Pull up stakes

Empty walls in my studio.
Lots of paintings, packed in bubble-plastic stacked against the walls.
Boxes filled with pots of paint and tools.

I loved painting overhere... I loved my place.
It was a great studio to work in, but now I've packed my stuff, it's no longer my place anymore.

Fortunately I've got a very nice studio to look forward too.
I just have to wait another month and a half before I can start to paint again in my new studio.
Well 'wait' is not exactly the right word... I'll be preparing the next move: pull up stakes to a new house!

AN INTERVIEW WITH ME ON FAD!

I feel honored to be interviewed by FAD!

I like the questions very much. They are fresh, with humour and completely different.

 

FAD is a London based art website covering contemporary art news, street art, video,design, etc. They cover new openings,art fairs from around the world and have extensive interviews with artists themselves. As well as news from the London scene they cover Berlin,Paris,New York and even the Asian market. It’s an eclectic mix of cool happening art stuff.

If you want to read they interview and all the other cool art stuff on FAD:

http://www.fadwebsite.com/category/art/

FOUND: a new location!!!

Everything has been arranged, finally!
We've found a new space to live and work.
It's only 18 km from my studio in Eersel!
Though it's not located in the Netherlands, but in Belgium!

To be exact, it is located in Lommel, only 2,5 km on the other side of the border.
My studio space is not as enormous as in Eersel, but big enough and it feels good (which is the most important thing!), It looks good too!
As from September 15, it will be ready for me to start a new series of paintings!
By then I'll announce the exact address of course and my new telephone number.
My website-address stays the same (it's proven to be of service: dot eu), my email-address too, and one can call me on the current telephone number until further notice.

What direction are we heading?

It was really awesome to see everyone going completely nuts when the Netherlands reached the finals of the FIFA championship yesterday. One big party on the streets and squares. Everyone was shouting, dancing and singing. Even for a long time after the game had ended.
I wish it could be like that more often. Seeing everyone so happy, feeling the positive energy and euphoria...
We could create wonders together...

I wish I could feel the same about the political situation in the Netherlands on the long term.
Though I think Geert Wilders is having a good time. He eagerly uses the fact that the CDA stands aloof and does not want to join in the negotiations on a cabinet of CDA, VVD and PVV. Now he can crawl into the underdog position.
I think it is a wise decision of the CDA, after loosing so many votes, not to have the arrogance to still want to govern. It is best for them to go into opposition.
While I certainly am not in favor of Wilders ideas and the way he handles certain subjects, I do believe that he should participate in a new government, given the considerable profits of his party during the recent elections. 

He should not oppress, nor should he be oppressed.

Thus he can show what his party can or ... or just can not achieve.
By participating in the government, he might win support... or he will loose support.
Proclaiming something, is completely different from putting it into practice. He started off on the wrong foot anyway. A day after the results of the elections, Wilders sacrificed a very important statement (which he absolutely was not going to drop, he promised before) in order to be able to participate in the government. Question mark, question mark.. exclamation mark, EXCLAMATION MARK!

At this moment he is more or less in the underdog position (which he partially provoked himself, slick as he is), which might have the opposite effect that his support will grow, purely on his remarks. This can be a dangerous development. If a new government (without his party) fails in the coming years, his party might grow tremendously without ever having proved that he's the one with the right solutions... or NOT!
I'm very glad that the Netherlands can not be ruled by only one party!

Everyone should face the truth that worldwide all races are mixing up, and we'd better join than fight eachother!

Creating fear is easy, overcoming it is much harder.
If we don't succeed to overcome fear, more contradictions, more radical leaders and more hate will be created. It's action and re-action.

We could learn from the sports. We can do it together. We've just got to believe in - and go for it!
No oppression but confrontation, communication, accepting losses, facing the truth and creating new opportunities.