Monica Maas illustrator and designer

Monica Maas was born on Texel, the West Frisian Island where she still lives and works. Her husband Henk Brugge was many years an animal tender at Ecomare, the seal centre of Texel. Since 2007 he is fulltime her manager. They have three children: Maarten, Aletta and Vibeke.

Since 1978 she has worked as a freelance illustrator and designer. She has made drawings and covers for over 100 books.

daddy and son skating-drawing-Monica Maas

In 1974 'Het Open Boek' published Sauwtje Zeeheks, a book of wall charts which she drew entirely in ink pen technique. This initiated her cooperation with various publishers of children’s books such as Kosmos, Het Spectrum, Holland, The House of Books, van Reemst, Sanoma, Unie Boek and Kluitman.

She also illustrated for magazines such as Libelle, Kinderen, Bobo, Pippo, Okki and Taptoe, but also for educational publishers such as Malmberg, Wolters-Noordhoff, Bekadidact and Teleac-NOT.

Drawing from: Sauwtje Zeeheks

to the library-fairy-tale-drawing/Monica Maas

Illustration from: I'm going to the library

Occasionally she exhibits work that is signed 'three times Maas'. They are exhibitions together with her sister Irene, who makes ceramic birds and cats, and with her brother Frits-Jan who paints and draws mainly birds and sea mammals.

Together with her sister Irene she made the book Langs Pagga's paadje which was published by 'Het Open Boek' in 2002.
The story of beachcomber Pagga who lived with his family in the last hut made of sods on Texel.

From Langs Pagga's paadje

Since 1980 she has designed a series of baby cards for Intercard every year.
By now, over 700 different MM-cards have appeared home and abroad.
She also drew the 'schoolportfolio' and various miscellaneous greeting cards for the Dutch Foundation that sells stamps to benefit children.

Illustration for a baby card

An embroidery kit of Permin of Copenhagen	Embroidery kits with her designs appear at Permin of Copenhagen and Hallmark have published a series of greeting cards.
		A MM greeting card for Hallmark

In 1997 her first collection of wallpaper and textile for baby's and children's bedrooms came out together with matching accessories, from soother to baby bath (Bébé-jou). There are several extensive collections available that find their way all over the world.

The adventures of Bobbi

Little bear Bobbi, who appears in some of these collections, has his own adventures in the little books Monica drew about him.

	She illustrates with pen and aquarelle watercolour paint, often combined with coloured pencil.

Occasionally she uses a pencil technique that gives rise to a more loose line.