A time for rest
selected for show in London, painting stop, opening of exhibition in France, new videos on YouTube and more
Dear readers,
Tomorrow the summer holidays start. The children will be home every day and I therefore have to temporarily put the brushes aside. Actually, I already started my painting break a week ago because of reading Julia Cameron's world-famous self-help book for creatives: The Artist Way. I realized that from early in the morning until late in the evening (and sometimes also at night) I am busy with things that MUST be done, whether they are related to my artist business or to the housekeeping. I never do nothing, never read (except now) or knit.
In the past, during my teenage years, I would sometimes go for a bike ride and lie on the dike in the tall grass and stare at the sky. Or go to town for some shopping, just for fun.
I never do that nowadays.
But of course I should, because I need that rest to be able to make new paintings, drawings or illustrations. That's why I'm going to pamper myself a little more in the near future and treat myself to relaxation. I’m sure I earned that, because the past year and a half has been the most productive time of my life in terms of the quantity of paintings I made. And that with two children! I'm actually quite proud.
I talk about this subject in my most recent YouTube video, in which I also show the set up of two new portraits.
SELECTED!
I am very proud to announce that my very personal work Rocks the Night has been selected for the Summer Exhibition at The Gallery at Green and Stone in London. You may have seen this work in real life before at Galerie Bonnard, where it was exhibited in September 2023. I had to sit in suspense for a while, but I am now very happy that my little Efisio, who I painted in this artwork, gets a stage in such a special place. You can order an art print of Rocks in the Night on my website.
Painting festival in Noordwijk
For the first time in a long time, I painted en plein air for days in a row. That was during the painting festival in Noordwijk, which I participated to for the first time this year. Meindert and the children came along and enjoyed themselves in the dunes and on the beach, while I went out every morning and sometimes in the afternoon with my bicycle and bicycle trailer, fully loaded with paint, easel, brushes and canvas. It was a very special experience to be in such an inspiring environment and also have the opportunity to capture much of that beauty. I previously thought that the Netherlands was boring in terms of landscape, compared to Sardinia. But the coast at Noordwijk actually reminded me a bit of the island of my youth, with the high dunes and the winding pine trees. It was of course a mission impossible to paint everything the way I wanted, but I am happy that on the last two days I got into a kind of flow, in which I dared to take more risks on the canvas. The fact that I was one of the three nominees for the prize and stood next to two originally Russian painters (Anastasia Dukhanina and Natalia Andreeva) whose work I really admire was another nice bonus. My paintings from the festival, with the exception of the canvas purchased by the foundation, are distributed in this newsletter.
Exhibition in France
The garden has now passed its peak. That happened quite quickly in those rainy and windy days of the past few weeks. Fortunately, I managed to make a painting of the roses when they were still beautiful. Of course I hope for a beautiful second bloom, ideally after our holiday in the South of France, so that I can paint them.
Speaking of France: if you live there or are on holiday in the middle east of the country in the near future, I invite you to take a look at Galerie Nakaï in Tournus. Tonight my solo exhibition opens with still lifes and landscapes from Corsica and Sardinia. I will be present at the opening via a computer screen this evening and I can't wait to take a look at the idyllic town in person.
No concrete news yet about other exhibitions and events where you can view my work. Hopefully in the next newsletter! I wish you all a nice summer with lots of rest, relaxation and nice weather!
Yes, rest is important for the creative process. ☯️
Just had a quick squiz at The Gallery at Green & Stone online. It appears to be befitting of your artwork. So pleased for you that the opportunities you’ve mentioned have come about. 😀