about me
In my world it’s all about color, print and creating, in the broadest sense of the word. With two artists (Peter Bertus & Chris Roovers) as parents it was all about that from childhood on. We had an etching press and a ceramic oven in our living room. The drawing and watercolor supplies were taken with us on every holiday and we were educated how to look and see. We as in my sisters Andrea and Artemisia and brother Gilles. As a little girl I drew patterns already. I inherited the love for prints from my mom and the love for pen drawing from my dad.
After graduating my study Applied Textile Design at the art academy in Maastricht in 2001 I started with selling my own designs. The first things I designed were colorful bags with hand drawn pattern designs, crocheted hats and blankets. I started also with working in commission. Since 2005 I sold my one of a kind bags and cuddly animals in the shop of the Bonnefantenmuseum. I used mainly vintage and retro fabrics. Ollie, my cuddly elephant was sold in more stores and the bags followed as well.
In 2007 our son Samuel was born and I had to combine motherhood with entrepreneurship. I took him with me to my atelier which I rented on the other side of the river (we lived near the City Centre of Maastricht at that time). In 2009 we moved to Amby, with enough space to have a studio at home and we welcomed daughter Rosa. Since 2010 I showed and sold my work at Designday, a yearly event for self producing designers. Youngest son Julius completed our family in 2014. In that same year I was approacehed by stroller brand Greentom and started as a part time soft-good (diaper-bag, foot-muff etc) designer for this local company. After four years I wanted to fully focus on my own brand again.
Drawing and designing prints and apply them in a wide variety of products is what I love most. It is more clearly for me what I want, who I am and what I stand for. It has been (and still is) an organically developing process in which I follow my heart. The personal contact with my customers and shops, who sell my work, is very valuable and important to me.
Welcome in my world!
X Olivia
