Catamaran ready to sail, South Beach, DH

Catamaran klaar om te zeilen, Zuiderstrand, DH
oil on canvas
20 x 40 cm
painted on location - Sat 15 May 2010`SOLD

I am re-posting this small format panoramic scene of our magnificent beach here in The Hague. This painting had a rather large object in the middle (Wind surf kite) which has been removed. Plus, I freshened up the sand, and painted colors on the three people near the cat.  Views like this already have an archival importance, as the beach has been widened twice the amount that is visible in this painting. Sailor of this vessel having a coffee on the terrace of the clubhouse, while waiting for the wind to pick up.

Windy Seascape #5/sky opening up

oil on canvas board,
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.

Windy Seascape study #4/with rain

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


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.

Windy Seascape #3/ effects of light

Winderige zeegezicht studie # 3  
oil on wooden panel
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. 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 one hand on the easel, to prevent it from getting airborne!

Windy Seascape study #2/crashing waves

Winderige zeegezicht studie # 2 / brekende golven
oil on masonite
11 x 14 cm
painted on location - Mon, 16 April 2012 SOLD


Similar to previous posting, however on close observation you can see many differences. Composition the same, but here you have addition 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 simultaneously on more than one canvas. Location of this series is Westduinpark, The Hague, entrance to beach from De Savornin Lohmanlaan.

Windy Seascape with 3 Seagulls

Gezicht op de Noord Zee, kleine studi #1
oil on masonite
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.

South Beach, The Hague, #5-2012

Gezicht op Strandpavijlion De Fuute en HKZV, 's avond
oil on canvas
60 x 80cm - (24" x 31")
painted on location on a very windy/cold/sunny evening - Sat. 14 April 2012  SOLD 

Beyond any doubt, one of the most colourful locations on the whole of Netherlands coastline...... Scenes like this are becoming a think of the past, with all these trendy 'lounge type' cafes going up on the beaches, here in The Lowlands. Evening Sunlight casts a warm glow over this intimate beach scene. Clouds racing by, as the wind, as usual is quite strong(check out the flags). Getting myself as low as possible, to protect my gear from flying away, was once again on my knees painting this view. This painting will be showing in the cafe, De Fuute, until it is picked up by an art lover and loyal patron of that location.

Home Made Markt Scene, The Hague,

Gezicht op de Home Made Markt, te Den Haagoil on MDF
13 x 11 cm - (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.

South Beach, The Hague, #4-2012 with kite surfers

Gezicht op Scheveningens peir vanaf Zuiderstrand
oil on canvas
60 x 80 cm - (24 x 32 inches)
painted on location - Fri 6 April 2012
SOLD

Here you have the latest painting made on the beach. Just in time before the cold front set in, and brought with it some nasty weather. One could see it arriving, that wall of clouds just above the horizon line. It actually has warmer tints of purple grey, which have been too difficult for me to capture on this digital representation, but not too difficult to mix on my palet and get it right on the canvas! The season is just getting started at the Catamaran Sail Club, the two cats piled up on each other awaiting there proper spot on the grill. Next, the beach house 'Staat', followed by the red lighthouse of Scheveningen(top only visible), to the right you see the top of the tallest building at this popular beach resort, crowned with a golden ball, most likely representing the Sun. Some more details, but what caught my interest was those two kite surfer students, taking lessons of that most popular sport, here on the windy North Sea Beach.

Calm and misty view/North Sea

Gentle breaking waves with child and dog
oil on canvas, 20 x 140cm
painted on location - Wed 28 March 2012
SOLD

A format that alot of you have seen me work on before, and I must say it works very well with capturing the since of vastness and space when one stands before the Sea or any large body of water. A child playing with her pet dog, three sailboats, the one closest actually showing the sailors on board and a yellow bouy, a landmark which brings this scene to a specific location. The atmospheric conditions were such that the scene at times took on an abstract quality, without the horizon line visible, the sky and water almost idintical in hues, seemed as if the sailboats were just floating in mid air, very strange indeed. Please click on the images to have a better look.

Beach Scene with mother and daughter

Strand gezicht met moder en kind
oil on canvas
40 x 50 cm
painted on location Sun 25 March 2012

SOLD

More than once I have been told that my people, on the beach, look like puppets! The reason for that is this, usually I paint very wide open space beach scenes, thus the persons have to be tiny in order to stay in proportion with the composition. However, once in a while I do paint close ups of people on the beach, as in this case. It is time to go, and the child seems a little hesitant(besluiteloos), thus her Mom extends her hand as a gesture to call it a day. You will notice the long shadows they cast, indicating that the Sun is making its decent, and being Spring the air starts to get rather cool. Another day of fun and aventure ends for this child, and Life is sweet for her thanks to Mother Natures gift of a lovely day here in The Lowlands.

View of South Beach, The Hague #3-2012

Lente gezicht op Zuiderstrand, Den Haag
oil on canvas, 30 x 90 cm
painted on location - Sat 24 March 2012
SOLD

Hello Everybody, Every once in a while I get the urge to repaint or paint over an existing painting, as the case in this posting. Tired of the sky and water dominated by those boring Benelux greys on the original version, I decided to freshen up this scene of South Beach, The Hague.... Not by photoshop or some other software, but by il pittores painterly ability and simply taking the canvas to the same spot were the original painting was made and then giving it another go!