Children playing at the Sea

Children playing, near entrance to Scheveningen harbor
oil on canvas,
13 x 18 cm
painted on location, Thurs. 24 July 2008, (late afternoon)

SOLD


Yes folks, summer has arrived, and these little people are certainly taking full advantage of the situation. School is out, the water is warming up, fish are jumpin', the tide is low, and the living is easy. Sailors are also enjoying the warm temperatures.

Ingang Scheveningen Haven #2/08

Setting out sailing on a beautiful Day
oil on canvas
24 x 18 cm
painted on location, Thurs. 24 July 2008

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In the winter, (Feb. 16 2008), I made a painting at the same location, that was a panaromic view. This time I zoomed in on this detail, as I wanted to emphasize the play of light on that pier. It is the start of beautiful summers day, a slight cool breeze, plenty of sunshine, hardly a cloud in the sky, you couldn't imagine a more suitable day for setting off to sea. Believe me, I'm almost positive, that the 2nd inner harbor emptied out this day, as the yatchs were streaming out, one after the other.

Wind force # 5, Wijk Aan Zee

A proud and stalwart flag, Coast line, North Holland
oil on canvas
24 x 18 cm
painted on location, Sat 19 July 2008

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It was not easy working outdoors on this one. Managed to find a spot that barricaded me from the fierce wind, however had to fasten a large umbrella on my easel, in order to keep the rain from damaging the work in progress. We have been having this kind of weather for more than two weeks now. There is only one person I know who actually is enjoying this weather pattern, and that is my American friend, Andy. He spent the last six weeks in sunny hot southern Florida, were temperatures are soaring around 100 degrees F. In someway this flag represents qualities of the Dutch citizens, resilient and strong. Two seaguls being tossed about by the wind, an oil platform on the horizon and a sky worthy of painting, add some character to this rather simple composition.

Breaking Waves, The North Sea, #3/08

Breaking Waves, high winds at Katwijk beach
oil on canvas, 20 x 140 cm (please note, not a small painting)
painted on location, Thursday 17 July 2008  -  SOLD

Not an ideal summers day, however for me working, 'en plein - air', couldn't ask for a better situation to paint. With the threat of rain, just over my shoulders, I was wasting no time getting the colors on this long narrow canvas. An appropriate size for such a study of waves breaking, wouldn't you agree? The focus is on what's happening at the shore line, thus only one sailboat in the distance,(right from the center), this helps in creating the illusion of depth.

Het Dordtse Scheffersplein

Scheffers Square, Dordrecht, Holland
oil on canvas,
30 x90 cm
painted on location, Sat 12 and Sun 13 July 2008

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The monument of Arij Scheffer(Dutch painter born in Dordrecht, 18th century), is the focal point of this scene. The square has been transformed into a Monmartre-type situation, with plein-air painters, street artists and musicians, entertaining the Dordrecht public, all thanks to the initiative of Academica, a local insurance company, and the city municipality. I choose to capture the situation at hand, thus opting for a long format canvas, to afford a somewhat panoramic view. Typical of downtown Dordrecht, known to be the oldest city in Holland, are the not so erect buildings. The play of light due to the shadows cast, help in giving definition to this city scape.

Andreaskerk, Katwijk aan Zee

Old church on the Boulevard, (Oude kerk op de Boulevard)
oil on canvas
30 x 24 cm
painted on location, Mon. 7 July and Thurs. 10 July 2008


Een kloddertje hier, een spetterje daar

"Deze week vindt in Katwijk het schilderfestival 'En Plien Air' plaats. Vele kunstenaars leggen op artistieke wijze pittoreske delen van het dorp op doek vast. Zoals de Oude kerk op de Boulevard, dat een fraai decor vormt voor de creatieve uiting. Toch was het geenszins makkelijk werken voor deze kunstenaar, want er stond maandagmiddag een stevige wind, voorzien van de nodige spetters regenwater. Maar onder een afdakje ging het net en kon er toch iets moois op het canvas verschijnen."

WOENSDAGKRANT, Katwijk (9-7-2008)


Will, this posting is dedicated to all my Dutch contacts. I quoted that from a local newspaper. Basically it is refering to a picture which was taken of me working on this canvas. It mentions the painting festival I brought to your attention on the previous posting. That, despite the nasty weather, high winds and drops of rain, I was able to knock off this piece under the protection of an overhanging porch. In fact the weather was so bad I was forced to stop. I returned 3 days later, with continuing bad weather, however, as is evident, with the breaking up of the clouds and some blue sky showing itself, the weather did finally improve. A true wet painting from the Lowlands.

Path in the dunes, Katwijk aah Zee, # 13/08

High winds on the North Sea
oil on canvas
30 x 24 cm
painted on location, Mon 7 July 2008

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Today is the first day of the Katwijk 'en plein air' schilderfestival. I joined forces with a fine bunch of painters and braved the elements with my easel and a much needed, windbreaker (a parasol 180cm in diameter), which allowed me to set up in the open, on this quaint walking path in the dunes. The light was dramatic, as is evident of the racing clouds, casting all sorts of shades and variations in the lighting conditions. I was racing to finish this medium size canvas, in order to avoid the pouring down of rain. Not to mention the wind, which wanted so graciously to blow my easel away.

Catamaran Clubhouse, The Hague #2/08

The start of a beautiful day, South Beach, The Hague
oil on canvas, 30 x 90 cm
painted on location, Tues 1 July 2008
SOLD

You will not believe what a difference 24hrs could make in the weather, here in The Lowlands. As I'm posting this, the sky is completely overcast and something wet is trying very hard to loosen itself from its hosting cloud. It is still hot, infact the hottest day of the year, thus far. This work with a cool spot light on it, will be indeed a pleasure to look at, and maybe even warm you up, on a cold benelux grey winters day. It is just the start of the day, and it looks very promising. Mostly people walking their dogs, or going for a healthy walk on the beach. The red building (reddingsbergied) is for the publics safety, were young guys and girls volunteer as lifeguards during busy summer days on this strech of lovely beach

Summer evening beach scene, Noordwijk

Beach scene with typical Dutch 'strandpavilion', Noordwijk
oil on canvas
20 x 60 cm
painted on location, Wed 18 June 2008

SOLD


This work was made on the 3rd day of the Noordwijkschildersfestival, (the painting festival I already mentioned earlier). It was the 4th painting I made that day. One could already notice the fluidity of the brushstroke, giving the canvas a fresh and spontaneous feel, a quality that is common with plien-air painting. The Dutch flag with the small orange banner, smack in the middle, more orange banners attached to the strandpavilion, Holland's national soccer team was leading the European Cup 2008 tournament. The whole country was drapped in 'orange'. The conditons were very windy that day, kite surfers were having a ball. Along with about seven other painters, I was positioned next to a beach cafe, protected from the endless gusts of wind.