Sketchweekend: St. Servaas

Together with the Maastricht group we organized an Urban sketching weekend, here in Maastricht. !25 participants showed up, we had terrific weather and everything went great.

I organized two "secrets  tours". With a small group we walked and sketched on different less obvious locations, and I told the participants stories about the city. This was the first stop of the first day: the entrance to the Saint Servaas Basilica, gothic at its best. I only has short time, so I had to limit myself.

Le Corbusier in Ronchamp

 

Two real quick sketches that I made in France. This is the famous "Chapelle Notre Dame du Haut" in Ronchamps, by Le Corbusier. I managed to squeeze a visit to this iconic landmark in between the sketching week.

Unfortunately the front (the other side of the building than shown here) was in scaffolding, as were the famous tainted glass windows. But when I made the interior sketch, the few remaining nuns came in (yes it's still a monastery) and sang hymns and flayed a flute. THat was really special.

Lange grachtje in the rain

Last friday, thunderstorm. These people ware sheltering againt the sudden rain under the arch of a medieval fortification wall in Maastricht. I was sitting on the other side of the narrow alley, sipping on a coffee under the canopy of a terrace.

Lee van Cleef (almost)

Just a few quick lines for a sunday evening doodle. After a picture of Lee van Cleef.
 

Abandoned factory

On the last day in France I visited an old abandoned factory, and made a quick oilpainting there. An experiment if I could ue oil while using my usual Urban sketching gear. It's not yet finished, there was not enough time. 

This is how it looked like

Lake in France

Another one from that productive week in Corravillers: a little lake on top of the hill. The challenge was to use round brushes - and to show them in the painting somehow.

This was what it looked like.

Corravillers: tiny painting

Another small painting: 20x20cm. Acrylic, on location.
 

Corravillers, church

 

Another one from Corravillers, the third day. This time the idea was to use flat brushes only, and it should show. Acrylic on panel 40x50cm. I am kind of fond of this one.

Tiny Corravillers

My smallest plein air painting ever. On an old piece of wood: 9x6x4 cm. In France, Corravillers.
 

Maastricht Hotel l'empereur

Our group is preparing for a weekend Urban sketching in Maastricht. First weekend in July.

Afterwards we went out sketching. I made this drawing of a hotel across the main trainstation: l'Empereur.
 

Corravillers: bridge

 

Like I already said: I attended a painters course in France, in Corravillers. Each day we received assigments, but I wanted to do some stuff on my own. This was the result; after the assignment, while the others of the group were resting at the swimming pool, I decided to do another one on location.

Waterbased oils on panel 40x50cm.

France: Faucogney et la Mer

I attended another paintingweek in France. It was years since the last one.

We went to France, the Haute Saone region, in the northeast. Annemiek Jongen gave us serious challenges, making sure a painting reflects the character of a certain material (like type of brush). Actually this one was not one of the challenges, I made this one in my own style.

It's a cemetary, high on the hills near Faucogney et la Mer, Saint Martin.

 

Berlin Alexanderplatz

Berlin, the view from our hotel window towards Alexanderplatz. Motel One. It was early sunday morning, so the square was still very quiet.

Berlin: Hackeschen Markt

 

We had a nice weekend in Berlin, with a group of friends. Arrived on Saturday, left on Tuesday. Roamed through the city, which was no ordeal as the weather was perfect: real early Spring.

I was not able to make elaborate sketches, if you are with a group, you have to adapt. This is a quick impression of one of the terraces at the station "Hackeschen Markt", one of the major S-bahn stations.

Brabanthallen

 After 2 years of Corona, symposia are getting organized again. This is one in Den Bosch in the "Brabanthallen", about fire safety and alarm systems. Managed to make a quick sketch.

Barcelona

 

As part of a "drawing"game, a group of us split up the map of Barcelona. I choose one, which I worked out. All drawings will lead to a patchwork of a map of Barcelona. Bolow the yet unfinished status as of yesterday.

An initiative of Laura Sfiat from Boston.

Joe (from Patrick Joust)

Found this picture by Patrick Joust on Flickr. Watercolour portrait excercise.
 

Maastricht, Graanmarkt

Ruud, Zoe and I went into the city after a meeting. Sat down to sketch the backside of the Onze Lieve Vrouwe basilica. We were sitting on a covered terrace, it was nnice as long as the sun shone. But at a ertain moment the cold wind changed direction and we got the full blow. It's still March of course.

Cafe Douwe Egberts

 Very quick sketch of a couple sitting in a quiet corner, this morning. Maastricht.

Learning from Nick Runge

 

Trying to master watercolour. I found a watercolour by Nick Runge of an old man, and I tried to see how his colours and highlights work. I was rather happy with the result, even though I see a lot of possible improvement. 

But I am not even coming close to the original artwork. Still a lot to learn.

Denise

 

Live model painting session. At the atelier of Annemiek. Denise (I think she was called that way). Interesting model.

Herkerather Kapelle

 

This afternoon, even though it was cold, due to the lack of wind it was nice in the sun. This little chapel (dating fron 1883) is standing quite lonely in the middle of  barren fields. And quite inaccessible, as it is just across the border in Germany. Even though there are no real borders between the Netherlands and Germany anymore, that does not mean all roads and paths are running unobstructed.

Aldous Huxley

 

Trying to improve my watercolour portrait skills. This was inspired by a watercolor portrait made by Fabian Bartz. I made a copy, to see how to make the colours work. 

Actually, "Brave new world" is one of my favourite novels.

Elsloo from the canal

Drawn yesterday, from a viewpoint on the path along the Juliana channel. All the while I was listening to the radio, total in horror about the Russian invasion in the Ukraine. What a world we live in.
 

Jeugrubbenweg

 

Making a walk with your pet became a popular pastime during Corona days.

As seen this afternoon on the Jeugrubbenweg in Hoensbroek.

Medieval Quarantine tower

 

Our Castle (Hoensbroek). This is the Plague tower, meant to quarantine the sick in medieval times. It wouldn't have enough room for these days.

It was cold outside, the watercolour would take a long time to dry.

Thuisbezorgd

 

I am not very fond of this drawing. It was cold and drizzling, I stood on the Market on Maastricht. A guy was waiting in front of a restaurant. They were preparing some food, for him to take to the customer.

Fabienne

 

Drawing of Fabienne, based on a picture by Marij Ruyters-Teeuwen, our Neighbour.

Hellevoetsluis

 

Another try on watercolour. Same theme, thunderclouds. But now transposed on the view from the Harbour of Hellevoetsluis (translates as: the lock at the feet of the devil). Not made on location, but based on a picture I made some years ago.

After the rain

Trying out watercolours. After an example by Dan Marshall. On Fabriano paper.

It was cold in Thull.

 

It was cold this afternoon, just above freezing, with a strong wind. Watercold we call that here. But I really wanted to go out and draw something. This is a hill with footpath, the "Mulderwegske" in Thull, just 2 km from my house. The cold shows, I think.

Tree doodle

 

Gerald Roethof

Gerald Roethof, a well known Dutch lawyer. After a picture in last weekend's newspaper. Washed out ink.