Sketches

Sunday, 28 December 2008

Krekelberg

Schinnen, Krekelberg. Stopped for a minute during my 10 km round to make a quick scribble.

Wednesday, 24 December 2008

Weihnachtsmarkt

Weihnachtsmarkt in Aachen last sunday.
Kerstmarkt in Aken, afgelopen zondag.

Monday, 22 December 2008

Mescherbergloop

A week ago I ran the Mescherbergloop; a 15 km run through muddy fields, slippery carttracks, winding forest paths and including 10 steep hills. And the worst of all, the steep staircase counting 185 uneven steps. It took me about the 1 hour 25 minutes to do it, which is not bad considering the weather conditions. Mescherbergloop: 15km door de velden van Mesch en de Savelsbergse bossen. Ongeveer 1 uur 25 minuten, niet slecht.

Friday, 19 December 2008

Lannemezan site

France last week: the contractors were drilling steel tubes in the foundations and pushing grouting into them; on the building site in Lannemezan.
Bouwplaats in Lannemezan (Frankrijk): inboren van trekpalen in de funderingen.

Friday, 12 December 2008

Urban sketchers

I am proud to be invited as correspondent for the Urban sketchers site, an idea of Gabi Campanario from Seattle. Sketchers from all around the world share their views and drawings from where they live or travel. Check it out: http://www.urbansketchers.com/

Tuesday, 9 December 2008

Berneau

Berneau vlak over de grens bij Visé. Dit huis heb al enkele keren eerder geprobeerd te tekenen, met wisselend resultaat. Dit is met vulpen en water uit mijn waterbrush.
Berneau, near Visé. Fountainpen and water from my waterbrush.

Saturday, 6 December 2008

Grote St. Jan

Last sunday, choir concert in our local church in Hoensbroek. My wife Gertie sings in the choir. Made the sketch during the break. I drew it in the sketch-moleskine, which has yellowish paper. Normally I am able to filter that out, but in this case it changed the colours too much. Hence the yellow background
Korenmiddag in de grote St. Jans kerk, Hoensbroek.

Thursday, 4 December 2008

Sinterklaas

Een raam van een huis aan de Amstenraderweg in Merkelbeek. Some children put "sinterklaas" puppets in front of their window, to welcome the Sint. I noticed it while running through Merkelbeek.

Tuesday, 2 December 2008

Patersweg after the rain

Patersweg Hoensbroek, 1 december 7.38 am. Na de regen. The rain just stopped.

Monday, 1 December 2008

Kasteel Amstenrade

Ik woon weliswaar in Hoensbroek, maar mij hele jeugd heb ik op kasteel Amstenrade uitgekeken. Voor mij is dit hét enige echte kasteel. jammer voor kasteel Hoensbroek.
The castle of Amstenrade, just around the corner. It's still occupied by the Countess d'Ansembourg.

Thursday, 27 November 2008

Tarbes, this week

The rex hotel in Tarbes. Had no time to draw, so this is an oldie. The of the facade changes colour every minute or so, from purple to red, yellow, green and back again. The street never looks the same.
Het Rex hotel in Tarbes. Een oude schets, ik had geen tijd om een nieuwe te maken.

Thursday, 20 November 2008

Patersweg

A rainy evening, in the street I live in, after my training round.
Patersweg, Hoensbroek, een regenachtige avond na het hardlopen; mijn bril afgezet, kijkend richting kruispunt.

Tuesday, 18 November 2008

RWE Kraftwerk

Last sunday, a rainy miserable afternoon, driving to friends in Dueren, passing the browncoal energy works in Eschweiler (Germany). Hans en Jolanda in Dueren opgezocht, bij Eschweiler reden we langs het RWE Kraftwerk.

Sunday, 16 November 2008

Stad der blinden

"Stad der blinden" van Jose Saramago. Een boek over virus waardoor iedereen blind wordt; de eerste groep wordt opgesloten in een oud sanatorium, en wat dan gebeurt is weinig verheffend. Een van de beste boeken die ik ooit heb gelezen!
"City of the blind" of Jose Saramago. A city goes blind, and what happens next gives a nice insight in human nature. One of the best books I've ever read.

Thursday, 13 November 2008

Birmingham

Experimenting with some black ink from my fountainpen. Based on a sketch by Steve Guild. Somewhere in Birmingham.

Monday, 10 November 2008

Lourdes

Lourdes: in every tourist shop you can buy these plastic maria waterbottles with unscrewable heads. Yes, I bought one, but you can't get the water through the airport security nowadays.










Plastic mariabeeldjes met afschroefbaar hoofd.

Friday, 7 November 2008

Lourdes

This week, in France, I took the opportunity to visit Lourdes. As it was after work, it was all dark. I was impressed by the devotion of the candle light procession: a dreary november night and still >1000 people. Impressions of the Maria grotto and of a wanderer warming his dinner on a small stove on the bridge over the river.
Lourdes, in het donker. Een treurige novembernacht, en toch >1000 gelovigen bij de kaarsjesprocessie. Schets van de mariagrot en van een zwerver die zijn maaltijd verwarmde op een brandertje op de brug.

Thursday, 6 November 2008

NOTP

Last night we were at the "Night of the Proms" concert in Antwerp.
We saw live performances of:
  • "Live" ("I am overcome" was fabulous),
  • Sinead O'Conner ("Troy" sent shivers down my spine),
  • Harlem Gospel choir (the music didn't work here),
  • Midge Ure (Ultravox: "Vienna"),
  • Simple Minds (gorgeous and bombastic, but the best "Belfast child" I ever saw).
  • Classic: "1812" of Tsjaikovski was great, with fireworks and all.
  • The comic act: Igudesman&Joo .

Sunday, 2 November 2008

Peleosso

Pele e osso means skin and bones, it refers to a painting of Bea Meira (http://cadernosdabea.blogspot.com/, oct 18, 2008). The idea kept humming in my mind. This is my own version.
Botten en vel. Gebaseerd op een idee van Bea Meira.

Saturday, 1 November 2008

Market in Tarbes

I have to fly to Tarbes and Lannemezan nearly every week now. On wednesday there is market in and around the main markethall. A sketch just before I drove to the building site.
Markt in Tarbes, elke woensdag. Een schets in de vroege morgen, op weg naar de bouwplaats.

Tuesday, 28 October 2008

Tarbes, last week

Back in Tarbes, South of France, again. View from my hotelroom (701) towards the setting sun over the Pyrenees. It was exactly 19.30, last Thursday.
Uitzicht uit mijn hotelkamer in het Rex, om vafgelopen donderdag 19.30. De ondergaande zon boven de bergen richting Spanje.

Prague, Praag

Prague: sketch of a "hurdy gurdy" player in one of the squares downtown. And a sculpture supporting a fronton on an office building.
Praag: een draailier speler en een skulptuur in de facade van een kantoorgebouw.

Sunday, 26 October 2008

Terezin

Can landscapes be guilty? We visited the WW2 concentrationcamp of Terezin (Theresienstadt) near Prague. While waiting for the start of a documentary film I sketched the path towards the execution grounds. The scene was beautiful with the golden and red falling leaves; a terrible beauty...
Below a drawing of the cremation ovens next to the jewish cemetary.Concentratiekamp Theresienstadt (Terezin) bij Praag. Prachtige herfstkleuren, maar het besef van de geschiedenis geeft het een heel ander gevoel. Verder een schets van de crematie ovens.

Monday, 20 October 2008

Sunday, 19 October 2008

Prague, last weekend

Last weekend in Prague with my wife and some friends; terrific time, fine weather. This is the view from our room in the Ariston Hotel on a misty morning.
Vorig weekeinde in Praag met Gertie, Ger, Anita en Jolanda. Geweldig weekeinde gehad, mooi weer, veel gelopen. Dit was het uitzicht vanuit onze hotelkamer op een mistige morgen.

Saturday, 18 October 2008

Brasil versus Siberia

When posting the "siberian autumn" post in skineart.com, I recieved the comment by Bea Meira that it was spring in Brazil. Which inspired me to make the blossom counterpart of falling leaves. This is supposed to be Jacaranda blossom, native to Brazil. I hope I will get the chance to see it in reality in Sao Paolo once. Herfst in Siberie, lente in Brazilie.

Friday, 17 October 2008

Transsiberian express

When I was young it was my dream to make a trip from Moscow through Russia with the Trans Siberian Express, 6 days in a train. Fantastic. This is how close I came, it passed by at 80 km/hour near the station of Bogandinskiy, Siberia.
Ik heb altijd een trip willen maken over de transsiberische express. Ik stond langs het spoor, en hij kwam langs met 80km/h. Hoe dicht kun je bij een droom komen!
Foto gemaakt door Dietmar Johanssen tijdens de trip door Rusland

Friday, 10 October 2008

Tyumen, courtyard

Last week in Tyumen, Siberia. In this inner courtyard two women were collecting empty beer and wodkabottles. Due to the brilliant colours the grey housing did not seem so dreary.
Binnenplaats in Tyumen, de vrouwen verzamelen lege bier en wodkaflessen in een lege kinderwagen.

Monday, 6 October 2008

Bogadinskiy

An old lady and her cat were sitting in the late autumn sun in front of her house, in Bogandiskiy, east-Siberia. Below you see the rough sketch made with fountainpen, on which the painting was based.
Een oude vrouw en haar kat in de herfstzon, in Bogandinskiy, Siberie. Hieronder de ruwe vulpen schets, als basis voor de aquarel.

Helicopter: MIL


In this helicopter we flew for two hours over Tyumen and the siberian plans. A large Russian MIL. Actually, it was my first time in a helicopter, what a thrill. The views were fantastic.
In deze helicopter vlogen we vorige week over de hoogvlakten van siberie. Het was mijn eerste keer in een helicopter. Geweldig.

Sunday, 5 October 2008

Mourning cloak butterfly

Mourning cloak Butterfly, picture taken in Siberia. Officially Nymphalis antiopa.
Rouwmantel vlinder, foto gemaakt in Nova Zaimka, Siberie.

Friday, 3 October 2008

Tyumen, Siberia

I flew back from Tyumen, Siberia today. It was a beautiful place: all the birch trees were golden brown in the autumn sun. We had some terrific sights flying over the siberian plains by helicopter.
Vandaag teruggevlogen vanuit Tyumen, Siberie. De landschappen waren fantastisch, de berkenbomen hadden een gouden gloed in de najaarszon.

Monday, 29 September 2008

Rotterdam, museumharbour

Rotterdam, museumhaven: een oude stoom graanzuiger uit 1927.
A 1927 steam grain elevator. I drew this last wednesday in the museumharbour of Rotterdam.

Thursday, 25 September 2008

Steve Reich

Rotterdam, yesterday: my favourite composer Steve Reich performed in de Doelen concert hall! At last a chance to see him in real life. He himself performed clapping music (1972). They played other compositions as well: music for woods, different trains and Tehellim. After the concert there was an interview about his background and influences. I had to drive a long way to Rotterdam, but it was worth it. I made the sketch during the performance.
Gisteravond naar een concert van Steve Reich. Eindelijk heb ik hem zien spelen! Hij speelde clapping music. Verdere composities werden gespeeld: different trains, music for woods en Tehellim. Fantastisch.

Tuesday, 23 September 2008

Vlaanderen-Wallonie

I made a lunchwalk in the fields behind Moelingen. The languageborder dutch-french runs in the middle of this meadow. Would the cows understand each other?
Lunchwandeling door de velden achter Moelingen. Midden door dit veld loopt de taalgrens.

Thursday, 18 September 2008

Reuzenbalsemien

Lunchwandeling langs de Berwinne, Moelingen, ik zag deze prachteige wilde plant. Volgens een collega, Rene Bogaert is dit een Reuzenbalsemien, oorspronkelijk uit de Himalaya.
Lunchbreakwalk along the Berwinne, a small stream. I noticed this beautiful wild flower: a Himalayan Balsam. I cannot image this plant feels at home in our small hills.

Fata morgana


Thursday, 11 September 2008

Carolus thermen Aachen

Last friday I had a nice afternoon off, with my wife shopping in Aachen (Germany). We went to the Carolus thermen, and the outside sauna had a large window looking over the exterior swimming pool. The sauna is too hot to draw; I made the sketch later at home.
Carolus thermen in Aken. De sauna heeft een mooi groot raam dat uitkijkt op het openluchtzwembad. En dan zie je dit.

Wednesday, 3 September 2008

Tarbes, last week

South of France; sketch of the inner courtyard behind the Rex hotel in Tarbes. Zuid Frankrijk, binnenplaats gezien vanuit mijn hotelkamer in Tarbes.