Hi, I am Iris Esther, I am a Dutch illustrator creating fairytale-inspired art prints, postcards, and handmade paper goods for families, nature lovers, and those who feel at home in quiet, timeless storytelling.
From my studio at the edge of the forests of Bussum, I create illustrations for seasonal tables, nursery walls, home altars, and everyday rituals—art meant to live gently alongside daily life.
I work by hand with coloured pencils, gouache, oil paints, and a digital brush. My work draws from Waldorf traditions passed down from my mother, European folklore and fairytales, and the quiet poetry of nature.
I am drawn to tender scenes and small, meaningful moments—images that offer wonder, warmth, and a sense of belonging.
I once styled and illustrated for fashion magazines. During my pregnancy, I began searching for gentler art for my little one— rooted in childhood wonder. When I couldn’t find it, I started drawing it myself. What began as a personal longing turned into something shared.
Every piece is made by hand, using gouache, coloured pencils, digital brushes, or traditional oils. I love working with a mix of materials, and I keep my process entirely human-made — craft and sincerity matter deeply to me.
From my little one-woman studio on the edge of the woods, every order is handled by me. On sunny mornings I cycle to the post office to ship your package. Every order is wrapped by me, simply and consciously, with respect for the nature that inspires my art.
Today my illustrations travels near and far. Some are framed, others placed on seasonal tables and home altars… and some, I secretly hope, will one day rest in an attic drawer until they are found again. And then, perhaps, they will whisper: “Look… the world is still beautiful.”
WARM MEMORIES
‘My love for art began in my grandfather’s attic atelier: a warm, space with a creaking floor filled with brushes, canvases, and the sense that stories were to be found in the dust drifting through the air.
Yet the true spark of my creative life came on Wednesday afternoons. As a child, I spent those afternoons with two artists who taught children the art of self-expression through woodcarving, pottery, and painting. Their studio felt like a sanctuary—alive with the scent of clay and sawdust, the joyful chaos of hands at working and a fireplace that burned all year round so you could stare at the flames when you needed it. It remains my happiest childhood memory.
My tutor Monica, left a lasting imprint. I believed she could carve magic into wood—and I wanted to learn how. It was like watching a wizard. That early sense of wonder, freedom, and respect for handmade work continues to shape every illustration I create today.’
