Tot volgend jaar! Holland.

First of all:

HAPPY BIRTHDAY MICAH!!!



No painting today, for that matter
no painting for this year also, and
even worse, no paintings for this week either.

I am off for a few day, ... rented a cabin together with
my girlfriend, hehehe.



Everybody, have a nice "Oud & Nieuw" I will be back
next weekend, ... I am taking my painting stuff with
me so I reckon that I have some paintings to show.

Take care!!

Merry Christmas everybody!

Just to stay on the radar, ... a painting
from a few days ago.

Take care.

"Decembermorgen." Ellecom, Holland.
(Decembermorning.)
Oil on board. 24 x 30 cm.

"The Triple." Holland.

A little painting made in Houten, a town
near Utrecht that's a large city in the middle
of Holland.

The snow is gone together with the fog, ...
pity though, although during these day's many
people visit their relatives, and you don't need
snow, fog or freezing rain or glaze with that.


"De Drieling." Houten, Holland.
(The Triple) sold.
Oil on board. 18 x 24 cm.

"Winterchurch." Holland.

One from yesterday also.
It was way to beautiful today to paint, ....
you can imagine what the milkiness here on this
painting and the deepfreez temps at night has done
to the country, .... much too much.
Even to try to paint that!


"Winterkerk." Arnhem, Holland.
(Winterchurch.)
Oil on board 18 x 24 cm.

"Winterwonderland." Holland.

Very strange, in Westervoort there was only frost on the
tree branches but while biking to Arnhem (an neighboring city)
it started to snow, .... and everything turned white!!

Made this one right in the middle of that town.


"Winterwonderland." Arnhem, Holland.
Oil on board. 22 x 24 cm. sold.

Here a photo from that building:

(photo from: picture.bbnl.nl)

"Walk around the block." Holland.

It was very milky this morning,
all around frost, .. great views.

Cold though.


"Blokje om." Westervoort, Holland.
(Walk around the block.)
Oil on board 18 x 24 cm.



My setup.

"For the gate." Holland.

The first thing that came into my mind when I saw this scene
was the posting from Marc Hanson 'Angel Frost'

Although I can't tip that, it was great fun to paint.


"Voor het hek." Duiven, Holland.
(For the gate.)
Oil on board 18 x 24 cm.

After that I had to do some shopping and when
leaving the shop, I saw the next scene, ... just couldn't resist.


"Tegenlicht restauratie." Velp, Holland.
(Restoration against the light.)
Oil on board. 16 x 24 cm.

"There goes the train." Holland.

Still much too cold to get out for a long time.
So I made this little "quickie" in my home town.


"Daar gaat de trein." Westervoort, Holland.
(There goes the train.)
Oil on board. 18 x 24 cm.

Freezing cold. Holland.

Way too cold to stand somewhere for two hours or so,
at least this morning that was, during the day the Sun
got through and the temps increased a little, that was the
moment to paint. Before that I made some sketches with
a matchstick and Indian ink, ... at home I colored them
in with watercolor.


"Op naar Millingen." Pannerden, Holland.
(Going to Millingen.)
Oil on board. 24 x 40 cm.


"Het sein." Pannerden, Holland.
(The sign.)18 x 24 cm.
Indian ink and Watercolor on 300 grms. paper.


"Millingen." Pannerden, Holland.
(Millingen.)18 x 24 cm.
Indian ink and Watercolor on 300 grms. paper.


"Natuur mulchen." Pannerden, Holland.
(Mulching nature.)18 x 24 cm.
Indian ink and Watercolor on 300 grms. paper.

Last River-painting for the weekend. Holland.

Not completely the river, just a side of it.
It's still high water though and next week
they forecast heavy frost,.... mjammie who know
is it possible to paint some winter-wonderlands?!!!

"IJsseldijkerwaard." Westervoort, Holland.
Oil on board. 24 x 40 cm!

Only sky II Holland.

Still High water around here, and I just had to
siege this moment. I reckoned that the ferry was
running again, but it wasn't, so that left me with
a huge bike tour, painting along the way home.


"Koningspleij." Huissen, Holland.
Oil on board. 24 x 30 cm.


"IJsseldijkerwaard." Westervoort, Holland.
Oil on board. 16 x 24 cm.


"Meinderswijk." Arnhem, Holland.
Oil on board. 18 x 24 cm.

Only sky. Holland.

As I said, high tide around here, after the rainy days lately.
Its fun painting and it doesn't take long, ... cold though.


"Hoogwater." Loo, Holland.
(High tide.)
Oil on board. 10 x 24 cm.


A detail.


"Alleen maar lucht." Loo, Holland.
(Only sky.)
Oil on board. 24 x 30 cm.

Old barn. Holland.

I biked away this morning to paint the high tide here,
it has rained so much lately that the river is very high
at the moment. But I found myself in an old barn used for
repairing lorries (I think) for a sand-excavation site.

"Uiteinde." Havikerwaard, Ellecom, Holland.
(One way out.)
Oil on board. 24 x 24 cm.

Wheels!!! U.K.

I just discovered that Rob IJbema has a great article on the
front page of the Wheels section in Canada's largest daily newspaper.

Car a day weblog.





Rob, congratulations!!

Changing and refurbishing my studio.

Started to change and refurbish my studio.
I worked for a long time quite large
(90 x 120 cm. as a common size.)You can understand
by making canvases that size and framing them and so on
it takes a whole different studio than what I need now
when paint plein air. So time to change some things!
Clean, and paint some cabinets and redecorate some.

I also found some "old" work, ... so my weblog will
continue a bit. Starting off with a nocturnal one,
made by the river Rhine looking towards Arnhem.

"Arnhem bij nacht." Arnhem, Holland.
(Arnhem at night.)
Oil on board. 24 x 30 cm.

X-mas is starting. Holland.

Sinterklaas (Judith describes this feast beautifully)
hasn't left Holland yet, and all
people are buying X-mas trees already!

Aah well I give a nice scene for me to paint.


"De eerste kerstbomen." Westervoort, Holland.
(The first X-mas trees.)
Oil on board. 22 x 24 cm.

Sawmill De Horst II, Holland.

I chickend out today, hehehe.
No not really, because this was an open barn.
I decided to paint here because it's such a nasty weather.
Heavy wind + rain!
Wind, that 's something I hardly can bear, ....


"Houtzagerij De Horst II " Duiven, Holland.
(Sawmill "De Horst II") sold.
Oil on board. 18 x 24 cm.

Btw. "I am tagged!" by Heidi Malott

Here are the rules:
1. Link to your tagger and post these rules on your blog.
2. Share 5 facts about yourself on your blog, some random, some weird.
3. Tag 5 people at the end of your post by leaving their names as well as links to their blogs.
4. Let them know they are tagged by leaving a comment on their blog.

Five facts that will be hard, .. what are facts?? Ah well I give it a try.

1. I quite smoking last february and still don't smoke!
2. I am addicted to choclatemilk.
3. In the past I painted abstract landscapes quiet big. (90 x 120 cm.)
4. I don't like sports, with no exception. although I bike a lot.
5. (Secretly) I don't like Westervoort at all, ... don't tell anyone!!

Tag your it: (sorry if you already have been)

1.Rob IJbema - Painting Wales diary
2.J. Nijholt-Strong - Kats in Klompen
3.Jiddje - Fresh from the easel
4.Leslie Sealey - Texas Painter Leslie Sealey
5.Brigitte - Weblog Brigitte

"On track." Holland.

Right through Westervoort, (my hometown) runs a railroad track.
high above on a dike, so you can't see it from the town.
But when climbing up that dike it's a marvelous spot to paint.
Between all the dog-shit that is, many people walking their dogs there.

Westervoort doesn't have a station, ... yet.
Although their are still people who are getting on train there.
Noticeable by the many notes and flowers that are lying there as well.


"On track." Westervoort, Holland.
Oil on board. 24 x 30 cm.

No polar bear blood in me, ... Holland.

Peter Yesis thought I had some polar bear blood in me,
Today I knew I hadn't!

I learned Lesson # 38454,..... aah I don't know anymore!!

One thing is sure, don't paint under a bridge to avoid rain.
I stood there for almost two hours, my tripod tied to my bike to be sure that
the whole set up wasn't to be blown away, .... but men what's that cold!!

"Berekoud!!" "Stervenskoud!" "Waterkoud!", ... to name a few Dutch word for it.

Anyway this is the result, luckily the fogy/haziness disappeared on one moment,
that was for me the reason to rush home for a cup of warm choco.

"Naar school." Duiven, Holland.
(Going to shool.)
Oil on board. 24 x 30 cm.

Oow yeah, "Steenkoud!" (Thanks Rob.)

"De Passanten." Holland.

Just a little painting on a nice morning
in Arnhem.

"De Passanten." Arnhem, Holland.
(The transients.)
Oil on board. 18 x 24 cm.

"First light." Holland.

I was getting a delivery today, so I had to be at home
the whole afternoon, ... urgh, I hate that kind of stuff.

Anyway, I maneged to get out ASAP and just outside my
hometown I saw this scene, ... that was a lucky, easy and gorgeous spot!

"Eerste licht." Westervoort, Holland.
(First light.)
Oil on board. 22 x 24 cm.

"45 minutes." Holland.

I hadn't got any time today, only this 45 min.


"45 minuten." Doesburg, Holland.
(45 minutes.)
Oil on board. 18 x 24 cm. 45 min. ;-)

"Catholic graveyard." Holland.

Don't know what it is, but lately I find graveyards
nice places to paint, there is something serene there.
A quiet place to contemplate and paint, ....

"R.K.Begraafplaats." Westervoort, Holland.
(Catholic graveyard.)
Oil on board. 22 x 24 cm.

"New Arnhem." Holland.

No new painting today, luckily I made two yesterday so, ..."


"Nieuw Arnhem." Arnhem, Holland.
(New Arnhem.)
Oil on board. 16 x 24 cm.

"Dag Arnhem." Holland.

A nice thing about this winter-light is,
that dusk does take ages. So lots of time
to make a decent painting, ... I think.


"Dag Arnhem." Arnhem, Holland.
(Goodbye Arnhem.)
Oil on board. 18 x 24 cm.

"Peters huis." Holland.

Stayed close to home today, its cold outside and
rainy, those two things aren't great fun to be painting in.

This is a little house besides the dike from Westervoort.
I know the guy who's living in it a bit an artist as well.
Just after the house the roads turns hard to the left,
to get underpass the main bridge to Arnhem, if you look
closely you can notice a glimps of it on the right-side.

"Peters huis." Westervoort, Holland.
(Peet's house.)
Oil on board. 18 x 24 cm.

"De Beuk." Holland.

First my painting of today, ... done with
a cobalt blue sketch I think I gonna do that
a bit longer again, ... it got a cold glow in it.


"De Beuk." Velp, Holland.
(The Beech.)
Oil on board. 18 x 24 cm.

And of course one off the trip with Rob,
I noticed that he had placed his painting from "De Waal"
and I think it's nice to see how one scene can differ so much
between two painters, ....


"Turend in de mist." Leerdam, Holland.
(Looking into the fog.)
Oil on board. 24 x 30 cm.

"Vanaf het bos." Holland.

Due to some framing and stuff, I wasn't able to get
outside today. But with Rob, I have sooo much painted
that there is enough to place, ...

This was the view outside the woods where our campsite
was located, the funny thing is that Rob is standing just
besides me on the right side, painting a scene left from me.
(Seago's gate.)


"Vanaf het bos." Leerdam, Holland.
(From the woods.)
Oil on board. 18 x 24cm.

Poelwijk again. Holland.

It such a nice place with lovely people
and fine spots to paint everywhere and today
even Sunshine!!

Been here twice before now but I definitely gonna
get back again.


"Poelwijk." Gendt, Holland.
(Poelwijk.) sold.
Oil on board. 24 x 30 cm.

The other times:

A. "Landgoed Poelwijk."
B. "My mouse died."

Bare trees. Holland. WIP!!!

Today something different, a so called WIP
Work In Progression, although it didn't worked out
completely how I had planed but hee, I always find it
lots of fun to see it from other artist.

So here you go, I start with the result.


"Kale bomen." Arnhem, Holland.
(Bare trees.) Oil on board. 24 x 30 cm.

And off course the site itself:


Followed by the set up, I usually start with a thin wash of color I find most suitable for the site, this one was Burnt Sienna



Here you can see the simple sketch, with a mix from Cobalt blue and the left over from the Burnt Sienna.


After that I start with filling in the great areas with a mix of Burnt Umber and Ultrm. Blue, .... You also can see some white used already because the buildings are quite white I have to do them several times. I shift often from white to dark and back again.


And after that the WIP went wrong, a guy came with a very flashy digital camera and took lots of photo's, that I had to see with all the possibilities they had. Not bad, but not very good for the painting, ... at one moment it started to rain and that was the main reason that the guy left, he promised to mail me the pictures so I didn't took anymore. ......

"Op weg naar Leerdam." Holland.

A bit of a sad day today, .... sort of a memorial one.

No strength to paint, so just one from last week, ....


"Op weg naar Leerdam." Zaltbommel, Holland.
(On the way to Leerdam.)
Oil on board. 18 x 24 cm.

"Tussendoor." Holland.

Due to the very windy weather today I didn't went
out. So here one from yesterday, ....


"Tussendoor." Arnhem, Holland.
(Between.) Oil on board. 18 x 24 cm.


And off course another from my trip with Rob.


"Meerkerk." Meerkerk, Holland.
Oil on board. 16 x 24 cm.