A good thing about having a beautiful studio is that it can easily transform into a gallery. Saturday I hosted my first exhibition ever, a one-day event with paintings made the past year. Around 60 guests visited and 18 of a total of twenty eight pictures found new homes.
Sunday morning, studio
“All journeys have secret destinations of which the traveler is unaware.”― Martin Buber
Running in circles …
… or maybe not? The circle in shape of a vessel resembling a Moon Jar has shown up in several of my recent paintings Moon Jars were originally made during the Joseon Dynasty (1392-1910). They are curvaceous, plain white porcelain jars resembling a full moon. They were made customarily to contain flowers or wine, but…
Mac’s Problem
I used to be a writer, these days I prefer paint. But the thing is — the two have more in common than I imagine. For the maker it’s all about the process … “I began my diary exercises without a plan, aware that in literature you don’t start because you have something to write…
And Now for Something Completely Different
— or maybe not? The plants are temporarily out of the picture, but I’m still feasting on the extraordinary beauty of my totally unremarkable, ordinary life The ordinary acts we practice every day at home are of more importance to the soul than their simplicity might suggest. Thomas Moore
The small things in everyday life are no less sacred than the great issues of human existence …
”The artist Lari Pittman once told me that the decorative is a way of managing the great barbarity of the world, a means to keep the radical contingency and cruel unknowability of what is going to happen next at bay. This means that the decorative is a strategy against violence, and in that regard it’s…
The Anatomy of a Flower
Studying a flower – a peony – over a periode of several days. Different tools and techniques influence & determines the outcome. The more abstract the drawing gets, the better I like it. But at the same time, I notice it’s important to me that the drawing springs from direct observations. As if meaning is…
The worst thing a painter can do is flowers … part 2
Challenging my own prejudices … Tuesday morning I had the great pleasure to participate in the launch of Chloe Briggs’ new Patreon site (more info here). Our task was to draw/paint a big flower of our choice. The session was divided into shorter timed sections, where we were asked to look for different qualities in…
sub rosa 