Merijan Bijlsma

 

Terrible news this morning. Merijan Bijlsma died last wednesday after three years struggling against the horrible disease ALS. In that time she always kept a smile, a laugh and good humour. She will be missed. We wish her family and husband Bert our sincere condolances.

A year ago she asked me to paint her portrait in watercolour, for her obituary. Quite a chilling request I can say. I based the painting on a great photograph made by our neighbour, Marij Ruyters-Teeuwen.

Thull Mulderswegske

Coming from work on my bike (14 km), I stopped at this countryroad, to make this quick drawing. the sun was setting fast.

Mulderswegske, between Thull and Hommert.
 

Elsloo

Drawn this afternoon, on location, while sitting in my car. I was headed for another scene, but as I parked my car I noticed this view. And listening to some nice music in the warmth of my car made it an easy choice.
 

Magpie

Doodling, I saw this magpie during my running training today, wanted to draw it at home. I am always fascinated by these birds.

Laanderstraat Heerlen

Drawing, based on a 30s picture I found of the Laanderstraat in Heerlen. I heard my mother's family lived here in those days.

Brunssumerheide

 

Made this after my running round on the Brunssumerheide (heath). It was far too cold to make this, there was still some snow lying around. The things we do for art.

Maastrichter Pastoorstraat

I was in Maastricht today. It was too cold to draw, but I tried anyway. The ink would not dry properly, and the watercolour didn't flow at all. Still I couldn't help myself by trying this. At home I did some touchups at the tower of the city hall (the ink was smeared), and I think in the end it worked out okay.

Abandoned in the snow

There is a lot of snow here, since Friday.  I wasn't able to go out, but a friend made a picture of an abandoned house somewhere in Belgium. I liked the picture, and redrew it.

Varanassi: Dolphin rooftop cafe

 

Watercolour of a view from the Dolphin rooftop cafe in Varanassi (India). Overlooking the Ganges, as seen during our visit in 2010. I made an Urban Sketch and some pictures back then, which formed the basis of this painting. You can check the old post at the following link: renefijten.blogspot.com/2010/09/varanasi

Live portrait: Margareta

 

A new live portrait/model session painting. Margarata (I think), she is an Indonesian model.
The idea was to use round brushes, and to start in watery shades, defining the interesting parts later in more detail. Took about 2 hours to make.
Acrylic, about 40x60cm.

Corravillers

 

Watercolour of a workshop in an abandoned factory in Corravillers, France. I made a picture of it last summer, tried it out as painting. Schmincke paint on Millford paper. This is the second one, the first was horrible. Still not 100% satisfied. But when are we ever :).

Brunssumerheide

 

I tried to go urban sketching this week, but twice the rain fell over my drawings, and I had to throw them away. So I went back to plan B: drawing at home. Sketch I made based on a picture of last monday, on the heather of Brussum, a nature area  where I go running. I used my new Duke fountain pen.

Best wishes for 2023

 

Merry Christmas and the best wishes for the next year.

My wife made this tableau, including the ceramic and decorated trees.

Dimmuborgir

 

Luchtime doodle. Based on a picture of the quite alien looking Dumuborgir landscape in Iceland.

Zakynthos, Olive tree

 

Zakynthos, a 2000 year old olive tree, in a village called Exo Chora. Well, loosely based on a picture that we made on holiday a few years ago, in 2018. Actually, I had already sketched it back then, see my post https://renefijten.blogspot.com/2018/10/exo-chora.html. The chair and table were actually there.

Oia, Santorini

 

A little more working on my watercolour skills. Oia, Santorini at sunset. Not on location, onfortunatly, but based on a picture I found on the Internet, by Tom Archer.

Duke Confucius sketch

 I have a new fountainpen: a Duke Confucius 551. Great pen. The pen makes everything between very thick and very thin lines. A quick sketch after a picture.

Bingelrade

 

Saw this yesterday during my running excercise, a country road between Merkelbeek and Bingelrade. Painted it today.

Nuth Nierhoven

Nuth, Nierhoven, at the fishing pond.
 

Gouda

 

A few days ago I made a business trip to Zoetermeer. But I had planned on traffic jams which did not happen, so I was early, and had an hour to spend. I stopped briefly in Gouda, where I managed to make this sketch at one of the canals. Located just outside the center, to avoid hassle at parking my car. It was nice sitting there, under a feeble sun, 12 degrees C, far to high for halfway November, but quite enjoyable.