"Little Pleij." Westervoort, Holland.

Nothing is more relaxing than a afternoon practice in the field

although it's still quite grey, it getting lighter and lighter.

They even forecast a little summer this week, that will be something!!

A pleij is a floodplain btw. it is not so common anymore the call it

'uiterwaarden' now a days. Pleij you could pronounce it like play.

"Kleine Pleij." Westervoort, Holland.

(Little Pleij.) Oil on panel. 24 x 30 cm.

"Roozendaals forrest." Roozendaal, Holland.

Strange this is also a yesterdays painting, ...

While biking with my girlfriend (Annette) we had a break

and I painted these two birches.

"Roozendaalse bos." Roozendaal, Holland.

(Roozendaals forrest.) Oil on panel. 24 x 30 cm.

"Towards the new train station." Westervoort, Holland.

Yesterdays effort, a little view of the train track towards our

new build train station. It climbing a little here because in the end

it has to cross a river, the IJssel.

Anyway with these kinds of summers everything is soo green, but also so gray.

"Naar het nieuwe station." Westervoort, Holland.

(Towards the new train station.) Oil on panel. 24 x 30 cm.

A day in the woods. Arnhem, Holland.

Finally a summer day at least that's what I gonna remember of it.

Biked to the Veluwe today, a large wood and grass park the largest

in the Netherlands to be precise.

"Langs de koningsweg." Arnhem, Holland.

(Along the Kings road.)  Oil on panel. 24 x 30 cm.

"Roozendaalse veld." Arnhem, Holland.

(Roozendaalse field.) Oil on panel. 24 x 30 cm.

"Flat light." Westervoort, Holland.

This is no summer, this is a ongoing continuation of

grey rain and rainy greys, ...

Richard Schmid can say it's perfect to paint outdoor under these

light but there is no sparkle what so ever. This ones done in a nearby

park, and Richard is right about the light, it never changes, ...

"Grijs licht." Westervoort, Holland.

(Flat light.) Oil on panel. 24 x 30 cm.

"Old Cityhall Westervoort." Westervoort, Holland.

This is also a once in a life time painting.

Normally this is the busiest place in town just before

the bridge, but while this bridge is renovated the road is closed

down so a great opportunity to paint my hometown old city-hall.

Now in service as a police station.

"Oud gemeentehuis Westervoort." Westervoort, Holland.

(Old city-hall Westervoort.) Oil on panel. 24 x 30 cm.

"All together." Arnhem, Holland.

A few month ago I discovered these little boats

all freshly painted and ready for the new season.

Today I noticed them all together in a harbour, what a treat!!

"Bijmekaar." Arnhem, Holland.

(All together.) Oil on panel. 24 x 30 cm.

"Little blue house." Duiven, Holland.

Made this morning, ...

"Blauw huisje." Duiven, Holland.

(Little blue house.) Oil on panel. 24 x 30 cm.

"Wet afternoon." Westervoort, Holland.

Two today, ...

The first one was done from a little bridge in a park.

The float was tied to something and didn't move so I put that in,

the fish I borrowed from an other spot.

"Bijna beet!" Westervoort, Holland.

(Almost a catch!) Oil on panel. 24 x 30 cm.

I the afternoon I had some little time so I rushed to this point

I knew it would give a nice subject, but I didn't imagine it was this green!

"Natte namiddag." Westervoort, Holland.

(Wet afternoon.) Oil on panel. 24 x 30 cm.

"House Sevenear." Zevenaar, Holland.

Hard to believe that this is a central city scene, ... really it is!!

although the are trying to renovate/restore it it's still lovely old

with lots of vegetation around an on it.

"Huis Sevenaer." Zevenaar, Holland.

(House Sevenaer.) Oil on panel. 24 x 30 cm.

"Sunday afternoon exercise." Westervoort, Holland.

Just to get going, ...

 

"Zondagmiddag oefening." Westervoort Holland.

(Sunday afternoon exercise.) Oil on panel. 24 x 30 cm.

Without a title. Arnhem, Holland.

Painted this little fellow today, but I really can't come up with a title.

"Zonder titel." Arnhem, Holland.

(Without a Title.) Oil on panel. 24 x 30 cm.

"Mirakel." Giesbeek, Holland.

First a nice big ship, although in yacht style spoken.

"Mirakel." Giesbeek, Holland.

(Miracle.) Oil on panel. 24 x 30 cm.

After this I discovered an quite historic scene, people who are loading hay by hand!! But man what a job that was to paint them, ... paint, run, .... paint, run, .... paint, run. I'll guess those old impressionists just had the same problem because the tractor was just as fast as a horse would been.

"Hooie." Duiven, Holland.

(Hay.) Oil on panel. 24 x 30 cm.

Allotments Westervoort." Westervoort, Holland.

Still finding it a hard subject, ... allotments.

Mostly lots of greens and the flowers just pop up

much more in reality than I can put them in.

Ah well good practice, ...

"Progress is equal to the effort you put into something."

"Volkstuintjes Westervoort." Westervoort, Holland.

(Allotments Westervoort.) Oil on panel. 24 x 30 cm.

"Once in a lifetime." Westervoort, Holland.

They renovating the main bridge over the IJssel to Arnhem, a larger

city near my hometown. This bridge is now closed for traffic and usually

you wouldn't dear to stand here for a second. But I had permission and it was

great fun, ... it's closed till October so who knows?

"Eens in je leven." Westervoort, Holland.

(Once in a lifetime.) Oil on panel. 24 x 30 cm.

"Coltsfoot" Westervoort, Holland

Coltsfoot or Common Butterbur, ... always a great plant!!

"Groot hoefblad" in Dutch, translate that and you'll

get "Large Hoof Leaf " Although a great plant to paint,

not a easy one, not at all.

"Groot hoefblad." Westervoort, Holland.

(Coltsfoot.) Oil on panel. 24 x 30 cm.

"Vice." Doesburg, Holland.

Vice, ... I reckon the translation isn't so well if I imagine

that Vice President would be rather odd.

Vice, ... Ondeugd in Dutch means a little like not brave

not polite and also not well working, any idea what a nice

word for it would be in English?

Anyway, I really enjoyed painting this one mostly because

somehow it made me paint the first washes as loose as possible.

and it painted itself for the most part.

Oow and btw. I am so proud of those little fish, ... such little pressents
makes that you're have the feeling your on the right track.

"Ondeugd." Doesburg, Holland.

(Vice.) Oil on panel. 24 x 30 cm.

"Pals twenty three." Westervoort, Holland.

An other one close to home, ... and why not there are

enough nice spots, if you look closely.

"Pals 23." Westervoort, Holland.

(Pals twenty three.) Oil on panel. 24 x 30 cm.

"Not everything is green." Westervoort, Holland.

No luckily not, there are lovely flowers all over,  ...

but I thought the green would make a better practice.

"Niet alles is groen." Westervoort, Holland.

(Not everything is green.) Oil on panel. 24 x 30 cm.