Sunflowers

 Cycling to my work in the early morning, I passed a field with dried out sunflowers. I went into the field to draw some. Autumn has finally arrived.

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.

House on the moors

 

Haven't been sketching in the wild for weeks. Neither is this, but I wanted to draw something, some composition drawing. Just putting the pen on the paper, at the chimney, and observing where the lines go.

On a terrace in Ieper

Trying to work with Gouache on toned paper. Based on a picture I took from a guy sitting on a terrace on the Market square in Ieper (not made on location). I am not sure I am using gouache properly, I think I use it too much like watercolour. Still a lot to learn.

Antoing: Eco holiday camp

 

My wife and I had a nice weekend in a small cottage on a holiday camp in Antoing, near the Belgian-French border. It was an "Eco" holiday camp: the wooden boat shaped cottages were located in the middle of the nature, in between shrubbery and trees, and actually floating above the ground not to disturb the nature.

We used the opportunity to visit Ieper and the World War 1 museums and trenches. Quite chilling when you realize what is going on in Ukraine and Israel/Gaza.

Mauritshuis, The Hague

During my visit to The Hague, I visited the Mauritshuis. House of Vermeer's "girl with the pearl earring". And my favourite Rembrandt painting: "lesson in anatomy by Dr. Nicolaes Tulp".
There was a visitor, who was very interested in another Rembrandt painting in the same room. He practically stood with his nose against the painting.

Plein, The Hague

I was in The Hague yesterday, for business. And to visit the museum "Mauritshuis" (with the Vermeer and Rembrandt paintings). Before the visit I made this quick sketch of the square in front of the building.

Euphemia

 

Euphemia.

TRADING CITIES 1: Proceeding eighty miles into the northwest wind, you reach the city of Euphemia, where the merchants of seven nations gather at every solstice and equinox. (excerpt from Italo Calvino's book: The invisible cities.)

Tante Jo, Lievelde.

 

My aunt, Jo Jaartsveld, was living in Lievelde (Achterhoek). But she passed away last February. Last Saturday my mother and I visited her house for the last time, to pick up some souvenirs. And we visited my aunt Coby in Winterswijk (age 99).

I bought a new type of sketchbook, a Moleskine size portrait A5. I tested the booklet by drawing her portrait, after a photograph we made last year, when my aunt was still well. The white line in the middle is the spine of the sketchbook. Moleskine A5 and a Duke Confucius fude-fountain pen.

Brunssummerheide: another tree

 

Brunssummerheide: a tree

Yesterday afternoon, an old tree on the Brunssummerheide. Drawn with a Lamy Joy Calligraphy fountain pen.

Ridderkerk, another boat

 

This probably the last of the Ridderkerk Harbour drawings. My businesstrips to one of the firms in the area are finished. This is the last one of my (belated) lunchbreak drawings. After a three hour drive, we usually had meetings without a break between 11 and 3 o'clock. After that I took a one hour lunchbreak at the harbour and make these drawings, before heading my way back south.

In this one the fountain pen (a Hero fude fountainpen) ran out of ink halfway, I had to finish it at home.

Beek (ZL) Hubertusmolen

 

Coming back from the dentist, I took a sketching lunchbreak. Drawing the Hubertus molen along the road between Beek and Schimmert.

Ridderkerk tow boat

Another business meeting in Ridderkerk, and a lunchbreak sitting on one of the small harbours. There were some old towboats there.

Rhodos Askiplio

 

Askiplio is in the middle of the island. Just two weeks ago they had huge forest fires, 10% of the island was burned. This village was in the middle of that area, luckily the houses were not destroyed, but all the hills were black and charred. We saw several burned out cars and sheds, only a few burnt houses. Depressing.

Rhodos, Rhodos city

Rhodos city, a lovely city, even though there are a lot of tourists, it is still very much a living city. This is a view from the walled city towards the harbour.

Rhodos, Faliraki (3): Family house

 View of the swimming pool of our appartment complex "Family house" in Faliraki.

Rhodos, Faliraki

 

Rhodos. VIew from the balcony of our appartment, "Family house". We enjoyed the small size complex, the owners were very friendly.

Rhodos, Faliraki.

Just returned from a nce holiday in Greece, the island of Rhodos. We had a great holiday.

This is the view on the little harbour of Faliraki, as seen from the terraces on the beach. Lying ojn the beach is not our thing, but drinking coffee and eating ice on the terraces with this view certainly is.

Any-Martin-Rieux: 5th and last painting

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