Colour 2

The results of the work our class did for the exhibition. The theme is colour, and what colour does to the subject you're painting.
I choose not to show mine yet, I have to do some touchups, I'll probably post tomorrow.
Werk van onze schildergroep voor de tentoonstelling in Landgraaf. Thema kleur. Mijn triptiek staat er nog niet bij, ik moet nog een paar kleine aanpassingen doen.

Binnenvaart

Nice weather at last. During a lunchbreak I sat on the bank of the canal and sketched this ship being loaded with sand, in Lixhe, just across the border in Belgium. Tijdens de lunch lekker zitten in de zon langs het kanaal: dit binnenvaartschip werd met zand geladen, in Lixhe (B).

Colour

Our art class is working on an exhibition, based on the theme "colour".

Idea was to paint figures or models in opposing colour themes.

And it's nice to see all the different visions on this theme.



These are the results halfway, after the first session. Next saturday we will proceed.

Artclass video

My model art class of last saturday. I took some pictures with my mobile phone (that's why it's not top quality), and morphed it into a video. It was the first painting in acryl that I liked, although I still have a long way to go.
A better view on my Flickr page: http://www.flickr.com/photos/renefijten/4435874109/

Royal Grove, St. Helens

A typical english suburban street, as seen from the (to be renovated) laboratory of the Knauf glasswool plant in St. Helens (UK). Zo ziet een buitenwijk in Engeland uit: de Royal Grove, gezien vanaf de Knauf fabriek, St. Helens.

No milk today?

I always thought the song "no milk today" of Herman's Hermits of the 60's described something of the past. But yesterday morning, during a business trip to St. Helens in England, I saw a dairy delivery van replacing empty milk bottles at the local doorsteps.

The second sketch is an old building opposite the town hall of St. Helens. Bezoek aan St Helens, vlakbij Liverpool. Daar wordt de melk nog steeds elke morgen aan huis bezorgd.

Zumthor

Last friday I visited with some other architects a chapel in Wachendorf (the Eiffel in Germany).

A concrete block in the middle of endless fields, but inside a stunning experience. Peter Zumthor (a swiss architect) had the local villagers pour concrete around a shelter made of wooden trees. Then he slowly burned away these trunks, leaving a black coloured room and a lead floor, with the trunks still visible, and dramatic light though the roof and walls. Wow.

BNA bezoek aan Wachendorf, in de Eiffel, vlakbij Duren. Een veldkapel van de zwitserse architect Peter Zumthor. Gaat heen en bezoek! Je bent een ervaring rijker!

L' Epicerie

Last week, business trip to Tarbes, South of France. My favourite restaurant there: l'Epicerie. The sky looks too dark, but that was reality, I painted it at 7.00 AM, and it just became light. In summer the little square is filled with tables. Tarbes, Frankrijk, mijn favoriete restaurant. In de zomer is het pleintje vol met tafeltjes; nog even geduld.

art class 16

Art class, life painting of Annemiek's daughter. My second painting in acryl ever. The excersise was to make an underpainting in "terra verte" (dull green) and then use the colours ochre, burnt sienna and raw omber. It's an 16th century painting technique. I was more pleased with the underpainting than with the final result.
Mijn eerste pogingen in acryl: "groene aarde techniek" als onderschildering.

Carnaval Maastricht

Carnaval parade in Maastricht, sunday 15th. The Maastricht streetparade, called "boonte storrem" (the colourful storm)  is less organized, more anarchistic and even more colourful as the other parades. Schets van de achterzijde van het gemeentehuis, tijdens de carnavalsoptocht.

Carnaval Hoensbroek

Some sketches of the Carnaval parade in Hoensbroek, last monday. Above the arrival of the Prince and his "council of 11" on the market square of Hoensbroek. Schetsen van de carnavalsoptocht in Hoensbroek. Boven: de aankomst van de prinsewagen op de markt.

Sjoepkarrerace

Sjoepkarrerace, or in good english "wheelbarrowrace". Two kows make a round, and meet halfway. As the view of the forerunner is limited, collisions often happen. Of course that's what the public wants. We won this race, but not the competition.  Sjoepkarrerace (Kruiwagenrace). Aktie tekening van het koerennen dit jaar: het moment dat de beide koeien elkaar halverwege passeren. Gelukkig geen ongelukken en beenbeuken dit jaar. En onze koe won deze race, helaas niet de prijs.

Kowrenne 2010

Kowrenne, afgelopen donderdagavond. Onze koe H in actie, het stond op de voorpagina van het regio deel van het Limburg dagblad. Onder: een foto van de groep & kow & prins na afloop. Geen prijs dit jaar, maar het was wel weer erg leuk. Trouwens ook erg koud voor de toeschouwers.

Cowrunning on the local marketsquare of Hoensbroek. Our cow featured in the newspaper, see picture above. It was freezing cold, and they had to free the square of snow. Luckily it was not slippery, no serious accidents this year. But it was great fun,  for the 13th time.

Meer foto's, more pictures, klick on album here.

Pipo de Kow

Cowrunnng on the market in Hoensbroek, yesterday evening.

Here sketches of our theme: Pipo the clown and Mamaloe. It's a Dutch children television series from the 60s.

It was bitter cold, especially for the audience.

Unfortunately we did not win this year, but we had great fun. Pictures will follow.

Kowrenne op de markt. Koud maar heel erg leuk. Schetsen van ons thema: Pipo de Kow en Mamakoe. Goede races gehad, maar helaas niet de prijs gewonnen. Foto's volgen.

art class 14

Art class today. Watercolour wet-in-wet after a live model. Took about an 3/4 of an hour to make.

Cursus portretschilderen: aquarel naar een levend model, Elise.

Interview

I was interviewed for the local Carnaval newspaper d'r UUL, on the occasion of the Kowrenne (in good english: Cowrunning). I am the coach of a group of funny dressed people who do a sprint competition against 7 other paper-and-wood cows, on the market square of Hoensbroek, next Thursday evening. The drawings are mine. Please wish us luck.

Een interview in mijn functie als coach voor onze groep, koe H (de Foehners). Het gaat over het koerennen, volgende week donderdagavond op de markt van Hoensbroek. De tekeningen zijn van mij. Wens ons succes.

Foodmarket in Tarbes

Tarbes, foodmarket in a multi-storey carpark. Local farmers selling their stuff, at 7 am in the morning. Tarbes, parkeergarage. Lokale boertjes verkopen hun eigen producten in de vroege morgen.

Maastricht, Jodenstraat

Maastricht Jodenstraat

art class 13

The results of my last art class, last saturday. Live model drawing watercolour. Modelschilderen: de resulaten van afgelopen zaterdag.

Ville propre

Tarbes, while sketching the shopwindow of the earlier post, this streetcleaningmachine came by.

Een Straatveegmachine, om 7 uur s' morgens in Tarbes, Frankrijk.