OPENING SOLO EXHIBITION @ POP-UP GALLERY

Sunday December 15 was the opening of my exhibition at Pop-Up Gallery, Kerkstraat 67 in Lommel, Belgium. A lot of people showed up and it was a great success. Also a lot of ART-bags were sold and ordered and the reactions were great!

1 Michelin * Art (wink, wink!)

Since about half a year, the clients of Eethuis Cuchara can enjoy my paintings, during their excellent diner night.

THAT excellent, that MICHELIN has decided to give the restaurant 1 Michelin *.

To me Cuchara is a taste adventure. The food is delicious and totally unexpected.
The compositions are extraordinary and the wine arrangement is perfect.
A lovely staff and a beautiful entourage makes your night out complete.

And yes I am proud that my art is, somehow, part of all this.

Congratulations to Jan Tournier, Master chef of Cuchara!!!

Check www.cuchara.be

GROUP SHOW IN NEW YORK CITY - Monkdogz Urban Art

Figurations and Abstractions

Working on a new figurative painting

Uptil now, the largest part of the paintings I created this year, were figurative ones. And from the beginning of April, it ONLY were figurative paintings for the series 'Show the Inside on the Outside'. 

But it started to itch... The creation of an abstract painting always gives me this feeling of freedom. With figuratives, I always have to remain within the framework. I love to make figuratives paintings though! That is why I decided to alternate more. So I recently finished a painting in the abstract series and currently I am working on a figurative one, while I already set up the subsurface for a new abstract work. 

OPENING solo exhibition @ Van Bellen Art - Sept. 8 - Oct. 20

It was a lovely Sunday with beautiful encounters, great reactions, sales and options @ Van  Bellen Art in Willemstad, The Netherlands. My solo exhibition shows 10 works from the
figurative series and 7 paintings from the abstract series. The largest part of the figurative
paintings is brand new.
I've been working very hard on these series during the past 5 months.
The main theme for me is to show the inside on the outside. Everyone carries his past with him, and the character one is born with. The image one has carefully build, hides the biggest part of the inner world. With my paintings and carefully chosen colors I create a sort of auras. The rest of the imagination is up to the viewer.
Check www.vanbellenart.nl for information on opening hours, address etc...

Preparing for SOLO exhibition Van Bellen Art in Willemstad, the Netherlands - Sept. 8 - Oct 20.

During the past 3 months I've been working like crazy to create new paintings for my solo exhibition at Van Bellen Art in Willemstad, which will get started on September 8.

To create a painting takes a lot of time, and I get impatient myself often.Some- times I wish that only by projecting my ideas on the canvas, the painting would appear. On the other side, it is amazing,every time again, when what I have in my head, really appears on canvas through my hands.

Now it is time for a holiday. I hope to meet some of you on the opening of my exhibition at Van Bellen Art. I wish you all a lovely summer!

Once more: Calvet - AND WATCH IT YOURSELF!!!!

I've been extremely busy lately, preparing for 2 solo shows later this year.
The first one already starts at the beginning of September, at Van Bellen Art, in Willemstad the Netherlands. So I am working my ass off!!!
I have to divide my precious time, and that's why I haven't been active on this blog.

Followers of my posts, have seen the blogposts I did on the movie/documentary on Jean Marc Calvet, my fellow artist and friend.
Finally the documentary came to Paris, as well as his solo exhibition.
Since I lived in Paris for a while, I still go there every year to visit my friends... and this time I combined it with the screening of the Calvet movie at the Majestic Bastille and the opening of his solo show at Galerie Mark Hachem on the beautiful Place des Vosges, in the presence of Jean Marc Calvet, Dominic Allan (the director) and Edith Progue (Soundtrack). 
All friends of me, and I am very proud of them.
Above and below some pictures...

 
BUT ALSO.... if you've become curious of the movie, check the link below, because you can watch the stunning documentary at home:

"CALVET Special Edition DVD - over 100 minutes of free extras & unseen footage
Clic BUY MOVIE - get DVD + Stream film online for free!
http://calvetmovie.com/

and or Download the Orginal Soundtrack:

Vernissage of my exhibition at Galerie Radeski in Liège

Last Friday it was the opening of my exhibition at Galerie Radeski.
 
A large number of my paintings, figuratives as well as abstracts, are presented on this show.

Not only my art is there, but also the wonderful AND colourful art of Abelardo Hernandez, Arthur Dorval and Eelco Maan, a.o.

I am very pleased to be working with Galerie Radeski, with their wonderful collection of artists.
 
It was a very nice evening, and I feel really overwhelmed by all the compliments, and it was SO nice to meet some of my art-collectors, 'old' art lovers, and new art lovers!!! Thanks!!!

The show runs until June 2.
Galerie Radeski, 69, Boulevard D'Avroy, 4000 Liège, Belgium, www.galerieradeski.be

INVITATION to my exhibition at Gallery Radeski

Recently I started working with Gallery Radeski, Boulevard D'Avroy, 69 in Liège, Belgium.

You are warmly invited to the OPENING of my exhibition on APRIL 19, from 18 - 21.00 hours, in this beautiful gallery, filled with art of top artists.

I will be attending the opening as well.

The exhibition will last until June 2.
For more information and opening hous check: http://www.galerieradeski.be/
(currently the website is under construction again)

Besides my abstract and figurative paintings, you can also admire the colourful works of Abelardo Hernandez and Anthony Dorval.

The older I get, the less I understand.

I have to throw this out:
 
WHY is the Western world maintaining the importance and power of a pope, while at the same time the Vatican probably is the most corrupt state in the world???
And it has been from time immemorial!

The Vatican is constructed by and on lies, intriges, blood money, secrets and sexual abuse....
It makes propaganda to reject gay sexuality, while in actual fact toooo many priests, bisshops, cardinals, and other species in the church assault each other and/or young innocent children!
It is SO afraid of women, that it has always suppressed them... and there is absolutely no question that a woman could be a priest.
Sinces centuries the Vatican tells us stories which are not true.
Jesus would turn over in his grave if he knew what we are told, from his name.

Since the number of believers is decreasing, I don't understand at all, why the media makes so much fuzz about the election of a new pope, nor what he is telling us.
Or is it, because the media don't have anything else to tell us?
Or..... do the media get PAYED by the Vatican to publish their rubbish??
??????

Rhythm-series.

I started a new series, Rhythm, and the first new painting in this series is called: 
Rhythm & Reds.
Yessss..... with a wink at 'Rhythm & Blues'.
On this picture, one can see, how I alternate the constructive phase, with the detailed phase, next again the constructive phase, before finally really ending with the detailed phase.
While using palette knives, brushes and fingers, I build and sculpt my paintings.

The image of the final painting, you can find on my website, or on my FB page.

SPECIAL THANKS TO ALL PARTICIPANTS IN THE AUCTION!!!

During the auction, I added 2 more small paintings: Tiny-Est no. 3 and Tiny-Est no. 4.

The auction is closed, and every item has been sold for a nice price. So I am happy with it!
The total yield is absolutely peanuts in comparison with the loss of my friends (because of Sandy, the insurances, the banks and the government), but they are very grateful!

SPECIAL THANKS to all participants in this auction. I am really grateful!
The original paintings are going to Switzerland, USA, Dubai, The Netherlands and Belgium.
Both limited edition fine art prints are going to the USA and The Netherlands.
The signed posters are going to the USA, Spain, France and The Netherlands.

Thank YOU!!!

AUCTION OF MY WORK to help my friends who LOST EVERYTHING!!!!

       3 small original paintings - 2 Limited Edition Fine Art Prints, 1 poster (5 pcs)

They lived on Long Island, New York. Their first loss was because of Sandy, NEXT because of the insurances, THIRD because of the banks, and last but not least....because the system stinks. 

Check THIS link, and click on each picture to see what the starting price is, and what bid has been made.

Bidding starts NOW and ends on February 8, 2013, 00.00 hours CET. 

You can send me a message with the painting/print of your choice and the amount you want to bid, on my personal e-mail: mail@estherbarend.eu or through my FACEBOOK message box .

'Imagine you wake up tomorrow morning. And everything you own is gone. Your home, car, all your belongings, everything you worked for your whole adult life. You spend the next couple weeks camped out on a friends couch. You spend your days tearing down your walls and ripping up your floors because they are septic. Due to mold and sewage. You bag up hundreds of industrial size garbage bags of of your hard earned belongings and memories and put them on the curb for the dump. The weeks turn into months. You rent a place but are still paying a mortgage and tax's for a place you can not live in. Your insurance company who you have paid for decades nickels and dimes you. And even if they pay ( and its the least they have to ) the bank may hold or refuse to cash the check so you can start to rebuild. Then your told after all this you may ( there's a good chance have to elevate your home six to ten feet at a cost of seventy to eighty thousand dollars. So you may want to consider delaying any rebuilding until after that's resolved which could take a couple years. Now imagine this what I just said may well be your best case scenario . That's what the people in my community are dealing with day after day. These are not irresponsible people they just happened to be in the target path of a storm named Sandy. Now they are being run over by incompetent bureaucracy and greedy banks and insurance company's. Now you may not think this is your problem. And I hope it never is. But if it does you will understand how the people in New Orleans and New York, Conn,and New Jersey feel. Good luck with your faith in the system...'

MINDLESS WATCHING - or better: WE ARE SPOILED!!!

We are living in a fast society. 
Every day millions of images, logos and texts come rushing by. Since the entrance of Facebook to the internet, it has been multiplied x1000... or even more.
 
It is a luxury problem and we are spoiled through it.
We set ever higher aims all the time.
Action movies need MORE action and more images than ever before!
Games need to be more explosive, need more action and more images which are sharper than your eyes can digest, etc...
Artists and art lovers check the internet and facebook, and see come by thousands of images every day.
Amongst them BEAUTIFUL pictures, which are sometimes breathtaking and stunning. But the next day, one needs a new shot of even more interesting images again.

Of course, internet is a wonderful phenomena! 
We can instantly visit every place in the world, see and share all those beautiful things, without travelling for hours, without spending a lot of money, etc...
Looking to small pictures of art on the internet, absolutely can not be compared to experiencing a piece of art in reality.
One can't really immerse in it, and does not feel the immensity, the shivers, the humbleness and other upcoming emotions in the same way.
People don't pay a lot of attention to a beautiful piece of art on the internet.
We digest a picture of a piece of art, within a few seconds, before we get hungry for another one again.
This really is a pity.

The american professor in art education Terry Barrett, composed 3 questions, which help us refelect and discuss a piece of art, which is the main goal of art! (Thank you Bregje van der Laar, who does tours in the Museum Boijmans Van Beuningen in Rotterdam - The Netherlands, for pointing out).
1. What do I see?
2. What is it about?
3. How do I know?
By asking oneself these questions, and sharing answers with one another, people come to new insights.
The questions lead from (mindless) watching to thinking and give meaning to.

I have noticed that, while looking at e.g. a painting, while asking myself those 3 questions, the painting gets a lot more interesting.
It does not have to become pompous/stilted (not for me anyway, I reject pompous).
I get more attracted, want to dig deeper, know more.
It becomes a matter of the soul.
I even think, I get to understand the creator better.
The painting gets more attractive by looking at it, from different points of view.
The three questions help with that!
Of course, when you ask yourself those 3 questions, facing a piece of art in reality, it works the same. It becomes more attractive.

Stop the mindless watching, and start enjoying!!!!

Want to know more?
Check http://www.terrybarrettosu.com/

Challenge - my contribution to a contest

'Chapeau! With sheer royal verve!' 60x80x4 cm | 24x31x1,5 inch, acrylic on canvas (as usual)

If you do not recognize or know her: this is my interpretation of Queen Beatrix of The Netherlands. The NOS (dutch television) has a contest for a portrait of the Queen. The best ones will be selected for an exhibition in Paleis Het Loo, in Apeldoorn, The Netherlands. 

It was quite a challenge to catch her. But it was fun too! My explanation about how I constructed the painting is as follows:
I made the background on purpose quite rough, and next made it come back in the foreground, just like Beatrix' background matters in the present. 
Beatrix is glowing, proud, enthusiastic and openly.
Her hat represents her life: a combination of the past (background which also is in the foreground), to the present (thick layers), dynamic movements (turbulent times), warm colours (enthusiasm and passionate).
Nothing stands alone, everything is intertwined.

There are already about 1000 contributions, and there are a lot of FANTASTIC works of art, so it will be hard. Anyway, check it out if you like to: http://nos.nl/koningshuis/beeld-van-beatrix/page/1/