Man in Blue

 Working on the portraits I want to exhibit at the upcoming show in Zwammerdam. This is Fred, one of the Men in Blue from the exhibit nearly 5 years ago. I have changed three of the portraits into real paintings, letting the likeness go. I hope that you, the viewer will see this as an attempt to portray a personality in lively strokes of color. Please go to the website for your invitation to the show. We hope to see all of you there.

Joyous sunflowers

Want to squeeze in this boisterous oil painting of sunflowers before the real winter starts. It is a last reflection on summer which keeps the warmth in the house while the winter winds howl.

size: 60 x 60 cm.

oil on canvas

 €650 unframed

The Polder-Summer

"God created the World, but the Dutch created Holland". The English are fond of saying this and rightly so. A Polder is land pumped out of a lake. Here in Noorden we call the whole bit behind our house where I painted this landscape "The Polder". About 200 years ago this was all water= the Nieuwkoopse Plassen. About 400 years ago the dike system in N. Holland enclosed the larger portion from Haarlem to here creating land for farmers and gaining turf for fuel. Pumping out water and creating islands has resulted in a beautiful nature reserve where I love to paint. This particular morning the sky was moving fast and our two geese where galivanting in the right place. The old praam was my water-studio for many years. "She" is retired and festooned with bright pink Pinkster flowers in the late spring.

( Oil Painting on canvas, 60 X 80 cm. €1,850. incl. frame)

The Bright Field inspired by and dedicated to a poem by Welsh poet, R. Thomas.

I have been working on this painting for some years now. it is one of my very first paint-over- paper over paint works. am I finished? I surely hope so. I have now found the "story line" hidden in the layers of paint and the composition. I won't fill it in for anyone else. you have to make your own story. but I would like to know what you find please. Thank you.

Painting:  Mixed technique-oil, paper, oil, crayon  in wide frame, 15cm. on all sides
                 80 X 80 cm. or 110cm. square with frame
                 Price: € 2,000

Today Tina Verklaren received this painting for her 55th birthday. thank you, daughters and husband, John, for choosing this Oriental Poppy painting! Happy Birthday, Tina.

Man in Blue

Five years ago I had an exhibit of 26 portraits called "Men in Blue". the ones I still have are bothering me. After spending a day en plein air painting with Roos Scheuring, LeoVerbeek, Corry Kooy and Bart van Boxtel (who cleverly manned the Zonneveer- boat), I decided to give myself the needed kick. I am now turning these somewhat timid too-figurative portraits into real paintings. Playing with paint and thinking about the intention. They will probably no longer "look like" the models, but hopefully will be exciting with oil strokes. Thanks, friends!

waterlily pond

If you take a look at the first painting in the last Post, you will see the basis of this finished work. Yes, it takes many sessions to become satisfied with a painting. Even then I may pick the canvas out some years later and give it another go. This canvas is 100 X 120 cm., has many layers beneath it including one of paper which gives it a richness of texture and patterns. It feels to me as I look at it hanging on the living room wall as if I am gazing into a pond full of James Brydon's on a warm summer day. These red water lilies appear to be sacred bowls of deep colors attracting insects which drown in the nectar. A stream of light hits the lily pads becoming golden in the late summer light.