Jan Decleir portrait

My painting was finished last monday. I should add that the original photo by Koos Breukel was also very good. But still, it was quite a challenge to get it right. It took me 4 stages to paint this, with each a week in between (oils have to dry): 

1: underpainting (below, left),

2: shadows, blues and the parts which should look like further away (below, top right)

3: light parts and the parts that shold come forward. (below bottom right)

4: finish and highlights (zee final painting above).

 

Zara

Zara, our granddaughter, stayed here at our home for a day. What a joy. I made this pendrawing, which I coloured with digital means.

AEC Matador

I was randomly cyling through Heerlen, when I came across this beautiful, fully restored AEC Matador. A small truck from World War 2. It looked like new.

I talked to the proud owner, who had more of these restauration projects under way. I saw the remnants of some other old machines. Some kind of a hobby!

Loempia in Hoensbroek

Loempia's are the Dutch word for Vietnamese Spring rolls.

I saw this guy standing next to a little foodtruck on the main square in Hoensbroek. I did not have a sketchbook, just took a quick hazy picture and made this drawing at home.

Antwerp

I had a business trip to Antwerp last friday. Took the opportunity to make this little sketch from the parking lot. It was just a few days before they shut down Antwerp, due to too many Corona cases.
They even have curfew today. It looks more and more like war.

Jan Decleir plays Beethoven

Started on an oilpainting again. This is the underpainting.
It's based on a picture of a Belgian actor, Jan Decleir. But it also looks like beethoven, maybe Jan should take up that part one day.
I am pretty happy with this first stage. The next stages will give a lot of opportunities to spoil this nice start.

Something Silly

Something quite silly. Based on something I saw in a dream, but that was a fountain in a 80's post-modern city square.

Female Figure

Quick one, studying forms, made with ecoline brushpens.

Cadillac in Merkelbeek

Oilpainting: A vintage Cadillac, standing on a driveway in a little village in the Netherlands.
60x50cm on Canvas.

85 your old man

a quick drawing, made after a picture on the internet. Couldn't find the original photographer.
It's supposed to be a guy living on the streets for almost 50 years, at 85 years of age. I have no idea how someone can survive that way.
Made with watercolour pencil (Caran d'Ache Technalo) and acrylic markers.

Maastricht, another one of the Fronten

The same scene, but now in a different style, watercolourpencil.

Maastricht de Fronten

Out sketching with te Maastricht Urban sketching group again. We were 12, and looked for spot where we could draw together, but with enough distance to avoid Corona problems.
The Fronten are the old fortifications against the French and Spaniards, who wanted to have control over this strategic city. Since the Roman era Maastricht had one of the few safe crossings over the river Maas. This is one of the barracks.

Nothing to mention.

Nonke Buusjke

I took my bike for a 20km tour, and made this drawing on the way.
It's Nonke Buusjke, a complex of old farmhouses in Schinveld, in the middle of the forest.
It's located on the border of Germany, and I believe it's a museum now where they still practice old traditional ways of living.

Sittard oude markt

Another one made on the sketching day, a week ago. The challenge was to draw something, and just make one thing in colour. I tried to emphasize the depth of the street.

The Kraken awakes

The Kraken awakes.
Just a fantasy drawing. Stole the title from an old book by John Wyndham, one of the first books I read (and reread) in English.

Sittard market

Out sketching again with friends: Ruud and Desiree.
We organized a zoom urban sketching event. On different locations all over the Netherlands, keeping contact through Zoom. It was really funnyto do.
I made some challenges, one was: draw with little lines and scribbles, don't use a long line.
I saw some fine results from the other paticpants.
The terraces were opened again, this was drawn on the market of Sittard. with some nice coffee.
Outside again.

Our garden

We had a few days with fantastic weather. I made this drawing on my new laptop with the program Sketchbook Pro. All digital.

Zara

Tuesday May 19th: our fourth grandchild was born. After three lovely boys, now a girl.
Daughter of Mart and Lisa. How lovely she is! We are so proud.
It will take a few days before I can see her, due to Corona restrictions, but I guess we'll get chances enough.

De Soto Fireflite Coronado

Saw this old De Soto Fireflite Coronado, somewhere in Heerlen. It was standing at the curb, in front of a vintage car restore shop. There was also a nice old Nash, maybe next time