Stairway to Paradise

Craig's Garden

1994

Gone

This big painting was discovered behind many more. Sold! Good for Herman.

Socks from Bosnia

Getting ready

How to make decisions about finishing paintings? This is my encampment room=our living room turned studio. Must be ready for guests by Saturday=Art show for 3 days. You are invited.

Art route

I know, this is in Dutch. What it means is that you are invited to join a big bike route connecting about 30 artists. Our little village, Noorden, has the best artists, we think.

'T Paardje

I hope I spelled that right. Dutch and English are getting more mixed up than ever. I painted this one in the 80's when I got out very early Sunday mornings and drove to a fishing village, Marken, on the Dutch Ijsselmeer. I can't paint from my imagination. It doesn't interest me.The thrill of painting is being inspired by the light and movement going on around me. Being "in" it so to speak. Now I am being like Claude Monet who, when in old age, painted what was around him. And Edward Manet who painted a lovely series you can see in a book, "Manet's Last Flowers".

Eternal

What is that anyway: Eternal love? 

For me the reason why I keep painting Psyche, Eros and red roses. it is something out of bounds for us. A wisp of a dream and longing. Maybe we have felt it ever so briefly. Not to be captured, sealed in a box. In our hearts? I hope so.

We search for metaphors and symbols. There have been so many sculptures and stories made about these two mythological lovers. Most all are classical-romantic=idealized.

Years ago a Flemish girl friend gave me a small replica of a terracotta sculpture found in the ruins of the Roman settlement, 1st to 3rd C. AD. It is in the Gallo-Roman Museum in Tongeren, Belgium. Amazing how it had survived. This small image is simple and clear=a woman and man,naked, holding each other and looking out into the world, proud and human. 

This image stays with me.