The darkest is just before dawn

To finish the year. The darkest hour is always just before dawn. Maybe a good motto to start the year.

The drawing is based on an image in the Gipi comic "unastoria".

Ami painting

 

Earlier this year I made a painting of an old 70s car, A Citroën Ami. It was a commision for the anniversary of an aquintance who owns this car. The painting was featured as frontpage for the final year issue of the Dutch Ami owners club.

Gertie 60

 

Gertie, my wife, became 60 this weekend. We hired a few cottages in a holidaycamp, and spent the weekend with our children, in-laws and grandchildren. We had a great weekend. We are blessed to have a family like this.

I made this 3D collage of Jake, Willem, Finn and Zara, to mark this milestone.

Sabrina

Drawing based on a live model sketch. I read a book about Egon Schiele, tried his way of drawing and use of gouache.

Moelingen, Belgium

A dreary Friday afternoon. I wanted to draw something outside, but it was too cold. Just started driving country roads, and ended up on the other side of the border, in Belgium. There is a small stretch of Dutch speaking (Flamish) territory, between the Wallon provinces and the Netherlands frontier. Only a few hundred meters wide, called de "Voerstreek". I saw this scene in Moelingen; I managed to park the car just so I could make this drawing from the car window.

Ink

 Ink works. Inspired by work of Jason Shawn Alexander.

Head of girl

 No further comment. Just drawing.

Sabrina, another one.

 

Last saturday I attended live model drawing class. But I didn't like my final paintings.

So I tried again this evening, based on one of the fast sketches (you can see that one below).    Gouache  on Kraft paper.

Sabrina model

Live model drawing session: sketches. Each about 6 minutes.
 

Rotterdam, the white house

Gertie ad I spent a few days in the Randstad. We had a nice hotel in Delft, visited Delft, Den Haag (The Hague), Scheveningen and Rotterdam. We had lovely  late autumn weather, even goood enough to sit outside on terraces. This is the view from a terrace in the old harbour in Rotterdam, featuring the "White house" (one of the few buildings that survived the bombardment of Rotterdam in 1940).

Terramining

 Random sketches.

Vaesrade, more Bottelegats

 

Two sketches of the country road on the hills above Vaesrade. I stood on the same location, one was drawn looking to the west (the horses), one to the east (the trees).

Vaesrade, Bottelegats

This afternoon. Sketching on an old "hollow" countryroad near my house. This road is old, they found remnants of an old Roman villa just a little further down this road.
 

Some more of Delft

 

Another view of the townhall of Delft (this is the backside). Made on the National sketchday two weeks ago. Just before it started to rain.

Live Model session

 

Yesterday, painting from live model again, in the studio of Annemiek. We had to improvise in the style of Hans Olsthoorn. Strong lines, lively coloured colourfields in dimmed colours, and the importance of compostion.

Delft: oude kerk

 

The Old Church in Delft. Urban sketchers Netherlands organized a National sketchday, last saturday. 

It was good to meet old and new friends again. We had over 100 sketchers. Unfortunately it started to rain in the early afternoon, but at that point I was sitting at the terrace of the Delft Brouwhuis, in full view of the ancient walls of the "Old church".

Terra Mining

 

Two random drawings, just doodling away. It's Inktober, let's see how far I get.

Retersbeek

 

Two sketches in restricted colours. I made these a few weeks ago, but didn't post them yet. It was just a rural scene, I had parked my car with the idea of drawings a castle. But I couldn't get a decent view, so I decided to turn around and sketch the view. With some nice music on my car radio.

Lviv and steam

 Lviv, the last of my sketches, an old steam locomotive, at the main station.

Lviv, chickenlegs

Lviv, a woman selling chickenlegs on the street. Old local farmers will arrive in towns like these with small busses, and try to sell their home grown products on the street. This was drawn early mornig, about 7.00.
 

Lviv, foodmarket

Lviv, foodmarket. There was a large foodmarket just 5 minutes from our hotel. I went there in the early morning, at 6.45, before breakfast with my collegues. The merchants were building up their stalls. There were covered parts (where most visitors had their masks on due to Corona), and outside alleys. These got more crowded during the sketch. This is at the entrance of the (covered) meatpart, they mainly sold bread and cakes here.

Lviv Cathedral

Another one of my businesstrip to Lviv. The Cathedral in the centre of town. I made the linework on location, while my colleuges went to see the OPera house. Painting later that night at the hotel room.
 

Lviv Hotel Nota Bene

 

I just returned from a businesstrip. It seems like years ago that I went abroad on business.

In this case the Ukraine, Lviv, on western part of the country, near the Polish border. A really beautiful city, lovely architecture, friendly people, good food and drink, and fine collegues. This is the view from my hotel room, Hotel Nota Bene. An excellent hotel.

Chevrolet Apache

Out drawing again. I noticed this rusty old Chevrolet pickup alongside of the road in a neighbouring village, Hulsberg. The proud owner was sitting behind it, in front of his house. He showed me the car and it's engine as well. A regular beauty. fro 1960.

It was hot and the paper was in the sun, that's why the colours didn't come out like I wanted.
 

Utrecht, het Wed

Another quick sketch, during a day visit to Utrecht. As seen from a terrace on "Wed", a narrow street leading to the Dom.
 

Amsterdam, Noordermarkt

 

We had a few nice days visiting some Dutch cities. Like Amsterdam, it has been nearly 2 years since I last went there. Corona days. Anyway, after long walks we rested on a nice park bench on the Noordermarkt. A good moment to draw what's in front of you.

Thistle

 

A set of thistles along the road. Calligraphy pen, reedpen, watercolour on Fabriano paper.

Vaesrade (Nuth)

 Made a small tour by bike, just a few kilometers. This is the small village of Vaesrade.

This is how it looked like.

My house is more or less on the other side of the hill.
 

Amstenrade gate

 

The gate to the former Orangerie of the Castle of Amstenrade.

Amstenrade Castle

 

Our castle Amstenrade, yesterday evening. Made with bamboo pen and watercolour on Fabriano paper.

House in Hoensbroek

I made this painting for my neighbours. It's their house (you can see the roof of ours in the back).

My neighbour had his birthday, 65 years now, and this was the present from his family. He is very proud of the house. And the painting has a nice location now.

Done with water soluble oil on a panel, 40x50cm.

Almere 2

 

Another clean sketch from our sketchday in Almere. Didn't feel the need to colour this one.

Portrait

 Portrait of a man, picture found on the internet. Watersoluble oilpaint 40x50cm.

Almere 1

We were able to organize a national Urban Sketchday again! At last, after almost 1 1/2 year. The last one was in Arnhem, october 2019. Seems ages ago. This time Almere, a new town in the polders (below sealevel). The town was started in the 70s as overflow from Amsterdam and Utrecht. And it's filled with modern architecture: a lot of steel, concrete and glass. But also vivid shopping centres, nice lakes, hidden communal gardens and well designed modern houses in very green neighbourhoods. THis is one of those hidden gardens: a housing project and communal area on the roof of a shopping mall. Drawn from a bridge crossing the shopping street.

Andrew Wyeth

This was an experiment. I wanted to paint a portrait using the Charlie Hunter method or style. I did a few landscapes using that method: using oilpaint on water basis, adding large strokes, and washing parts away with cloth, tissues or whatever.

I used a portrait of Andew Wyeth, a painter I admire immensely. Not that that was the reason to paint him, but I loved the strong contrasts in the face.

Genneper molen

 

Watermill. Made during an extended lunchbreak walk, when I was in our office in Eindhoven.

Actually, this is the watermill that Vincent van Gogh painted a few times. It's still in it'soriginal state.

Castle of Terworm

 Out sketching again. A little castle in my town, maybe 6 kilometers away, Terborg.

It's used as a wedding place, actually my daughter was married here. THere was a wedding going on, at a certain point the bride was posing for pictures, on the small drawbridge to the entrance, I managedto insert her in the drawing.

Eyes

Watercolourpencil.

Portrait

 Anoter try at a serious painting: based on the "Sam Drukker" style of working.

It's based on a picture by Ed van der Elsken, a couple somehere in Paris I think.

I decided to go for a dramatic colour: kobalt blue. This is after one evening of painting.

See where it gets me.

Maastricht, Faliezusterklooster

Yes, we did it again! Finally at last we were able to organize a Urban Sketching meeting, in Maastricht. We were with 10 sketchers, in a quiet park at the old city fortifications. I introduced some new sketchers to USk in and outs, and was able to make this drawing. Finally we enjoyed company at a terrace, renewing the lust for drawing. It felt good after a year.
 

Vaccination

 

People waiting outside the vaccination center (Mecc Maastricht), for their partners to receive a Covid 19 vaccination. My wife was there to receive hers; and I took the 15 minute opportunity to make this quick sketch.

Vivian Meier

 A drawing after an image made by the New York and Chicago Photographer Vivian Maier. Washed out fountain pen ink.

Vogelzang in Puth

 

One of the typical courtyard farmhouses in our region. This is an old house in Puth, called Vogelzang (Birds song). Nicely restored. During sketching I had the opportunity to chat with  one of the owners of the building complex, Marietje van der Linden. Always nice.

De Ridder (8): the Octopus

(Page 8 of the Childrens book I wrote for my grandchildren. It's in Dutch, but this is the English translation. I finished it yesterday.)

The Knight had to cover his ears again, and walked to the animal to check it out properly. He had to shout: “Hello Hydra! Listen, for a nice little reward I could solve your problem!”

The seven heads looked to each other and said simultaneously: “Okay. This pot holds a nice and fitting present. It will make you think of this sweet creature. Will that do?”. “We have a deal!” the Knight said.

He flew to the roof on his horse and lowered a rope through the chimney. With a heavy pull the animal came loose. It was a regular Octopus! She was probably lost in the storm!

The Knight pointed to Octopus. ”Look at that! An Octopus. She is clearly a long way from home and the sea. But I will take her home”.

The Hydra blushed out of shame. Stuttering the heads told each other: “I am so sorry, Forgive me, I didn’t mean all I said. I do like you. Can we be friends again? Just like old times?”

And so everything was okay again. They spit a little fire to celebrate.

The Knight waved goodbye and quickly carried the Octopus to the sea.

Lee Marvin

 

Just a little random drawing, from a movie still. Point Blank featuring Lee Marvin. Always a fantastic actor to see playing. Washed out fountain pen ink.

Hoenderloo groep

 

Another one, made at the weekend we had on the Veluwe. This is a rather strange building of a former treatment center for difficult boys. It already existed for about 160 years, before it was closed down last year. I was talking to a nice couple who lived in the neighbouring streets, they filled me in. A beautiful area, it seems a pity for the former inhabitants of this institution.