Robots on Mars

 

I made this painting on request of my grandson, Jake. He wanted something with planets and rockets. So I made this one, size 50x60cm. He was very happy with this.

 

Agnes, portrait in oils

 

Last live portrait session before the holiday. Agnes, oil paint on board, 40x50 cm. Took me about 2 hours to make. IT was a long time since I used this technique: no drawing, add painted directly and washed it out. I used water based oil paint by Talens-Cobra.

Coney Island

Started a new painting, after a picture I took on Coney Island, NY, in 2019. In the sketch you can see the Ferris wheel between the buildings. Size 60x50, oilpainting. this is the basics: the underpainting. Just to show how I block in the large elements in toned areas. The real work begins now.

New Jersey

 

Oilpainting, after a picture I took back in 2019, when our taxi brought us from Manhattan to the new Jersey airport. Cobra watersoluble oilpaint on wood, 50x60cm. Time for another one.

New Jersey

 

Started on an oilpainting. Based on a sketch, that was based on a picture I took from the taxi when we were returning to the airport coming from NYC. Still needs a lot of work. I noticed I was totally out of habit painting with oils.....

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.

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.

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.

France: Any Martin Rieux: an old barn

 

Here the painting I was most proud of: an old, half collapsed barn in Leuze, a small village close to Any.

I took a pice of MDF wood 60x80cm, and sticked carboard to it, then acrylic paint.

It was really nice weather that day, warm, but not hot. The farmer even dropped by to look at what we were doing; he was quite talkative, and showed us the cows he was clearly proud of. THe barn dated back to WW2, and had been in this state since 20 years. Which is a small wonder.

France: Any-Martin Rieux (2)

 

I am lagging behind. Far too busy in the office. Another drawing/painting in Jaunes. Acrylic and charcoal.

France: Any Martin Rieux

 

Painting week in France, under the guidance of Annemiek Jongen. We had a great group of 6 participants, fine lodging and superb French food. The weather wasn't so cooperative, it was quite cold for June, but we had a great time nontheless. 

Here is a study on bamboo paper 50x70cm, made with charcoal and acrylics, of an old farm in the little village of Jeantes.

Astrid

 

Live portrait painting session at Annemiek Jongens atelier: Astrid. The idea was to make an underpainting, to study light/dark and tonal quality. I couldn't resist to add warm/cool colours. Took about an hour to make. Acryic on bamboo paper 50x60cm.

Antoing

Quick scene in gouache, after a view we saw a few weeks ago, during a walk along on of the canals in Antoing, Belgium. Unfortunately not made on location, I am still reluctant to bring gouache to on location drawing/painting.

Exhibition Hulsberg

 

A small exhibition of a few of some of my paintings was opened today in Hulsberg, at the local doctors practice "Huisartsenpraktijk Hulsberg". I am quite proud to see those works there.

Even though I paint and draw a lot, I realized that I seldom frame the paintings. I never take the time to do it, obviously I am always eager to produce sometihng new. But it makes the paintings better. Lesson learned.

Any-Martin-Rieux: 5th and last painting

I made this in the courtyard of our lodging, on the last day of our painting holiday.
 

Abstract landscape

One of the paintings I made in France, trtying to turn a landscape into something more abstract, with focus on making the painted areas as interesting as possible, without losing the composition. A bit like Rothko.

Any-Martin-Rieux (3)

The hills over Any-Martin-Rieux, near our Chambre d'hotes. Just when I had finished, an angry farmer dropped by, and said we were standing on private property. It looked like a country road, but who are we to know for sure. Actually, that was not the first time a farmer sent us away. Usually French are very friendly, but I assume we should have asked around in the village who the owner is, and asked permission before we started.

Aubenton, France

 

A door of a workshop in Aubenton, the North of France.

I made this on location, using ribber carton, local newspapers, tilemortar on a wooden basis. And acrylic paint.

I tried to get the idea of the door.

Here you see a picture of the door, with the painting in the corner. It was fun to make.

Any St.Martin Rieux (1)

I just returned from a great week, drawing and painting in Any-St. Martin-Rieux, a small village in France, just south of the Belgian border.

We did several assignments, initiated by the artist Annemiek Jongen, who organized the week. All together our group consisted out of 12 painters. 

Great scenery, perfect warm weather, plein-air painting during the day, superb French food for dinner, great company in the evening, and don't forget the abundant amounts of white wine: making art doesn't get better than this.