My dear painter friend, Lynn Golden, is over from St. Just in Roseland, Cornwall.(see www. Lynn Golden.co.uk)  This is the second year she has come to Holland to specially paint tulips and other spring flowers. It is a 10 day marathon of keeping the flowers alive and perked- up in the greenhouse while starting one painting after another. Herman starts up the wood-burning stove early in the frosty mornings to get it warm enough to work comfortably. She will leave with a new assortment of beautiful pastels and paintings and then send them off to shows in England. It is a very inspiring time here on the island.

Potifar's Wife. Many painters have wanted to take a crack at this Bible story. And many did, including Rembrandt. Unrequited passion you could say in contrast to Delilah and Sampson's painting. Treachery and deceit is more the case. He didn't want to get involved and she just managed to hold onto a thread of his mantel with which she got her even.
I love letting my fancy go with these works. The paper does it for me in many cases giving me the idea. The stories of Sirenes in the Bible are endless. Keep watching, please.

Sampson and Delila is probably the most passionate painting in the series for the big exhibit coming up. It is full of fire and fury just before Sampson's eyes will be put out. Working up to getting the show "Sirenes" finished for the big opening the 8th of March. Please come see it in Sta-Art Gallery, Alphen a/d Rijn, the Netherlands.

The very beginning of a painting of Lilith, the first wife of Adam. It can go anyway after I pasted the papers over a rejected oil on steel plate. keep looking for the results.

The first affiche for the exhibit called "Sirens"! Annet Tersteeg and I are working hard with tintilating results. My theme is essentially : "Women in the Bible". There are quite a few sirens there. To mention a few: Eva, Delila, Salome, Sara, Bathseba and Potifer's Wife. I am using my tissue paper over and under oil paint technique. Keep watching, please.

In December I delivered this pastel I made in Cornwall some years back to friends in Somerset. Portscatho Beach on Roseland Peninsula is so inspiring. The cliffs, sea rushing in and those white houses on the headland. Two painter girl friends were with me. You could say that the beach nearly belongs to painter Lynn Golden. I am happy with its destination, back in England.

Christmas holidays seem to last forever in Europe. Because of the soft weather and lots of rain the ArondsKelk or Callas are trying to push up out of the earth. I am afraid they will get a shock one of these days when the cold is bound to hit. Hyacinths, crocuses and daffadils are also daring to poke their heads up. I hope they will survive until March. I love to paint the Callas which bloom in the wild all over Ireland. Everytime I paint them in my garden I think of them surrounding the Holy Wells in Ireland.