"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.

Here autumn is made !! Holland.

Finally I took all my courage together and went outside to
paint again, .... pfff hard to do after such a lovely week.

I reckoned that it would be somewhat easier to paint in the national
museum of old buildings from Holland, "Het openluchtmuseum."

Its winter season over there so all the buildings are closed and therefor
its much cheaper and less crowded, ....


I discovered that they make autumn there by burning yellows and oranges in
the forge.


"Herfst maken." Arnhem, Holland.
(Making autumn.)
Oil on board 24 x 30 cm.

And a little one from the trip:


"Seagos molen." De Rode Leeuw Gouda, Holland.
(Seagos windmill.)
Oil on board. 24 x 30 cm

"The next bridge." Holland.

Still no new one, .... its hard to get inspired
in my own area after such a great trip.

And anyway, their is so much to do at home,
my car, the garden, in home and in my studio.
So after the great week I reckon I could take
some little break for these other stuff.

This is a very common site in the area of Leerdam,
all houses are standing on an other side of a polder ditch
and you only can reach it over such little bridges.


"Het volgende bruggetje." Leerdam, Holland.
(The next bridge.) Oil on board.
24 x 30 cm.

"Walking the dog." Holland.

An other from the trip with Rob.
This one is done ON the camping, euhm the way to it,
to be exact.

Done in the early morning, ... Rob was still snoring. (lol)


"Uit met de hond." Leerdam.
(Walking the dog.) Leerdam, Holland.
Oil on board. 18 x 24 cm.

"Gouda's glorie." Holland.

Taking a bit of a break, do some home work,
so here's one also from my trip with Rob.

This is a small building in Gouda, ...
Autumn is is full swing here!


"Gouda's glorie." Gouda, Holland.
(Gouda's pride.) Oil on board.
16 x 24 cm.

"Here I stand." Holland.

It's been a busy week together with Rob,
made much paintings about 3 a day, with a max
of 4 on one. For anybody who does plein air work,
knows how much work that is. But it's been a worth wild
effort!! This painting was the main blast on the 4 ones day.
The last one that day, just before sunset.
You can imagine what that would give for a feeling.
Being able to paint these kind of scene is a privilege.


"Hier sta ik." Meerkerk. (sold.)
(Here I stand.) Meerkerk, Holland.
Oil on board. 18 x 24 cm. 45 min.