Amstenrade in gouache

 

 

 This morning I went painting in the park behind the castle of Amstenrade (just about 1 km from my house). It was not cold, and I was be able to do this painting in (acrylic) gouache on darkbrown toned paper. In the picture you can see my gouache setup, fixed on a camera tripod. I made the box myself.

Leuze in 2 themes

 

I made these two paintings on location, in Leuze, France. The subject was to make them in two different colour themes. Below you see the real situation. Unfortunately, it began raining halfway, and I had to finish them in another location. Acryl paint 40x40cm each.

Faces in watercolour and ink

 

An excercise in faces, at a live painting session. Two of about twelve that I made in about 2 hours. First a few strokes of wax. Then a few watercolour strokes. And after drying a minimum of lively ink lines, trying to catch the features without overdoing. Surprising enough, both images resemble Paul and Willebrord.

Aachen

I was in Aachen (Germany) last friday. A view from the terrace of the major bookshop there, Meyrische.

Isabel

 

Model class again. This time a highly pregnant woman. We had to scratch te paper with a wax candle, then use watercolour, and add a few ink lines after that. Quite outside my comfort zone, but it was a nice excercise.

Faces

Some random quick sketches of faces, after pictures I found on the internet. Made during lunchbreaks Normally I go for a short walk with collegues during lunchbreak, but when it rains we stay in, and i take my sketchbook out.
 

Roermond challenge

 

During the National sketchday in Roermond, I initiated two challenges. The first was on the market: you had to make 4 or 5 little sketches of details that you notice. I did the excercise myself on the Market of Maastricht, to provide an example (top one). The second challenge was: define and draw in a few strokes the total scene of the market, but then fill in only one or two details. These will draw the attention (the market of Roermond, bottom one). The results of the excercises were beyond expectation.

Gouache portrait

 

Painting with acrylic gouache again. This time based on a picture I found on the internet (probably AI). In my moleskine sketchbook, size A5.

Roermond: USk-NL day

 

I helped to organize another National Urban sketchingday in Roermond, last Saturday. We had perfect weather, and a great turnout. More than 200 sketchers spread out over the city to draw. I enjoyed the fine weather, the drawings, meeting new and old friends. 

I also gave a workshop, perspective drawing for urban sketching, which was attended by some 15 people. In the end I was only able to make one drawing myslef, of the Munsterkerk, which you can see above.

Below a picture of the crowd, at the end of the day, at the "show and tell".

Maastricht: Huis op de jeker

 

Another experiment: using gouache on location. I made a portable gouache box, to be mounted on a camera tripod. I painted this house before. It worked out fine, but there is room for improvement on the box.

1/2 marathon

 

Last sunday I managed to run a half marathon again. 21,1 km in 2 hours 4 minutes, 30 seconds. I finished place 250 of 305 runners. I think that is not bad for someone aged 66.

It was the first time in 15 years, and quite heavy at the last 2 km. But hey, pain lasts for a short time, pride lasts forever.

More stones

 

the second drawing of the geology tour. The girld stood there long enough for a pencil sketch (contour, wheels and posture was enough). The rest drawn after she was gone.

Ber and the stones

A week ago we went sketching with the Maastricht group again. We started at the Museum for Natural History. They had a route through town with 18 locations where you could see different types of stones that were used during construction, through the ages. Interesting. But after 2 locations (and drawings) we found a nice terrace with some excellent beer. The drawing shows Ber, one of our group. He had a brain haemorrhage some years ago, couldn't use his normal arm, so learned to use the other hand by drawing and sketching. He is always there when we go sketching.
 

Fire cart

A fire cart as part of the musuem of the old coal mines in our region. It was used in the mines, and dated back to 1922.
 

Schacht Nulland

 

An afternoon sketching outside again. One of the few remaining artifacts of the former coal mining industry in our region. One of the ventilation shafts and elevator shafts of teh Domaniale Mijn in Kerkrade.

Yoda

 

This is Yoda, our new cat. Mitzie passed away last April. My wife told it in her class at school, and one of her pupils had a kitten available. Yoda didn't have a good start in life, he was abandoned by his mother after his birth, and taken care of by the mother of the boy.

Well Yoda is full of life, and we enjoy her every day. We hope to enjoy him for a long time.

Chambord

 

Forgot to post this drawing: the castle of Chambord. Also made during our French holiday.

Chenonceau

 

Castle of Chenonceau , at the Loire, France. It was raining all day, I had to make a very quick sketch, protecting parts of the drawing with sheets of paper against the loose raindrops. Painted it at the camping site.

Candé sur Beuvron

Just returned from a great holiday in France, in the Loire are. With our children and grandchildren. We had a great time, and excellent weather (except for one dreary and rainy day). This is a sketch of the village, there had been floodinge recently, and large treetrunks were still blocking the passage under the bridge.

Simpelveld ZLSM railwaymuseum

 

Went sketching out today. A railway musuem, with working steamlocomotives. This is a drawing of one of the museumpieces: a railwaycrane.