Christmas wishes

For all the readers of this blog: the best wishes for Christmas, the holidays and the coming year.
May it be a creative, successful, happy and most of all healthy year, for you and your loved ones.

We received the above beautiful Christmas tree as present from one of my wife's pupils, Isa. Her father works at the Tyltylschool in Maastricht. It's a special school for pupils with multiple handicaps. They make these objects in their activity classes.

25 years on the job

I have been working for 25 years at Tebodin. Actually, the milestone was the past 1st of January, but for several reasons it was celebrated last Friday. We had a good 5 course dinner for my family and close colleagues, in Kolentip, Maasbracht.
I received some nice presents: a beautiful glass piece, made by Belmondo glaskunst, and a frame in which all my close colleagues made an sketch of me.
Of course some of them refer to things that happened over the years; never underestimate the memory of your close colleagues.....

USK meeting Maastricht

Ruud Otten organized a national Dutch Urban sketching meeting in Maastrucht, last saturday.
A great succes, especially when you take our usual Dutch december weather into account.
There were sketchers from Belgium, Germany, Luxemburg and the Netherlands of course.




I was not able to do a lot of sketching, as I gave a workshop: Urban sequence. I did that one before: 5 stages from drawing on the street to sketching a cornerstone. 12 sketchers took part.
The above sketch was made in our local bookstore, located in a former gothic church. It used to be  part of a convent, that's why iy's called Dominikanen.

Sinterklaas 2016: Mart en Gertie

Another surprise object that I made for Sinterklaas.
This one was made for Mart, my son. He was mighty proud to have that appartment with his girlfriend Lisa. So I made this piece: the king and the queen under their crown.
The crown was made from melted glass, in Paté de verre technique. Actually, this would have been a vase, but the bottom part fell apart due to kiln malfunctioning. This was July, the first attempt. (I am already at attempt 4 for this particular vase. It should have run in the oven this week, fingers crossed).
The crown was all that's left.
Below the surprise gift for my wife. I don't think it needs clarification. It's great to be grandparents.

Limburg an der Lahn

Another business trip, to Frankfurt. I had to rise gruelling early, the meeting would start at 9.00, and it's a 3 1/2 hour drive. When returning later that afternoon, I paused to get rid of my sleep, at an old beautiful city just off the Autobahn. Limburg an der Lahn. I made this one standing on the bridge, looking towards the cathedral across the water. I only coloured it half, I was getting cold. Finished it today at home.

Sint: Lisa and Rianne

Like I old before I make surprise gifts for my family.
This glass and iron little dog was made for Lisa, the girlfriend of my son Mart.
Shortly after they moved into their new home, they had a little dog which they called Miku. It's a spaniel, also known as Papillon, also known as "butterfly dog". So that's what I made, a butterfly dog.
The other surprise hift was for my daughter Rianne. She can use a few extra hands in her household, with a child, a husband, a house, a daytime job and a Master study to be completed. The peak hour of their lifes, we have been there as well :).

40s Chevy pickup truck

I had a factory visit this afternoon, which ended early. So I had a little time left before it went dark (at 5 o'çlock). I knew a business zone in Heerlen, where a restoration firm had a few of these vintage cars on their premises. Nice for a quick drawing. Always nice to draw rust.

Portrait in ink

Couldn't go out today, wanted to paint, so I searched for an interesting picture to draw.
This is an unknown man in Rajastan, India, original picture by Aniruth Agarwal.
Coloured inks in an A4 Canson Sketchbook.

Sinterklaas 2016

 

December 2016, Sinterklaas again. That's Saint Nicholas day, the 5th of December, the day Dutch give presents to each other. I personally dislike giving presents with Christmas: not quite the way to celebrate the birth of Jezus.
Anyway, when kids are over the age that they believe the story of Sinterklaas, it's tradition to make surprise gifts for each other, accompanied with a nonsensical poem.

For some reason every year I made all surprise gifts. Already for about 12 years.
Above an example, for Bob, my son-in-law. He would like to buy a real skeleton (he is physiotherapist of profession), but can't afford it. And he is very good at barbecue. And loves Scotland. So I made this barbecue apron for him, combining all these items.

But here is another surprise, for the first time in all these years I was treated as well! Bob made a surprise gift for me. Theme: Grandfathers should stay active as long as they can. Making fun of my other hobby: running....

India, Orchha

Still playing with coloured inks. I like them a lot.
This drawing was based on a picture I once took in India, in Orchha.
I am using cut bamboo, dipped in ink and large flat brushes. All in order to get a more vivid, paintery drawing style.

Talbot racing car

Commissioned painting of a Talbot 26c Racing car.
The same as I posted some weeks ago, but that was a trial.
Here is the final version, size A4.
I understood that this birthday present for the owner of both the car and now this painting was very pleased.

Steinhuder Meer

Returned from a business trip to the Hannover area, Neustadt am Rüberberge. We slept in a hotel in an old fisher village next to a large lake "Steinhuder Meer". Now a tourist resort.
Sketching in winter is hard, as it's still dark when we get up in the morning, and pitchdark when return in the evening. I had to take my breakfast early, just to create some 15 minutes in the early morning light. Just before we would leave for the meetings.

 
I had to work quick, and it shows.

A new sketchbook (2)

Testing the other sketchbook, Hahnemühle watercolour A4.
Like with the Canson one, rather smooth paper as compared to Moleskine.
Works nice, much like the Canson.
This drawing was made with coloured acrylic inks. Next step will be testing with watercolour.

Cavarinha

An imaginary city, I called it Cavarinha. (not a Italo Calvino place, but it fits in his world.
I started drawing with that person in the centre, standing alone under the arc. And just kept adding things and bridges and widows and stuff without a real plan. Maybe that's not completely true, as I started I immediately had the firm idea that the place should be an underground city.
I added the dark background digitally afterwards.
Here two detailed parts.

A new sketchbook

For >10 years I use Moleskine A5 and A4 watercolour sketchbooks. But the A4 (Folio) are hard to get. After several promises and more than a month waiting I decided to try other brands.
I wanted to get a Stillmann Beta series, but they could only be ordered though Germany.
So I bought a Canson 230 grams book (60 pages). And tried it out with this quick sketch in coloured inks.
I also bought a Hahnemühle watercolour book, but haven't tried that one out yet.

I lost it

Here is an example how you can lose the painting that you want make, when you work too long at it.
Left you see the first stage, after about 3/4 of an hour. Size 50x60, all in acrylic.
It was pretty vivid. I should have redone the part under the nose, reworked the chin, and suggested the shoulders. And leave it at that.
But I kept on painting for another half hour, and totally spoiled it. It's not even very bad, but it lacks the vivid paintstrokes of the first one.
I wish I could say that I learned my lesson, but to be honest, it's difficult to find that good spot.
I know I have to pay attention constantly.

Election day

At the risk of offending all those who go with Trump for all the good reasons, I personally think its a bleak and grim day for the world. Not so much for his ideas (if there are any) but more for his unstable and virulent character.
I really hope that this day will not be one that you will read about in history books in a hundred years time.

Oldsmobile and more

Went to a vintage car meeting in Brunssumthis afternoon. It was pretty cold, and the rain threatened to spoil the meeting. The owners stayed inside with hot choco and drinks.
I could only made the drawing of this beauty, it was too moist and cold to paint: it would not dry.
Painted it at home.
The German owner told me it was an Oldsmobile 98 Holiday hardtop Coupe dating from 1954. 
I also made this ink drawing of some 4x4's, but this was a quick one, just before the rain set in.

Deserted

Lunchtime doodle. Nothing special.
I saw a painting by Peter Stauder hanging in a art gallery in Cologne last weekend, that inspired me to do this sketch.

More Schmallenberg

Another scene in the Sauerland (Germany). I saw the scene during a short stop while driving through the magnificent coloured hills. That evening I made this quick painting while waiting for our dinner to be served, from memory. Well, the scene is not really complicated, is it?