Friday, April 27, 2012

Canal scene, Dordrecht, Holland

Canal scene with evening light,
oil on canvas
9.5" x  12"  -   24 x 30 cm

$175

Supposedly the oldest city in Holland, Dordrecht has a charm of its own, characterized by the many canals and Historic buildings. Here the evening sunlight casting warm tones on the rooftop and upper facades of the houses.

Thursday, April 26, 2012

Savoury Cumulus clouds, Texel, Holland


Cloudy beach scene, Texel, NL
oil on canvas
6" x 12"    -    15 x 30 cm
painted on location, - Sat 10 April 2010

no longer exists, painted over

This little canvas although rather small in dimension, still manages to afford the viewer an emmense view of a solitary beach. Nature dominates in Il pittores vision, thus I choose to keep the crowds at bay. Those savoury cumulus clouds where casting shadows that literally swept by at a speed comparable to a gutsy BMW travelling on a German autobaan.

Tuesday, April 24, 2012

Catamaran Sailclub #1, The Hague, Netherlands

oil on canvas
12" x 16"  -   30 x 40cm
painted on location - june 2011, reworked in my studio April 23rd 2012

SOLD

You will be seeing more paintings from this clubhouse as it is one of my favorite subjects to paint and lucky enough it is located 3 miles from where I live.

Monday, April 23, 2012

Windy Seascape study #5/ sky opening up

oil on canvas board,
5" x 7"  -  (12 x 18cm)
painted on location  -  Monday  16 April 2012 SOLD

The biggest format of this series, And featuring the most blue sky from them all, thus the title. Was really very fine to make this series, and will do it more often.

Friday, April 20, 2012

Windy Seascape study #4/ rainy conditions

oil on wooden panel
4" x  6"   -  (10 x 15cm)
painted on location  -  Monday  16 April 2012 SOLD

A very typical Dutch sky, this time of year. The rain was not that threatening as it would just drift by now and then. Lasting sometimes only half a minute or even less. Most painters find it difficult to paint clouds. Fact is they are shifting about and reshaping themselves constantly, thus I would recommend they tackle the situation on a small format, work quickly with one brush and have the colors on your palette ready.

Thursday, April 19, 2012

Windy Seascape #3, effects of light



oil on wooden panel
4" x 6" -  (10 x 15 cm)
painted on location  -  Mon 16 April 2012  SOLD

Although this is titled as #3, in fact they all should have the same number as they were made simultaneously!  There are few imperfections,..... for example the horizon line is always straighter than the way it has been painted. But then again these are studies, and thus retain the quality of a study. I was aiming at getting the light situation correct, and I can say that, that has been accomplished. If I would go back into the painting, to make corrections, it would loose its quality of freshness. I would risk making this very lively situation appear flat and stale.  And remember a few times I had to keep my hand on the easel, to prevent it from getting airborne!

Windy Seascape study #2/crashing waves

oil on masonite
4.5" x 5.5" - (11 x 14 cm)
painted on location - Mon, 16 April 2012  SOLD

Simular to yesterdays posting, however on close observation you can see many differences. Composition the same, but here you have adition of tree tops of the high dunes. In these conditions the atmosphere is changing by the second, never mind by the minute! I think I'll do this more often, work simutaneously on more than one canvas.

Tuesday, April 17, 2012

Windy Seascape with 3 Seagulls


oil on masonite
4.5" x 5.5" - (11 x 14 cm)
painted on location - Mon, 16 April 2012

SOLD

Yesterday on location, worked on 5 paintings simutaneously. Mind you all 5 small format. As the wind was way too strong to have any decent size canvas on my easel. I opted for this solution, and glad I did. At the end of the session ended up with 5 smart oil studies of windy, cloudy, seascapes, with warm colors on the sea. In the distance, light bounces off a ship heading due North.

Saturday, April 14, 2012

Old Timer Carrusel, In motion


Scene at The Home Made Market, The Hague
oil on wood panel
4" x 6" - (10 x 15 cm)
painted on location - Sun 1 April 2012

$ 125

Those kids on that carrrusel are having a ball! A lovely object to paint, however as it was almost always spinning I had to work quick and loose. Smack in the middle you see two children seated on a swinging stool, a boy and a girl, blue and pink! What is not so obvious, and I will point it out to you, is that black and white pony situated on the top of the carrusel! Not much detail, but one gets the feel for it.

Friday, April 13, 2012

Market Scene, The Hague, Holland


oil on masonite
5.5" x 4.5"
painted on location - Sun 1 April 2012 SOLD 

A lovely atmosphere was created this day because of this special market happening on this rather handsome neighbourhood here in The Hague. A very sketchy oil painting, small format, alla prima, gives a decent impression of the situation.

Thursday, April 12, 2012

Cathedral, Zacatecas, Mexico



oil on canvas board
4" x 5" - 10 x 13 cm
made on location, May 1995 (signed and dated on back)

$ 75

Here a little gem made whilst I travelled through that exotic country Mexico some years back. A marble fountain, on the square creats a sense of depth, made in the evening, thus the dark blue sky.

Wednesday, April 11, 2012

Markt Square, Den Boshh


s-Hertogenbosh, Historical Center
oil on canvas
12" x 16" - 30 x 40 cm
painted on location - Tues 5 April 2011

$ 285

This is the 2nd paintng made in this lovely historically important city. Here you have a representation of one of the few original buildings in its mediaeval glory. The parasols shown here are the same ones from the previous posting, only seen from a different view point. Not a common style of painting for me, but I feel it works well for cityscapes. Incidently, if you are visiting this city someday, and you need directions, that blue flag is a landmark for the tourist information office.

Tuesday, April 10, 2012

The White Boat, Delft, Holland


Pastel/ink on colored paper
9" x 13.5" - 24 x 35 cm
made on location, May 2004

$ 75

This is the first work I made of this subject. I later painted two oils of if it. Both are in now private collections. Soft pastel colors create a tender mood for this scene, set in one of the worlds Heritage cities, Delft Holland. A few hundred years ago, Johannes Vermeer painted a view of the harbour and city, about 20 meters to the left of were I set up to make this pastel. His view was of a busy harbour that once existed in this area. That painting is now housed in the Mauristhuis, Royal Picture Gallery Collection, The Hague.

Saturday, April 7, 2012

View of The North Sea from on high


Westduinpark, The Hague
oil on canvas
9.5 x 12 inches / 18 x 24 cm
painted on location - Friday 15 October 2010

$ 175

Here I am back at a familiar location. Feeling the need for some peace and to get my head cleared up from what can be defined as ones lifes struggles. I decided to head for this secluded location in Westduinpark, with this spectacular view of the North Sea. Despite the fact that it was not a very suitable day for outdoor painting, (as rain clouds drifted over me on 3 occasions), I nevertheless managed to knock off this small format earthly colored seascape. The light reflecting on the surface of the water was of such an intense light pale green hue, it seemed to be lit up from the bottom of the sea! On the horizon, one can distinguish what gives this country its extreme wealthy finicial position. That tiny dark spot on the horizon is an oil platform. To the right, a tanker, most likely waiting for the price of the oil barrel to increase, thus securing a gaining of millions!

A detail for your viewing pleasure.


Thursday, April 5, 2012

Fallen leafs of Warm Hues


Woods near Bergen, North Holland
oil on canvas
9.5" x 12" - (24 x 30 cm)
painted on location - Tues 25 Oct 2011

$ 175

Setting up my gear in the rain, at a location I was familiar with (made a 30 x 80cm ptg of same scene last year), this naturel canal scene was created. Orderly rows of mature Hazelnut trees, in autumn colors, walking paths carpeted with fallen leafs of warm hues, enough inspiration to get my creative juicies flowing.

Wednesday, April 4, 2012

Limousin cattle grazing, Cher, France


Early morning view of Limousin cattle grazing
oil on canvas
12 x 16 inches
painted on location - thurs 4 August 2011

$ 300

The boy in the blue shirt, most likely the farmers son, is slightly bent over, having a few words of consulation with his pet Labrador puppy. The cattle still taking advantage of the wet due engulfed around every single blade of grass, on this will maintained field of emerald green. Here, on this small piece of rural earth, Life is unfolding the way it should be. Located in the department of Cher, France, almost in the middle of this country of gentle rolling hills. Il pittore, on target, doing his thing, captures a moment of sublime tranquility, a moment of innocent beauty. The lighting conditions are exceptionally perfect, at this hour of the day. The cattle are by now used to me, as this field is directly across the dirt road, were I painted the lovely Charolais cattle, in the previous 2 mornings. For your viewing pleasure a close-up.

Tuesday, April 3, 2012

Rolling hills with Charolais Cattle 2 , France


Charolais Cattle grazing 2, Bessais le Fromental, Cher, Frankrijk
oil on canvas
12" x 16" - (30 x 40 cm)
painted on location - 2 Aug 2011
SOLD 

Same field as the last posting, yet some differences. It was painted more or less at the same time of day, yet the cattle are arranged differently, and the view of the feild is slightly seen from further away. It was not easy for me to capture the correct porportions of the cattle. As I refuse to work from pictures, I had to quickly paint them in, and beleive you me, more cows were erased or reworked than you actually see on the finished work.

Monday, April 2, 2012

Rolling hills with Charolais Cattle , France


Charolais cattle grazing, Bessais le Fromental, Cher, Frankrijk
oil on canvas
12" x 16" - (30 x 40 cm)
painted on location - Sun 31 July 2011  -   $ 245

Finding myself amidst these lovely gentle creatures, whilst they went about their business of grazing the green grasses of these unspoiled rolling hills here in the pristine countryside of Cher, France, (about 3 hrs drive s. of Paris). I felt moved to apply the colors of my palet on canvases, I had taken with me, from my studio in The Hague. I was taking part in an Art week held at a Buddhist retreat centre called, AmidaFrance. To capture those shadows I was on location at about 0745hrs. It felt good to show up for breakfast with already a canvas completed! Here below a detail of this breed of cattle. As I don't work from pictures, you can see that the paint is applied rather swiflty.