Sketches

Sunday, 11 May 2025

Raketenstation (Missile station)

 

2 pages from my sketchbook: drawing architecture at the "Raketenstation" in Hombroich (Germany). According to the rumours the NATO used to store cruise missiles here during the last years of the cold war. But since then the terrain with all its bulidings was converted into an artist area and museum park, with musuems buildt by renowned architects. Above: the Langen Foundation building by Tandao Ando. Below: the "Musikhaus" by Raimund Abraham. 

Actually, the museum was closed, but I managed to visit the terrain anyway.

Tuesday, 6 May 2025

Zeche Zollverein (2)

 

After te rain stopped, I went to this view, to paint the long rows of former coke ovens. I made a sketch years ago on the same location ( https://renefijten.blogspot.com/2017/05/zeche-zollverein.html ), tried it with gouache this time. A very complicated painting, I quite underestimated it. In the end I ran out of time, had to do some touchups at home.

Sunday, 4 May 2025

Zeche Zollverein

 

Painting made in an old, abandoned cokes producing plant in Germany, Zeche Zollverein. It was raining outside, So I deceided to paint a detail in the interior.

Thursday, 1 May 2025

Monday, 21 April 2025

Enschede (2)

 

Drawing of the side of the Jacobuskerk (Jacob church). It was a secluded little square, quite popular to draw.

Sunday, 20 April 2025

Enschede: café Moeke

 

I just had a great weekend. Not only did I visit my good friend Igor (which I hadn't seen since my study days, 35 years ago) and his lovely partner Wilma, but the Urban Sketching Netherlands organized a Saturday of sketching in Enschede. This is café Moeke, where all 220 participants assembled before we went into town to paint and sketch.

Sunday, 13 April 2025

Jelle Portrait

 

Straight from the easel at a live portrait session. Jelle, the son of Annemiek, my art/painting teacher. I am rather pleased with the result. Hard to tell, but all strokes have a dedicated special mixed nuance of colour. And I maintained some of the background structure in the face itself. 

Acrylic on prepared Kraft paper, 60x70cm. About 2 hours work

Friday, 11 April 2025

Amsterdam Westerkerk

 

Visited Amsterdam yesterday. To the Anselm Kiefer exhibition "Sag mir wo die blumen sind" in the Van Gogh and Amsterdam Stedelijk museum. Made this sketch of the Westerkerk on a bench along the Prinsengracht.

Tuesday, 8 April 2025

Hasselt (2)


 I saw this little Maria prayer station on a side street in Hasselt.

Wednesday, 2 April 2025

Hasselt, Belgium

Hasselt, a town in Belgium, this morning. I had to go there for a hip-operation of our cat, Yoda.

Friday, 28 March 2025

Weustenrade

 

I made a trip on my bike this afternoon; came across this old farmhouse in Weustenrade (just a few km from my house).

Wednesday, 26 March 2025

Den Bosch: Magnolia

 

I didn't feel like drawing the St. Jan monastry itself, but decided to go for the beautiful Magnolia trees, which were just about to blossom.

Monday, 24 March 2025

Den Bosch: St Janscentrum

 

Last saturday there was a coördination meeting with the local Urban Sketching groups, in Den Bosch. After exchanging views and brainstorming on new ideas, we all went out into the cloister garden to draw. The magnolia trees were almost popping out in beautiful blossom.

Monday, 17 March 2025

Eindhoven HTC 5

 

Far too cold to draw/paint outside. This was done from the main hall on the 4th floor of the HTC5, one of the offices and laboratories of the Eindhoven High Tech Campus. I was there for my last and final presentation of one of the most complicated architectural designs I even made, a semi-conductor plant.

Thursday, 13 March 2025

London: Leicester square

 

Drinking coffee on a terrace. Next to us was this elderly gentleman, with a rather out-of-London accent. He was so occupied talking to his wife and friends, I managed to draw him on location without him noticing. I am proud to say, the drawing resembles.

Tuesday, 11 March 2025

London: airport

 

Waiting at the airport (Stansted), drinking some watery coffee. She was sitting opposite, long enough to make this quick sketch. She left before I finished painting, that was improvised.

Sunday, 9 March 2025

London: Camden Lock

 

Camden Lock, a busy shopping experience in a former warehouse complex next and under the railways. It's a busy tourist trap, but interesting anyway. I was there 15 years ago, and it was new end fresh then, but too many nutella and T-shirts shops for my taste. Good to draw though.

Friday, 7 March 2025

London

 

Returned from London this afternoon. A quick sketch made in the Underground, central line, between Liverpool street and Stratford. Wasn't easy, the train was very crowded.

Sunday, 2 March 2025

On the border

 

A saw this scene along the former "international road", on the border between Germany and the Netherlands, just a few km from my house. The "international road" was a Dutch two lane road running over German terrain, about 5 km long, connecting 2 remote Dutch villages. Back in the day it was forbidden to stop, and impossible to get off, as all crossing roads (even cartroads) would go through tunnels or bridges. As it fell under Dutch jurisdiction (German plice had no authority), but Dutch police had nowhere to park their vehicles, you could drive there whatever speed you wanted. You would not receive a speed ticket. Of course, the road was also famous for it's mortal front collision accidents. Anyway, the terrain was returned to Germany after the Schengen Treaty, as border control was not necessary anymore.

Friday, 28 February 2025

New Jersey

 

Oilpainting, after a picture I took back in 2019, when our taxi brought us from Manhattan to the new Jersey airport. Cobra watersoluble oilpaint on wood, 50x60cm. Time for another one.