The Hague Cityscape

 

Abother drawing of the National Dutch Urban Sketching weekend.In the Hague on Saturday, I made another Illustrated Cityscape drawing like I did last April in Gouda. I made a foldout that fits my drawing board. I used a sheet 55x65cm bamboo paper, the watercolourpencils are Derwent Inktense. THey are really good for this kind of work.

 It is the square in front of the Royal palace "Noordeinde", and even though it was hot (we have a heatwave now) there was a large tree so I could stay in the shadow, 

Scheveningen Kurhaus

 

I helped organize a National Dutch Urban Sketching weekend. Saturday 20th in the Hague, Sunday at the beach in Scheveningen. It was really hot there, we have a record breaking heat wave at theis moment.

After managing the central meeting post, I had some time left to make this drawing on the Boulevard, at the seaside: the old Kurhaus building. Ink and watercolour in my Khadi sketchbook.

Amsterdam

 

My wife and I had a few nice days off to celebrate our wedding anniversary: one to Utrecht, one to Amsterdam. I managed to make these 2 quickies on the Prinsengracht. 

Gouda: sketchday

 

Last Saturday I helped organize a National Urban Sketching Netherlands day. This time in Gouda. I had visited Gouda for preparation purposes early March (see some of the sketches below), so I figured I would try something else now.

As it happened, last week I read the Thesis of Tania Cardoso "The illustrated cityscape: Imperfect lines of urban exploration", a very interesting scientific text on illustrating the urban environment.

I used her methodology to make this drawing, on a 50x70cm piece of paper. The cross-form was based on the fact that my backpack can only handle a 25x30cm drawing board and drawings. In this way I could fold the paper to that size. I used Inktense watercolour pencils, which I found to be quite suitable for this purpose. I hadn't used them fo maybe 10 years.....

Anyway, an experiment worth repeating. 

Croy Castle

 

Quick sketch of a castle standing quite alone in the Brabant landscape. Kasteel Croy. Made 2 weeks ago, forgot to post.

Count your blessings, Gemert

 Another quick sketch made during the Tattoo session at Count your blessings, in Gemert.

Gouda Goud Asfalt

 

Quick sketch across the canal in Gouda, and asphalt company unloading into ships.

Gouda, museum harbour

 To prepare for an Urban Sketching meeting in Gouda, on April 18th, I visited potential locations to sketch. This is along one of the canals, at the museum harbour, full of old ships.

Hulsberg Wissegracht

 Quick sketch while I was waiting for appointment at the dentist, of Hulsberg, as seen from the Wissegracht. The rain started quickly after this.

Van Gogh in Nuenen

 

I visited the Van Gogh Village museum in Nuenen; he lived there with his parents before he went to France. He painted the "aardappeleters" (potato eaters) here, based on his visits to the farmers and workers in the region. It was a very poor region in those days. Anyway, even though it was cold I managed to make two quick sketches (each about 15 minutes) of buildings that van Gogh had sketched and painted: the Pastorie (the house of his parents) and the Collse watermill. Each A5.

Utrecht: Museum Speelklok

 

I am secretary of the Association of Dutrch Urban Sketchers. We have 2 new boardmembers, and one leaving, to get o know each other we had a lunch in Utrecht. Unfortunately it was too cold to sketch outside, so we went to a museum of automated musical instruments, like pianola, streetorgans, carrilions and clocks. The top one was cute: an automated Van Gogh puppet, who paints sunflowers every hour. And when he is finished the sunflowers turn around in the painting :) .

Aunt Leny's anniversary: 100 years

 

My aunt Leny, living in Amersfoort, will celebrate her 100th birthday tomorrow. As a present I painted a scene of Amersfoort, at the Elleboogkerk. 

There is a little story attached to this scene. As long as I can remember my aunt has had a painting of exactly the same viewpoint hanging in above the dinnertable. But that painting dates from before WW2 (if I recall correctly). But it's a winter scene with lots of snow. Last summer I was in Amersfoort and I sketched on the same location, but I disliked that drawing. So I remade it with acryl gouache, here it is. Actually, nothing much changed during that time, only the trees are in bloom and they are a lot larger.

Update: 14 december: we had a great party yesterday to celebrate her birthday. Here you see both paintings next to each other :) .

 

Terstraten (Nuth)

A sketch I made on a nice warm afternoon, in a small Hamlet called Terstraten, a few kilometers from my house. Already zome weeks ago, but had no time to post this earlier.

Amersfoort, USk-NL day (2)

 

Forgot to post this one. Not 100% content, but that's okay. My aunt lives in Amersfoort, she is 99 years old, will be 100 in November. She has a painting of this scene hanging in her apartment, dating from about 1940 or so. But even though that one is a winter scene, nothing much has changed since then.

Amersfoort, USk-NL day

 

We organized another National Urban Sketching day in Amersfoort. There were about 300 sketchers in town. Even gthough it was quite hot (>31 degrees Celcius), we had a great day. But it is a beautiful old Dutch town. With canals, tiny streets, ancient gabeled houses, and these kind of old fortifications. I tried watercolour pencils (W&N) on toned paper, with some parts in white gouache.

Stein: remains of the castle

 

2 pages from my sketchbook: made this morning: the ruins of the former castle of Stein. I was in the neighbourhood for some bicycle maintenance; I took the opportunity to go and sketch the castle.

Nash Airflyte 1951

I was cycling through Heerlen, when I happened to spot this beautiful, freshly restored Nash from 1951. It stood on a parking lot, luckily I happened to have my sketchgear with me.
 

Enschede (2)

 

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

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.

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.