Marleen Hulst

Can you tell us how you first discovered stamp carving and printmaking?

I think it was on YouTube last Summer that I saw something about carving small stamps from erasers for printing bookmarks and cards. As I have had a fascination for patterns for many years, and I have always liked rubber stamps – bought ones from a store -, the idea of carving your own stamps really appealed to me. I knew immediately I wanted to try that myself.

So I bought a cheap stamp carving set and a pack of erasers, and got started. With some inkpads that I already had I started to print my first patterns. And I loved it!

Later I continued with stamp rubber and better carving tools, still searching online media each day trying to discover what I liked best and really wanted to do, without just imitating what already existed.

In December 2024 I started sharing my work on my Instagram account @48patterns.

Marleen Hulst | Bow Tie | 2025

What inspires you the most when creating your patterns?

All kinds of things from daily life, like napkins, tea towels, flower pots, wrapping paper and such. Patterns are literally everywhere. A single shape can also catch my attention. A while ago I carved a stamp inspired by something I saw on a t-shirt and used it to create a pattern.

But half the time I randomly pick a rubber stamp and just go ahead filling a page, without thinking ahead about any motif. It happens kind of intuitive. Those spontaneous patterns are in fact the ones I like best. Printing with a ‘fixed’ result in mind doesn’t always work for me.

Why did you choose to work with simple shapes instead of more complex imagery?

When I first started carving stamps, I chose simple shapes just to see if I liked the process of carving itself. Then I began printing one pattern after another and enjoyed myself so much that I couldn’t stop! Basic shapes work for me and they all what I need for the -mostly abstract- patterns of my choice.

I never imagined that circles, ovals, squares, triangles and rectangles etc. could be applied in so many different ways. Think of the variety in size, proportion, or colour. Used in a one stamp pattern, or combined with another shape – or shapes. The possibilities are endless.

Marleen Hulst | Summer Vibe | 2025

Could you share a bit about your process of making stamps and printing on handmade paper?

After seeing a nice motif for a stamp I draw it on a piece of paper. When happy with the size and shape I copy it on stamping rubber with transparent parchment paper, the same that you can use for baking in the oven. After carving I make some test prints and continue adjusting the stamp until it is want I want it to look.

Printing on handmade paper gives an extra dimension; I like that it’s more personal, all made by me instead of ‘easily’ bought in a shop. Making paper at home is a time consuming process. From collecting waste paper, tearing it into small pieces, letting it soak in water for 24 hours, putting it in a blender to make pulp, making paper using a deckle, letting it dry, and finally press the pages underneath a pile of heavy books for several hours.

And then you have a pile of fairly soft, slightly uneven though beautiful and very unique pages, all made piece by piece. To have this result is immensely satisfying. And the texture of handmade paper also appeals to me, even though it is not always ideal for printing. But that’s also the charm of it.

Apart from handmade paper I use small sketchbooks a lot for my prints, and occasionally a piece of coloured paper. Every now and then I enjoy making small books like zines and fill them with patterns. Kraft paper bags are also fine to use for printing. It’s nice to explore things.

Marleen Hulst | Waves | 2025

What role does repetition and rhythm play in your work?

Without repetition my patterns simply wouldn’t exist. The stamps I carve are small ones, so repeating them in order to create a pattern is what they are meant for.

Once a pattern is printed it should have a certain rhythm. I think rhythm is what makes a pattern inviting and interesting to watch. It is what stops you when scrolling through your Instagram feed to have a closer look. I think repetition and rhythm can’t be seen apart in my work; there’s no rhythm without repetition, and repetition should lead to a rhythm to make a pattern come ‘alive’.

How do you decide on the colors for your prints?

Colours obviously mean a great deal to what I do. Strong colours work best as they make a pattern stand out, like a vivid red, orange or blue. I don’t often decide beforehand which colour to use for a print, that is a random choice.

Softer and lighter colours do not work, unfortunately I must say. A while ago I bought an inkpad with a lovely ‘sand dune’ colour, but when I used it for a print it just didn’t come alive. Nothing happened, even though I loved the pattern itself. So these are no good, at least not for me.

If you’ve seen my work on Instagram you know that I very rarely use black for a pattern on white paper. It’s true that it is not one of my favourite colours. But for printing on kraft paper black is perfect!

Marleen Hulst | Worms | 2025

Do you have any favorite motifs or patterns that you return to often?

Of course there are some motifs and patterns that have become favourites. It doesn’t happen often though that I print a motif a second time in the same sketchbook or on handmade paper. When I return to a favourite pattern it’s on pages of a zine or folding book I made, or on a different surface like a brown grocery bag which then gets a compilation of several motifs.

I also have my favourite rubber stamps. And some I return to often. The advantage of simple shapes is that they can be applied in many different ways. A triangular stamp with stripes for instance can be used for printing a one stamp pattern, but can also be combined with a circle shaped stamp or maybe a rectangular striped stamp and form a totally different pattern. As I mentioned before, the possibilities are endless. I challenge myself to vary with motifs as much as possible.