The scar

I read the science fiction novel "The Scar" (well, I read it's dutch translation "Armada"), by the writer China Mièville.
Great book, if you like Dieselpunk novels.
It's about the adventures of a collection of interconnected ships, forming a floating city.
Gelezen: "Armada" geschreven door China Mièville.

Matisse 2

Haven't done much sketching the last week, I preferred sitting on the veranda untill late at night reading the first book in the (fantastic) Millenium trilogy. Enjoying the warm evenings, smells of spring and twittering birds.
These are colour and composition studies for the Matisse painting we are making for art class. See earlier post.
Niet veel geschetst deze week, ik zat liever op het terras genietend van de avondwarmte met een goed boek (deel 1 van de Millennium reeks: mannen die vrouwen haten). Hier wat kleurstudies voor het Matisse project.

Burned

Mariarade-Hoensbroek, during my running round, just a few blocks from my house, I saw this totally burned out Suzuki. It was  left in the middle a field, and I returned to make this sketch. Probably used by drugrunners or joyriders. Uitgebrande Suzuki Alto in de velden naast het voetbalveld Mariarade. Waarschijnlijk drugstransport of Joyriding.

New York by night

Both paintings next to each other. New York by Night.

Bob

This is the second diptych New York painting, for Bob.
Het tweede schilderij van de tweeluik, voor Bob.

Rianne

Yesterday my daughter, Rianne, turned 21. Not my little girl anymore.
A few weeks ago Rianne and Bob asked me to make a painting to decorate their new home. Bob liked the Madison avenue painting of some weeks ago, and they would like to have something in that style as birthday present.
So I decided to make a diptych (two paintings for each of their birthdays) of which the first part is shown here.
Gisteren werd mijn dochter Rianne 21 jaar oud. Weer een mijlpaal. 
Bob en Rianne wilden voor hun verjaardag graag een schilderij in de stijl van het Madison avenue schilderij van een paar maanden geleden, voor boven de bank in hun appartement. Twee verjaardagen, twee schilderijen, dit is de eerste van een tweeluik.

Matisse

For the art class we have to make a painting using Matisse techniques. That means vivid colours, good composition, contrasts in movement and above all a flat image. I am having trouble with this, especially the flat image (I keep being drawn into perspective). Matisse was never my favourite painter, but it's a good excercise to find out how his paintings work.  These are the pages full of sketches, analysis and ideas to get to the painting. Saturday I will start with it.
Idee schetsen om te komen tot een schilderij, gebaseerd op Matisse technieken. Dat wil zeggen felle fleuren, discontinue beeld compositie, contrasten in beweging en rust etc. Zaterdag ga ik het proberen uit te werken.

Quarry truck

A little south of Maastricht there is a large quarry in the St. Pietersberg for the cement industry, ENCI. During a recent visit for a project I saw this huge Caterpillar truck, 4,5 meter high. It weights 30 tons and can load 50 ton of mergel. Impressive.
Schets van een van de Caterpillar trucks in de St. Pietersberg groeve van de ENCI.

Marijke

Marijke, portrait in acrylic, 80x100cm. It was made during art class, and took about 5 hours. We tried a technique in which every  earlier layer would show through the new layers of paint.
Portetcursus, dit is Marijke, ze stond een paar morgens model voor ons klasje. Acryl, 80x100cm. De bedoeling van deze techniekoefening was dat de oudere lagen door de nieuwere lagen verf blijven doorschijnen.

Niki de Saint Phalle

This weekend I helped children making drawings and collages in the Schunk museum in Heerlen. There was a nation wide museum weekend, and we tried to stimulate the kids to draw what they saw in the art exhibition. There were objects and drawings of Niki de Saint Phalle at display; not really my taste, but still interesting to see these colourful works.
Museumweekeinde in het Schunk museum in Heerlen. Een tentoonstelling van Niki de Siant Phalle. Ik was vrijwilliger om kinderen te helpen met tekenen en schilderen van Niki achtige collages.

Peugeot 203

Peugeot 203; Today during lunchbreak I looked out of my office window to see if it was raining, and I saw this beautiful car on the parking lot on the other side of the street. I had to stand and draw/paint real close, that's why the perspective is so distorted. It took me about 25 minutes.
Deze Peugeot 203 stond aan de overkant van kantoor, tijd voor een snelle schets. Perspectief is wat vertekend, maar dat is omdat ik noodzakelijkerwijs zo dichtbij moest staan.

Im Westen nichts Neues

Erich Maria Remarque wrote a chilling book about his experiences in the trenches of the first World War: "Im Westen nichts Neues", better known as "All quiet on the western front". I reread it last week. I had to do something with the images the book left behind.
Gelezen: "Geen nieuws aan het westelijk front" van E.M.Remarque, over de eerste wereldoorlog.

Bicycles

Another sunny day on the river Maas. A few weeks ago the river was flooded, and the banks are still filled with stuff that the river left behind: bleached wood, blotched plastic and rusty cycles. Rommel langs de Maas, overgebleven na de overstromingen van enkele weken geleden

O.L. Vrouweplein

Another lunchbreak spent in the warm sun of early spring, this time on the Onze Lieve Vrouwe plein in Maastricht. 15 minutes walk to the city center, 10 minutes ink, 10 minutes talking to an interested stranger, 10 minutes paint, 15 minutes walk back to the office. Lunch op het O.L.Vrouweplein, Maastricht. De zon was al warm, de terassen gevuld, een eerste groene schijn over de bomen.

St Servaasbrug

Another lunchbreak on the river Maas, that's the advantage of working in an office on the riverbank.
I walked to the Sint Servaas bridge, originally from the Roman times when Maastricht was called Mosa Trajectum. The statue shows Saint Servaas, who was bishop of our town around 380 BC, and founded christianity in the low lands.
My winter coat was too warm.
Schets van de Sint Servaas brug, Maastricht, een paar dagen geleden in de warme lentezon tijdens de lunchpauze. Werken op een kantoor aan de Maas heeft zijn voordelen.
Eehhh, a small mistake:of course 380 BC must be AD380. To exist Before Christ would be hard for a bishop.....

Segura!

This is Segura! , a Samba band of Brazilian model, who always play during the carnaval parade in Maastricht. Not only their rhythms are fantastic, but also how they dress: it's something between Darth Vader and black clad Ninjas. And the band is always preceded by a dangerous looking guy on a black trike. It dreww them while they crossed the St. Servaasbridge.
Segura!, de Maastrichtse samba band, tijdens de grote optocht vorige week. Geweldige ritmes!

Fishing

Such a beautiful day! It was warm in the sun; during lunchbreak I made a walk along the bank of the river, and I saw this fisherman and his wife quietly staring towards the Maastricht citycenter.
De eerste lentedag, heerlijk weer. Tijdens lunchpauze een wandeling langs de Maas, waar deze visser en zijn vrouw zaten te genieten van de zon.

Optocht

I made some sketches during the Carnaval parade in Hoensbroek last monday. Above the group of  "blieve plekke", with their digging-for-gold wagon. They won the 3rd prize. Below the group "Gaef gaas" (hurry up), who did not only win Kowrenne, but also the main prize of this year's parade.
The sketches are a bit shaky; I had to draw quickly because the groups were moving while drawing. Carnavalsoptocht, Hoensbroek. Boven de wagen van "Blieve Plekke" (3e prijs), onder de koninklijke koets van "Gaef Gaas" (hoofdprijs). De schetsen zijn rommelig, want ik moest nogal snel tekenen.

Portrait

In between all Carnaval activities, there is still time for some painting. Artclass, portrait on brown paper, 50x70cm. I am not 100% pleased with the result. Schilderklas, afgelopen zaterdag, tussen alle carnavalsactiviteiten door. Ik ben niet helemaal tevreden met dit portret op bruin papier.

Sjrapnelle va Gebrook

Sketches made during the Carnaval parade in Hoensbroek, today. The bottom one is a sketch of my wife Gertie and her friend Yvonne, making fun of the fact that grey hair is getting dominant in the streets of our city. They won the first prize!
Optocht in Hoensbroek, vandaag. De onderste schets laat Gertie en haar vriendin Yvonne zien, zoals ze de draak steken met de vergrijzing van Hoensbroek. Hiermee wonnen ze de 1ste prijs!