Wires of life

'Get Under the Wire'

After the explosion of colors in my last work - The Year of the Dragon - I wanted to make a work in black and white. Well, almost only black and white, since I added only one color (in several tones of course!) to it. When I look at my painting now it's finished, I just cannot believe that I've worked on it for weeks (with a pause of 5 days because I had the pleasure of having my fellow artist Bayo - mexican but living and working in Austin, Texas - and his wife staying at my house). It has a lot of details, but at the same time it looks so simple to me. I've been 'in this painting' for so long that I can not look at it objectively anymore.

It is called 'Get Under the Wire', 100x160 cm | 39x63 inch.

Get under the wire, is an english expression, and to me it's that + the exact translation of the words and a lot more. 

Talking of Bayo, his work is really awesome!!! He was in Belgium to attend the opening of his solo exhibition 'Let me in' at ARTISHOX Art Gallery. If you live in the neighborhood, just go there and take a look at his fantastic work. The show runs until March 4. If not, and you are curious: visit www.artishopix.com. You can order his work online! And don't forget to take a look at the work of the other artists, as well as mine on artishopix!!!

Cleaning up

Mucking out my studio and take stock is not my idea of having fun...
Many pots are almost empty, but since I don't want to waste anything I'll scrape out the paint until the last drop.
Not the most adventurous thing to do....
The good thing of cleaning up is that I find back things I lost a long time ago.
By now you must have understood that I am not the most tidy person in the world....
The definition 'chaotic' fits better.
Anyway... I have to continue my 'quest'. Writing this blogpost was just an excuse to take a pause from doing work I don't like.

In the middle of a new painting

Finally the sun is shining... although tomorrow it will be raining again. Like it has not been raining for almost the entire month of December... grrrrrrr.
What really worries me though is to hear the sound of birds which usually announce spring... and to see buds on trees and bushes.... which always gives me this good feeling! But not in the first week of January!!!
But worrying does not help....So I better enjoy the sunlight shining into my studio big time!

I've started a new painting on the second day of this year and I just can't let go of it.
It grows under my hands and everytime again I watch it like it's a miracle. Maybe that is what drives me...?
There still is a lot of work to do on this painting and I don't know how long it will take to finish it. I've learned to be patient (well only considering my paintings).
It is called 'The Year of the Dragon' which is about to start (on January 23), my Chinese sign, so my year. Curious what it will bring! I'm going back to my painting now.