ABOUT MY WORK
Pastelpaintings and mixed media on paper
Im an artist interested in environmental issues expressed in series like 'The waters of Venice, the Sounds of Nature and the position of the artist in society in the being an Artist series'. Now having Venice in the picture as an endangered historical city because of the rising sea-level caused by climate change. At my first visit to Venice in 2018 while waiting for my boat trip I noticed near the station on a white wall marks how high the water level will be coming years , the curling, spiraling and tossing sea weeds in the lagoon reminded me of the threat of this danger and I started 'The waters of Venice' series.
My technique allows fast results and using a method that suits my temperament with the mix of washed ink, ( Indian ink diluted with water in various degrees )charcoal and pastels needing nearly no time to dry. I make use of high quality 400 grams paper. And before I start my method I’m stretching the paper with tape as a result that wrinkles are not visible.
Besides the washed ink technique I was an experienced model drawing artist and fascinated by the dry-point etching method which is still visible in my varied black lines.
Collage with artworks out of the series The Waters of Venice
The name Pastel paintings is invented in the early 18th century while famous artists made portraits of the elite with pastels on paper accepted as a serious method. Masters working for the elite like the Italian Rosalba Carièrra and the French Maurice Quentin de La Tour. Another of great influences were the old Chinese ink wash master like Hasegawa and Sesschu and the many Japanese ink masters later.
The Grids
Tic, tac, toe or boter kaas en eieren
Years ago I started with the idea to entitle some series ‘tic,tac,toe’ or in Dutch: ‘boter, kaas en eieren’ or ‘butter, cheese and eggs’ as a playful thought and also because it evokes for me a fertile place a spot under the sun and a green land of milk and honey. Its well known that the Netherlands is a land of cows grazing in the many meadows that milk produces a lot of products in making cheese and butter. And these symbols reminds me of the old fashioned milkman or greengrocer who used to deliver milk, cheese and other goods at peoples doors. As I can remember, they put crosses when the customer paid up, and a zero when delivery was on credit.
Thinking about at a different level the range of the positive- and negative electrical poles or the countless zero-or-one schemes that produces all kind of signals over the world. Perhaps the universeis the sum of all mathematical numbers, a gamble in which numbers sort themselves in groups and form the structure of nature and construction of the earth. The grids in my series are little planets similar like our earth, with fantasy forms filled in with colors as budding buds of flowers or where life begins and a fertile green growing place to be. Because of their gentle and calm appearance the colorful little ornaments are a contrast within the my many strong brushstrokes and areas in my Pastel paintings.
The meaning of flowers
Since ancient times flowers are associated with that life and both beauties are short-lived. The flowers of fruit trees as preliminary stage for the growth of fruit and still lifes with flower as Vanitas themes shows the transformations of life. I have described a number of flower types that regularly appear in my work as an important source of inspiration.
Some details from The Grids