hannah can aim to accommodate these in your allocation.
Local B&Bs
Other options in the local area include:
Fletcher Hotel De witte Brug in Lekkerkerk - 25 min bus ride to the studio
B&B de Graanhandel, Ouderkerk aan de Ijssel - with nearby bike rental. 15 min cycle to the studio, along the dyke.
B&B Het Klippennest, Krimpen aan den Lek - 15 min cycle to the studio
Rotterdam
There are plenty of accommodation options in central Rotterdam which is 30 mins away from Hannah’s studio by metro and bus (see August update ^). In addition to apartments on Airbnb, The Social Hub, Hotel Bazar or Leonardo Hotel Savoy (the Leonardo is opposite a fantastic art supplies store!) offer a range of options, but please make your own enquiries to be sure somewhere suits your needs.
Dordrecht
We will be visiting Villa Augustus in Dordrecht on Day 2 which is a 30 minute boat trip to Krimpen (then a short cycle ride to the studio from the dock). It is also a hotel and would be a lovely place to stay for the duration of the workshop. You may also find other suitable accommodation in the town of Dordrecht.
In addition to your own research, we are happy to share recommendations based on Hannah’s local knowledge and places her and Laura have enjoyed exploring.
Places to go
Who are we
Laura McKendry
Laura organises and delivers playful, creative workshops across Europe, adapting a range of materials and techniques to convey the sense of a place. You can find her @lauramckendry_art.
Languages spoken: English (a little Spanish)
Hannah Bolsius
Hannah has become a regular collaborator in addition to hosting our Netherlands workshops in her home studio (you may also catch a glimpse of her husband, Ruben and dog, Bro). She brings a background in art education and is a calm, supportive presence. You can find her @hannahbolsius.
Languages spoken: Dutch, English (a little German)
Renee Verhoeven
Renee will be preparing our locally-sourced, seasonal meals every day, sharing the open-plan kitchen with our vast workshop space. She runs regenerative dinners in different locations and also works at Restaurant Rotonde. You can see more of her delicious food @verrehoeve.
Languages spoken: Dutch, English
Finally…*
Please complete this brief form (for June or August) as soon as possible to assist with the planning of the workshop.
And can I kindly ask you to have a read of this code of conduct which contains additional practical details and shared expectations for the duration of the week.
We are so looking forward to welcoming you to Krimpen aan den IJssel for five days of creative immersion, curiousity and exploration. If you have any questions, doubts or concerns during, or in advance of, the workshop please get in touch for a chat.
* ‘Finally’, but no less important!
