New, new, new....

A new series: A blast of air in full color. While I was working on it, I already fell in love with the paintings...

TIMES SQUARE TO ART SQUARE

Yesterday I saw an item on Dutch national television about a Dutch student (and a large team of assistants) of  who wants to change Times Square into Art Square temporarily. 

Times Square to Art Square Teaser from Times Square to Art Square on Vimeo.

I think this is such an epic idea! If you are interested in participating, donating, etc.. please read the rest on http://www.timessquaretoartsquare.org

Party! - Life is only what you make it

After I've been working very hard on a new collection of Portable-Art, today I finished a diptych. Not a large one, only 140x30 cm/55x12 inch, but nevertheless very laborious.

'Party! - Life is only what you make it'.

Last week Antonie Kamerling, a famous actor in the Netherlands, committed suicide, only 44 years old. I was really shocked.

First there was only the news that he was dead, but I immediately knew he committed suicide. He had something over him, a sort of 'tristesse' below the mask of happiness he wore... Apparently he suffered of depressions. He left behind a wife and 2 young children. I wish them the best. 

Most people don't understand at all. He was talented, good looking, succesful and had everything he wanted, they say... But some things in life are that elusive and incomprehensible that you just have to accept that it is what it is. 

Life is what you make it. So let's celebrate it as much as we can.

 

courtesy of Henk van Kooten

 

 

Why do a lot of Facebookers and LinkedInners want to collect thousands of friends?

I really don't understand and am sincerely interested!

I got myself an account on Facebook in 2007.
At the beginning I tracked down my friends, fellow artists I know in person, people from the past etc..
I was fun to communicate through this medium.
When I received friend-requests from unknown people I refused for the simple reason that I did not know them.
Nowadays most of the time the new connections come through friend-requests I receive.
I post links to my blogposts on Facebook, for the interested friends who wanted to connect themselves, and furthermore I comment on my friends messages. Also there's a bit of teasing and making fun!

I noticed that a lot of people are collecting friends.
I can understand if you admire an artist/popstar/writer/actor/musicians etc..., and you want to follow this person or group.
But what does it bring an average person to have thousands of friends? I'm really curious.
I consider myself an average person. I accepted friend requests from people who want to follow me as an artist, but I'm no Moby or Madonna.
What struck me, is that some fellow artists send requests to everybody, and after you accepted those requests, and became friends, they never show any interest in you.
In my opinion the friendship is more or less forced upon you. And only one-way. It looks a lot like spam.
Some people have no other activity on their wall then their daily completion of new friends.

Why do people collect so many friends through social media?
Is it because one derives their identity from their number of friends?
Or the amount of famous people one is connected to?
Is it opportunism, and trying to ride along with succesful people?
Is it because one thinks one can become sort of famous this way?
Is it for professional marketing purposes? And does this have satisfying results (when you're not already a famous person)
Because if everyone has got thousands of friends, their news feed-page gets stuck with messages from all those people and one can not see the wood for the trees anymore.
One cannot be famous amongst millions of famous people.

What I'm I missing if I don't start collecting lots of friends?

Who has the answers?

Portable-Art collection 2010.

Last year I did a project called Portable-Art.
The idea came up, and after a lot of experimenting a collection of art-bags appeared.
I got really awesome reactions on the art-bags (fully created and manufactured by myself, which cost me days for one bag).
But I got fed up with the very meticulous process of manufacturing and finished the project. Back to my large paintings (what a relief!!!)
However, I still love the idea and still receive great reactions. 2 weeks ago suddenly a new variation arose in my mind and I started experimenting again with new art-bags.
Above a first peek. A close-up of an art-bag of the 2010-collection under construction. The first new bags will be exhibited on BLOOOM, the creative industries art fair in Cologne (Oct 28 - Nov. 1). When the collection is ready I'll add it to the Portable-art page on the Project-page of my website (I need to update the old page).

Living from the heart

Detail from 'The big coalescence'

I'm reading a very interesting book, written bij Ab Straatman. It's about living from the heart (only published in Dutch).
It's full of confirmations about how I think about life (which touches me because I always thought I was a bit crazy concerning this), and of course also new insights.
Interesting is the part about male and female. He writes that on cellular level there is only a tiny difference in the DNA of men and women.
Deep in your soul everyone is masculin and feminin. But deeper, in your subconsciousness, you're neither masculin, nor feminin.
That struck me because I've often experienced that when I'm creating, and I'm in a sort of 'not being around'-mode, it doesn't matter at all who I am, or what I am.
Actually, when I'm in that sort of mode, I do not realize it. It's always afterwards, when I ask myself where I was when the composition was made.
Also, I'm often told that one's thought on first sight was, that my paintings were made by a man. It comes as a surprise that they were created by a woman.
I think that my paintings come from deep within me. From the place where it doesn't matter what you are.
Ab says that your subconsciousness is one of the strongest creating forces in life. In every way! I think it's true.

The big coalescence

It took me all week to paint this new work which consists of about 7 layers.
It's 140x110 cm / 55x43 inch.
'The big coalescence', my expression for unconsciously and consciously wishful thinking for a better world.
I've given up the idealistic idea that this will ever come true, so I create my own world.
And I like it! ;-))

Highly recommended

French painter Jean Marc Calvet, living in Nicaragua, is my highly esteemed fellow-artist at Monkdogz Urban Art Gallery in New York City.
British Director Dominic Allan has made a long feature film about his-everything-but-common-life.
CALVET - redemption from darkness to fame. It will be released in 2011.
Saturday Jean Marc sent a message that the soundtrack of the film was online now.
Curious as I am for the movie, I immediately went to the website of Edith Progue, the micro-classical music composer of this soundtrack who lives and works in Paris.
I listened every track of 'CALVET'... Goose bumps! Especially Aelita. It made me even more curious to view the images which go with the music.
And I just had to discover the rest of Edith Progues music.

Curious too?
Check:
- http://jmcalvet.com/ and watch his paintings
- www.edithprogue.com and listen to his beautiful music
- http://jmcalvet.com/html/proyect.html, to see some pictures made during the production of the film.

- www.monkdogz.com
And of course, go see the film!

Engine of progress

The funny thing with my paintings is, that one often thinks that they are made very quickly.
I think this is because of the movements/dynamics in the painting. But actually it takes several days up to a week (to 2 weeks for a very large one), to create a new painting.
It's been build in lots of layers. When I'm not satisfied with the result of a layer, I have to remove it before it is dry.
It's not like with digital work where you can add or remove layers as much as you like, without damaging the rest of the work.
My latest work, 'Engine of progess', 120x100 cm/ 47x39 inch consists of 7 layers.
This is only a close up of a small detail of the painting.

The first one

A small detail of the first new painting I made in my new studio.
It's a large one. 

The machinery of life cycle, 170x110 cm/77x43 inch, which will be presented on the 29th edition of Lineart, the international fusion art fair in Gent, Belgium by Gallery ART-ist (Geel-Belgium). 

More info on this famous fair on www.lineart.be
I've already started a new one.... yeah!

The bitch is back!

Finally, everything has been installed in my new studio, except for the light (daylight lamps). But since there are large windows, it would only be a problem on dark clouded and rainy days. In a few weeks the lamp-problem will be solved.
Eager as I am, I've already been busy in the last few days creating my first painting in this new environment.
It's a delight to paint again!

A very nice Sunday at 'Très Chic'

Gallery ART-ist from Geel - Belgium, asked me to join them on the fair yesterday.

Despite the changeable weather it was really crowded  at 'Très Chic'.

Actually too crowded at some moments. But what a lovely audience! This resulted in some very nice conversations, funny and lovely comments on my work and after a long day I can say that it was more than successful!

Opening party for VIPs

 



Yesterday there was an opening party, only for VIPs (I found out that there actually are a lot of VIPs in this world...), at the life style event Très Chic, in the Herkenrode Abbey of Hasselt. Although it was raining, and part of this event is in open air (well, pavillion tents) it was crowded with beautiful and très chic people. The rich and famous arrived in Limousines, Porches, Rolls Royces, Jaguars and even by helicopter and Laurent-Perrier Champagne was poured generously. I observed all this, with eyes wide open, waiting for my brain to understand. (I'm still waiting...)

Anyway, if you want to visit this event, the opening hours are:

Friday Aug. 27, 17-23 hours

Saturday Aug. 28, 13-23 hours

Sunday Aug. 29, 13-21 hours

Monday Aug. 30, 13-21 hours 

more info: www.treschic.be

I'll be attending the exhibition on Sunday

TRÈS CHIC

Gallery ART-ist (Geel - Belgium) will present my art next week on the
TRÈS CHIC - Luxury Lifestyle Event in the Herkenrode Abbey in Hasselt-Kuringen, Belgium.
They've reserved a large part of their stand for my paintings.
You can visit this event on:

Friday August 27, 17-23 hours
Sat.    August 28, 13-23 hoursSun.   August 29, 13-21 hours
Mon.  August 30, 13-21 hours

Maybe we'll meet there!

More info: www.treschic.be and www.art-ist.be

Aaaahhh, it really itches

picture borrowed from http://www.ectomo.com/2008/06/25/scratching-the-itch/
   
I've got the urge to paint, but it really has to wait. There's no space, no rest, even no time.
Would I manage to save all the heebie-jeebies for a couple of weeks without exploding?
Or do I just have to let it pass?
Sorry.... just thinking out loud

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.

Final!

Though extremely tempting... not my holiday destination

Well, my Open-Studio-Weekend in Eersel has finished. In despite of the tropical weather it has been more than succesful, and I'm feeling very thankful for that.
Next steps to take in July... finding a new studio, packing all my stuf and relocate!
I'll keep you posted. In the meantime I wish you a great summer!

Ready for the exhibition-weekend!

Everything is ready for the open weekends in my studio
What I didn't know on beforehand is that tomorrow in the afternoon all the roads will be empty. It will be very quiet in the streets because a lot of Dutch people will be, covered in orange outfits, in front of the Television, watching the World Championship Soccer tournament.
The Netherlands will be playing against Japan.
But if you don't like it and don't want to watch the rain falling down all afternoon... you know where you can go.
Hope to meet you!

Relocation of my studio

Suddenly I have such a tight schedule, that I'm slowly going nuts (as far as I ain't nuts already!).
I'm good at multi tasking, but I 've learned that I definitely am not a good juggler when it concerns 7 different things at the same time. All at once everything comes together:

• The contract of my great studio-space ends in July. 
• We're looking for a new space before the end of August, where we can both live and work (and realize new dreams). It's not easy to find what we have in mind on such short notice.
  
• This means we have to pack and move everything from my studio AND worse.... all the stuff from our current house. Not to forget the organisational part concerning contracts, subscriptions, making a list of addresses etc...
• At the same time I've got a lot of very important private proceedings to deal with.

But first:

• I've got a final exhibition in my studio at the end of June

Pfjew..... I think I won't be bored
.... Wake me up when September ends.

Finissage solo exhibition

Next sunday (June 13) is the last day of my (uptil now) very succesful solo exhibition at Gallery De Kei in Nuenen, the Netherlands.

Take your chance to visit it, before it ends!

Sign of the times

I've finished a few new small paintings from the 'Sign of the times'-series.
Now one more assignment is waiting for me.
I'm looking forward to it, but I have to wait for the delivery of new canvases before I can start.
Next I'll be taking a break. Anyway.. I'm planning to take one.
The last months were loaded with lots of professional and private pursuits and I feel I have to take a break. Meaning a pause in creating with my hands.... it never stops in my head though!

On the film set

Yesterday my friends and I went for a walk on the Sahara (I cannot help it, it's really called the Sahara, and it's not situated in Africa but in Belgium). I often go there because of the forest, nature, beach, water and quietness. Suddenly we noticed something strange on the horizon. Above the slope of the landscape we saw 2 roofs with chimneys which weren't there a few days ago. We got curious, walked up to it and found out that it was a film set of the new Flemish movie 'Frits and Freddy' with Tom Van Dyck and Peter Van den Begin. I'm really very impressed by the Flemish film industry and its actors. I love their sense of humor, acting, feeling for cult and art etc... Although, lol, the art in one of the houses was really awefull and awesome at the same time because of the setting it was situated in. I'm really curious about the movie (a comedy) which will be shown in the Belgian cinemas as from December 15, 2010.

Film impression of exhibitions

After clicking on the play-sign, click again for a larger view on Youtube

The day after... ;-)

It was a lovely ánd successful (yes!) afternoon, last Sunday, during the opening of my solo show at Gallery De Kei, Nuenen, Netherlands. I had a great time meeting again clients who already possess one (or more) of my paintings, and new interested people. I love being alone in my studio, doors locked, music loud, far away from daily life and just dive into my paintings. But next it's great to hear what people experience when they see my art for real. And it's very important for my development too.

Last preparations for opening show at Galerie De Kei

The paintings are delivered and already installed in the 'Art Salon' of Gallery De Kei, but I'm still busy editing and fine tuning the video presentation.

Sunday (May 2) the opening of my solo exhibition will get started at about 14.00 hours. 

If you're in the neighborhood and want to see my art for real, come and join me. There's a video presentation, a free mini-catalogue, live music, a drink and a bite. Galerie De Kei, Opwettenseweg 74, Nuenen, Netherlands. www.galeriedekei.nl.

The opening will last until 17.00 hours, the show lasts until June 13 2010.

Galerie Schortgen in Luxemburg

Today I drove to Galerie Schortgen in Luxemburg to bring a whole lot of paintings for my exhibition in Parc Merveilleux, organized by Galerie Schortgen.

Galerie Schortgen has 2 galleries in Luxemburg. 1 in Luxemburg-city, 1 in Esch-sur-Alzette. The image above is from the gallery in Esch-sur-Alzette.

Great space with really awesome artists.

Last time I went to Luxemburg to bring paintings to the galerie in Luxemburg-city, it was soooo cold! 

This time it was a very sunny day, so much lovelier than the cooooooold!

If you're in Luxemburg in May, you can see my paintings in the pavilion of Parc Merveilleux in Bettembourg. For more information www.galerie-schortgen.lu

Another fair with Galerie De Kei

Dramatic scenery, 90x110 cm

This weekend several of my paintings will be presented by Galerie De Kei on the Excellent fair in 'Beursgebouw Eindhoven',

Lardinoisstraat 8, 5611 ZZ Eindhoven - Netherlands.

You can visit this fair on:

Friday April 23, 16-22.00 hours

Saturday April 24,  13-18.00 hours

Sunday April 25,  11-18.00 hours

From deep within

This week I made 2 new paintings. When I looked at the result afterwards, I could only conclude that obviously they came from deep within me.

Left a detailed close up of 'Dream catcher', 80x140 cm and right a detailed close up of 'Voyager', 90x140 cm.

Art fair at Evoluon - Eindhoven (NL)

Today I visited the art fair in the Evoluon in Eindhoven, where my paintings are represented by Galerie De Kei. As a child I used to visit the Evoluon to see the newest inventions and innovations made by Philips. I always loved the flying-saucer-concept of the building. Today this is a wonderful location for something like an art fair. I was early because I wanted to go to the wholesale afterwards to buy a lot of new paint. But nevertheless there already was a lot of interest for my paintings. Always great to see and hear!

If you're interested in visiting the fair, it lasts until tomorrow 17.00 hours.

Sunny Paris

A few pictures of my paintings exhibited at Galerie Tatiana Tournemine in Paris.

From April 1 the group exhibition of artists in residence got started and I'm one of them. Up to 6 of my paintings (5 large, 1 small) are shown right now in sunny Paris. Of course there are some paintings in stock too. I think my paintings go great with the sculptures of Isabel Miramontes from Mons, Belgium.

If you're interested, do pay a visit to Galerie Tatiana Tournemine on 104, Rue du Faubourg St.-Honoré in Paris, www.tournemine.com. This exhibition will last until June 1.

A small gesture can have great consequences

Ready for a brand new day, 13x18 cm/5x7")

On March 31 the silent auction of small original artworks organized by the Haiti Art Fund was closed.
My small painting has been sold for $100 and I'm very satisfied with this result!
THANK YOU silent buyer, on behalf of the stricken population of Haiti.
All the small paintings that have been sold together, make a large amount and 100% of the proceeds directly go to Unicef, Partners in Health, Oxfam and Habitat for Humanity.
It must have been a whole lot of work, so thank you, Monkdogz Urban Art Inc., Marina, Bob and Sébastien for all the efforts!

Interview in Eindhovens Dagblad

Today an interview with me in the full edition of the Eindhovens Dagblad.

I've been asked to answer some questions about cars. Probably because I like dynamics, acceleration and speed! ;-)

Short video Artquerfeld on TeleBasel

 

http://telebasel.ch/waslauft/movieplayer.php?id=348-2

NO!!! It wasn't me!

Curator Anne-Katrin Lombeck is explaining my work.
Yes, I was in Basel this weekend, while the casino overthere was robbed, but I have an alibi!!!
I was in Basel for the exhibition 'ArtQuerfeld' and stayed in the hotel 'Dorint An der Messe', just around the corner of the world famous Messe of Basel, with a fake 'Mark Rothko' on the walls of the hotel room (shame!).
It was a pleasure to participate to ArtQuerfeld. It was a successful exhibition for me and not only the reactions were great, but I also met some wonderful and unforgettable Swiss people.
My special thanks go to Peter Schmallfuss and Daniela Pfister.
We also were lucky to be able to visit Basel with the sun in our faces and had a good time overthere.

Auction almost closes

Silence

Never without inspiration, but sometimes without energy because I don't always know how to divide it properly.
The advantage of taking a break is, that it gives me some air, other input and sometimes simply nothing at all.
Nothing at all isn't bad. It can be great.
Spring is in the air, so tomorrow I'm going to take advantage of the beautiful weather, before it starts raining again.
We'll see what input it will give. Nothing at all to me is good enough ;-)

Basel ahoy!

The exhibition in Basel - Switzerland, is in sight, and I'm busy making the last paintings for it. The theme is 'aqua'. This fits perfectly to my style of painting which is quite liquid, I think.

Perpetual happiness

A fragment of 'Perpetual happiness'

















This morning I entered my studio and my eyes hurt because of the white walls. Yesterday the owners of Galerie Tatiana Tournemine from Paris came to collect my paintings for their galleries in Paris and La Baule (France). I decided to leave the blank spaces, to encourage myself to continue in the painting-flow I'm in right now. I've got a lot of shows coming up this spring, and I want to present the best of the best.
My paintings are in stock in the gallery in Paris (for anyone who wants to see it) because there will start an exhibition of Fabio Calvetti tomorrow, which will last 3 weeks. Next there will be a collective exhibition including my work! They also have taken the newest one 'Resilience of the mind'. It was a pity to say goodbye to it so quickly... I didn't have the time to enjoy it myself for a long time. Fortunately I still have the pictures ;-)))
Today I finished a painting (Perpetual happiness) and started some new paintings (smaller than usual) to add to the selection of paintings I made for the exhibition in Basel (Switzerland) at the end of this month. I use a lot of layers, so it's going to take a while to finish them.

HAITI ART FUND AUCTION UNDERWAY

This is your opportunity to buy an artwork of me and of course all the other artists for a very small amount AND at the same time help other human beings!

My artwork is called: a brand new day. Go see if you can find it!

Resilience of the mind

close-ups of 'Resilience of the mind', 140x110 cm

Last week the mother of a good friend of my daughter committed suicide.
Though I know that humans can handle a lot and the mind can be unimaginably resilient, this time somehow I can understand her decision. Her life was so unbelievably dramatic that, after losing her husband, she couldn't get herself together anymore. My thoughts are with her children and I hope that they'll find the resilience to get through the process of grief and create a good life. What they've been through, is unbearable. I wish them lots of resilience, and a life filled with love and golden moments.

You can say I'm a little busy.

There's a lot coming up.

Actually I'm working on paintings for the art event in Basel (Switzerland) at the end of this month with the theme 'AQUA'.
Also Macro Mode Part 2 is almost ready. Today I got a call from Galerie Tatiana Tournemine in Paris that they will come to collect my paintings next Tuesday. Fortunately I'm on a huge flow and just want to paint, paint, paint and I'm very glad with the results.
So, just a short note right now on this blog... I'm going to rest right now to be able to finish my latest painting tomorrow!