London, Westminster

The last of the London sketches, on Cowley street, the backside of some houses just behind Westminster Abbey. De achterkant van enkele huizen achter Westminster Abbey.

London, Soho

After a long day of shopping and museums, we came across a small park off Oxford street, I believe Soho square. While resting on the grass, I made these sketches of this small building, total alien to London.
Een klein gebouwtje in het midden van Soho Park (denk ik). Verwacht je niet in hartje Londen.

London, speakers corner

On sunday we went to Hyde park, speakers corner. Mart loved the hot discussions, and even took part. There was this lady (above) with very english-first opinions. It's good that there a place for this kind of free speech, but I did feel that some opinions don't deserve an audience.

Hyde park, speakers corner. Daar mag iedereen zijn mening verkondigen, en in discussie gaan. Mart vond het geweldig.

More London

Telephone booths at Russel square, next to our Hotel. The floor was littered with explicit advertisement cards. I made the drawing early morning while Mart was still asleep. Telefooncel op de hoek van Russel square, London. Below a live street interview on the swine flu, at Whitehall, in front of the department of health. Remember we saw the same scene in New York? Live reportage over de Mexicaanse griep in Whitehall. Zagen we ook in New York.

London

A week ago I visited London, together with my 17 year old son, Mart. We had a terrific time, not in the least due to the beautiful weather. Luckily I had some time to sketch. Here one of the icons of London, the Tower bridge. And a view towards St. Pauls across the Thames from the Tate Museum of Modern art. Samen met Mart een paar dagen naar London geweest. Een geweldige reis gehad. Tower bridge en St. Pauls vanaf Modern Tate.

Luchballon Patersweg

Last sunday a balloon passed over our house, just missing our roof. It landed on the field a few houses down the road. Only next to a house you realise how big these things are. Afgelopen zondag landde een luchtballon op het veld langs de Akerstraat. Pas naast een huis zie je hoe groot die dingen zijn.

Renovation

The attic of our house (from 1939) needed insulation. It took Mart (my son) and I one and half a week to do. The surface is about 90m2, and the attic is 5,5m high. De zolder van ons huis (uit 1939) moest worden geïsoleerd. Wat een klus, we (Mart en ik) hadden er anderhalve week voor nodig.

Cruise-in

Last thursday, at the Cruise-in old timer meeting in Kerkrade-Heerlen, there was this terrific shiny mean looking blue car, a Mercury eight 1950, converted into a "leadsled". Afgelopen donderdag, by de Cruise-in meeting in Kerkrade-Heerlen, zag ik dit blauwe gemeen kijkend monster. Prachtig. Volgens ingewijden een Mercury eight, 1950, verbouwd tot "leadsled" (toepasselijk).

Cruise-in

Each thursday evening, on a parking lot in Kerkrade/Heerlen, old car enthousiast meet to show their cars. It's not only the shiny, beautifully restored cars, but also the enthousiasm of the owners. Proudly they will tell you tips on spare parts, how to restore a chassis or where to get a decent paintjob. And accompanied by some strong stories of course.Above a Chevrolet Bel air 1957, a Ford pickup from the 50's, and its proud owners. Below a micro car: a Mochet Abeille (I never heard of that before).
De Cruise-in op het Roda stadion parkeerterrein in Kerkrade/Heerlen. Oldtimer enthousiastelingen komen daar samen om hun auto's te showen. Elke donderdagavond. En, mooier dan de auto's zijn de verhalen. Boven een Chevrolet Bel air 1957 en een Ford Pickup uit de 50-er jaren. Onder een microcar: een Mochet Abeille. had ik nooit eerder van gehoord.

Port de Visé

Last week, high temperatures. I decided to spend my lunchbreak at the little harbour of Visé. Schets van de haven van Visé. Lekker in de schaduw gedurende de lunchpauze.

Maigret

I read "L' affaire de St. Fiacre" a book featuring commissaire Maigret. I read it in French to improve my language. Vintage. Gelezen: "l' affaire de St. Fiacre" een avontuur van Maigret, door Simenon.

Mosasaurus

A week ago I visited the museum for natural history in Maastricht, together with my daughter, Rianne. They had the first found remnants (1770, in Maastricht) of a Mosasaurus on display, The French took it to Paris when they occupied the town in 1790. After 210 years it came back, for a few weeks anyway. This skeleton of a long extinct type of dinosaur eventually led to Darwins theory about the species.

De Mosasaurus bezocht in Maastricht. Gevonden in 1770, gejat in 1790, en tijdelijk terug in Maastricht voor het Darwinjaar. Getekend en geschilderd ter plekke.

Marsha

Marsha, our cat. The other cat, Yana, is younger and keeps moving, too difficult to draw. Fountainpen. Marsha, slapend op de terrasbank. Yana rent rond, dat is lastig te tekenen.

Monster trucks in town!

These trucks were parked opposite the Knauf factory entrance in Visé. I returned during lunchbreak to draw&paint. Waterbrush, watercolour, inkpens. Featuring the "Bad Bone" and "Thunderdrone".
Monstertrucks in Visé, tegenover de ingang van de Knauf fabriek. Getekend in mijn lunchpauze.

Lavomatique

Tarbes, a few weeks ago, an unfinished sketch of a laudromat, made near midnight. I was struck by the contrast of the cold blue interior with the orange natrium streetlights. I tried to capture that, but I am not sure if it worked.
Tarbes, middernacht, ik probeerde het contrast tussen oranje straatlicht en blauw interieur van deze wasserette te pakken, maar ben niet overtuigd van het resultaat.

Visé in the rain

Last thursday, I wanted to walk during lunch in Visé, but as I parked the car it was raining. So I sat in the car and drew this cute little building just opposite Collège Hadelin. It's probably from 1920, just after WWI.

Visé, tijdens een regenbui, een gevel tegenover collége Hadelin in Visé.

Albina's secret garden

Albina's book: the secret garden. Based on the story of Jonas and the whale: I could not think of a more hidden world.
De Moleskine uitwisseling van tekenboekjes: dit is Albina's boek (USA), met als thema; de geheime tuin. Mijn tekening gaat over het verhaal van Jonas en de walvis. Ik ken geen beter verstopte wereld....

Thalia's moly: Imagine

Thalia's subject for the Moleskine exchange was "dreams". John Lennon was a major dreamer, we saw the memorial near the place where he was shot, in Central Park called strawberry fields. Seemed like an appropriate subject. The book is on its way to Moscow.

New York, Chinatown

The last of my sketches of New York: a view somewhere in Chinatown towards a watertower. I tried to retrace my steps, maybe this could be Pell street?

Een tekening in een straatje ergens in Chinatown, New York.

Time to draw something else than New York.

New York, what's left

Last drawings and sketches of New York, I completed the diary in my Moly, and finished the last sketches. A newspaperstand in Greenwich, corner of 7th ave. Watertanks across the street fron our hotel on W25 street. A hotdog stand on Madison square, just before the shuttle picked us up to bring us to JFK. What's left is these sketches and nice memories.

De laatste tekningen van New York. Krantenbakken in Greenwich. Hotdogs op Madison Square. Watertanks tegenover het hotel.