Sitting in the garden painting these beautiful Carnae water lilies is the way to "cool off" on these hot days.

A Sunday in August

En plein air painting is challenging to say the least. This morning there is a bright sun shining here in the Netherlands and a slight wind will make painting by the water bassins a real pleasure. The water lilies will make their appearance in full ornate around 10 a.m.- time enough to take the bike ride, get the gear set up, Italian coffee next to me and let it rip.

Yesterday Annelies Peet picked up this portrait of her father Gerrit, one of my Men in Blue portraits.
In this case the blue fits him very well as his life was spent flying and teaching for KLM. These portraits of which I have made 27 in the last eight years are 60 X 80 cm. in size. A difficulty factor is keeping the background pure virgin canvas and letting the painted image grow out of it.

This painting in Mixed-Media was painted for the Maria exhibit. I was inspired by a beautiful small painting by Rembrandt in the Maurits Huis Museum in the Hague entitled "Suzanna and the Elders". In this case Maria-Suzanna is not so sure she really would like the announcement made by the dove. The background was inspired by a Courbet landscapre. I love taking ideas of others and incorporating them in a new painting.

We continue to have exquiste cloud displays here. If I am quick enough, I can get a good sketch and the feeling of that fleeting movement in the sky.