Few weeks of Fine Arts

This week I started a new course at school. I now follow the classes of first year Fine Arts. Immediately I felt more at home then in the classes I had this whole year. In the first class we collaborated the works of the students, which they had made this past week. Compared to how I'm expected to work now (always have a concept, what do you want to say with your work, who are you as an artist and show this in your work), these students just produced, just DID. They made work and tried to find what they would like to do with it. This I liked, of course, there has to be a main-assignment or something, but to improve, not to limit.
The second class was a life drawing class, we are going to do this every Monday next year!! Good teachers, nice model, it was a great day. I'm very proud of the left drawing, I learned that I just have to take my time, and build up slowly with drawings like these.

A few students did the preparatory year as well, like I am doing now. They told me that they didn't like it at all and that Fine Arts itself is much more personal and free. So I can't wait!!

Daily Drawings

Nah-ah-ah

Finally painting again!

Hi people!

I'm very excited, because I finally found my drive again. The last few weeks I felt pretty exhausted and I wasn't making anything anymore. I felt the assignments from school didn't suit me, so I postponed and postponed till the point I found myself in a lazy-series watching-unhappy student.

This feeling had to end, but I find it very hard to make the first step into the right direction.
Yesterday I went to school and spoke to my teacher about my situation and the fact that I don't know what to present on the assessment-presentation coming Monday. I felt ashamed because I hadn't done anything. Even though I'm not the only one in the class, I hate this feeling. I like to make people proud, make myself proud. He told me to just show what I have and take the assessment as a reflection, a self-reflection.

So when I got home I started, not particularly on a school assignment, just started creating again. It felt good. And so, I made this painting, a self-portrait, which I will present on Monday. Literally a self-reflection.

Thanks for reading! And if you're feeling down, just start! It's easier said than done, but it's the only remedy.

Toodles!!

This next painting is for an assignment.

Stockholm!!!!!!!!!

Hey there!


Last week I went to Stockholm with Tom to visit his friend Cibelle and of course to enjoy the sight.


We departed at 8.15 pm from my house in Voorburg. We took a train to Brussels, another train that took us one cab drive away from the airport. This was already a long trip. We arrived at the airport at 2 in the morning where we had to wait another 7 hours or so before the gates opened. The flight itself didn't take that long. 
It was beautiful flying over Sweden, what a sight. Lots of trees, water and trees and water and some tiny houses and then some more trees. Coming from a country with almost 17 million people on 41.526 km², this was something completely new to me. (Sweden is 11 times bigger than the Netherlands and has only 9 million people!)


Arrived in Stockholm we took a bus to Central Station and there we met Cibelle. We were pretty tired and I felt a bit ill, so we decided to go to her home in Handen, where we met her lovely family. Cibelle cooked us some lunch, which I'm gonna make myself today. We rested for a while. For dinner Cibelle's mother cooked this great salmon dish, the fish here in Sweden is sooooo good. After watching a really bad movie, we went to bed.


Had a lovely good night sleep and I'm feeling much better. All fresh we went to town, Cibelle took us to a view point in the east where we could see the whole city. We went to old town where they even have typical Dutch houses, funny. We strolled around, shopped a bit and went back home to eat.
That evening Tom and I had a great time at an Irish pub in old town. There was a live band playing traditional Irish music, pretty cool!


On Sunday we went to The Nordisk museum, which was really beautiful. The building itself was already overwhelming. Inside we found typical Swedish traditions, handmade embroideries, beautiful crafted wooden objects and a lot more.


Here comes my favourite part of the journey;
Dalero was our destination on Monday. The journey alone was beautiful. Dalero is a small fisherman's village in the east. The place was filled with Pipi Longstocking-houses and there was no one around. The sound of the Baltic Sea melting, the clean, pure air in my face and the beautiful landscape just took my breath away. This sight was something I had never seen before, such an overwhelming view and serenity. 


The next couple of days we practically just explored some more of the city. Cibelle told us to go to Sofo, the Swedish Soho district. We did some shopping (of course) and I learned that I am a good negotiator, here's the story: 
On Tuesday we found this bookstore where Tom found an amazing book with engravings of Anders Zorn, a Swedish painter. The book was 600 crowns, that's 75 euro's, so we decided not to buy it. The book didn't leave Toms mind, so on Thursday we went back to the store. Before we went back we looked the book up online and found out that on Ebay it costs 120 euros or so. This is a really rare and special book. Fortunately the book was still there, so I got in line. With my poker face on I laid the book on the counter and said something like 'this one please, but I looked at the price and I think it's pretty expensive for a book.' The clerk looked at the price and was a bit surprised too. ' So maybe we can make a deal' I said, knowing that this is a rare book and Tom really wants it. I proceeded  'I was more thinking about 400, I mean, it's not that big of a book, so maybe we can meet each other with the price.' The guy looked around, doubtful and then he said the words 'Okay, you can have it for 450'. Inside I was dancing, but I didn't show it. Outside, around the corner Tom and I high-fived and Tom was thrilled. I got nearly 20 euro off of the price, ohhh yeah!!


Thursday was our last evening with the family, I made a salmon and broccoli-quiche and we had a very nice evening with three different languages at the table. 
Cibelles father took us to the airport in he morning, so nice of him, because it was like 3.30 am. The journey went well. We walked around in Brussels for a bit, saw all of the touristic attractions and then decided to go home. Even though Sweden was so calming, I have to admit that I was really tired at the end of the week.


This was yet another fantastic trip. Thank you Cibelle and your family for inviting us in your house. We had a great time and enjoyed your company so much! It was really nice to stay at a warm, caring home like yours. Hope to see you soon!!


Toodles!!!


Here is a link to a selection of the pictures we took, enjoy!

Stockholm Sketches