Valta's Blog | valta.nl

Light the light This was a very special "commission". A couple of weeks ago, a board member of a well-known local society, who herself is a very creative and talented person, asked me to create a small painting of the Nativity scene for a special event. She requested that I share a step-by-step story of the painting's creation at the event, as she knew I often photograph my work in progress. I was proud to take on this project. Thank you, Hilly! I arranged an old ceramic light holder representing the manger scene, added a tea light, and included a box of matches to enrich the story. I painted the scene and captured photographs of each significant step in the process. I felt honoured to be invited to share the story of my painting at the society's annual party last week. Later, I included additional secondary objects in the painting to complete the narrative. Kerststal, oil on canvas 30 x 24 cm.  You can view the finished painting in my  gallery . 

End of the Year Discount It's the season for giving, and art has always been a wonderful gift.  Amelander Kunstenaars' website is currently having a compelling sale with 20% off many artworks, making them very affordable.  Some of my landscapes and still lifes are also included in this sale.  Be sure to check it out! The sale ends on December 31.  

Challenging the masterpiece Since I've always wanted to learn more about chiaroscuro and tenebrism, I thought it would be useful to try and master-copy a (detail of a) tenebrist masterpiece. And what is my favourite painting by the great Master of Tenebrism? The Calling of Saint Matthew by Caravaggio, of course.  I can stare at this painting (or the photographs and videos of it) for hours, exploring and still discovering numerous aspects and details, often ending with more questions than answers. The one certainty is that the composition, colours and values, poses and gestures, and most of all, the light , that plays the leading role, are the work of mind of a true genius. I spent hours trying to find out about the nature and the position of those light sources (and there were surely more than one!), yet I still don't know exactly how Caravaggio designed that setting. For a long time, I hesitated, but one day I decided to try master-copying a detail of the painting. In any cas...

5.600 visitors! Needless to say, this 14th edition of the annual November Art Show was a tremendous success once again. I am proud to have exhibited four paintings from my Island Sheep series, and I am especially happy that one of them found a new home in Groningen City.            

  Still life in Collaboration For the second season, I am excited to share what I have learned and am continuing to learn about painting with interested students. It's fascinating to explore the arts together in a group and to inspire enthusiasm for creativity. During one of our sessions, we collaborated to arrange a setting for a future still life. We discussed composition, the working light and shadow, and the use of colours and values. For homework, each student was encouraged to paint their own version of the still life. This is my own version, created using the alla prima technique. Pumpkin, oil on acid-free cardboard 16 x 19 cm.  You can view the finished painting in my  gallery . 

Commissioned work After the Art Eindhoven  Fair in February 2024, where one of my "Hands' Private Life" paintings was showcased, I received lots of positive feedback from several visitors and art lovers. A particular art collector from Belgium, after also visiting my website, expressed specific interest in a painting featuring our dog, Chester . We subsequently engaged in a pleasant correspondence and agreed to stay in touch for any further enquiries and information. Now, six months later, I have received a beautiful commission to paint their Jack Russell, Scotch, who recently passed away. They did a great job collecting and sending me some nice photographs of Scotch, including those where they held him in their arms. The collector explicitly wished for the painting to feature the caring hands, so I thought it might fit perfectly into my Hands' Private Life series. After starting the composition twice all over again, I think I finally found the right relations and pro...

A Peculiar House Recently I've been visiting Poptaslot , a house and an estate from the 1630s with a fascinating story. This is probably the best-preserved house in Friesland with all the interiors and furniture still intact as they were in 1712 when the last owner died. In his will, he declared that his house should never be lived in again and should be preserved for future generations. Four appointed guardians still ensure the house and estate are maintained in perfect condition.  I had the pleasure of being guided through this marvellous house (while Paul and Chester enjoyed the beautiful gardens). I learned about the history of this unique place and took lots of pictures, hoping to paint some of those historic interiors later. Of course, I was particularly interested in the downstairs quarters. The original water pump with a stone sink in the basement has a lovely light-shadow effect on it. The contra-light through a small window in the kitchen door made the contract even more ...

  Back to the landscape I usually take my dog, Chester , for a morning walk just outside our village, towards the east where the road to the rest of the world begins. The beautiful wild meadows offer a different setting every morning, with horses and sheep on the right and sometimes cows on the left. Various birds can be spotted, and the sky above is always different, ranging from calm to heavily dramatic as the weather shifts rapidly on our island. One recent high summer morning, Chester and I walked there. The upcoming sun was gently kissing the backs and flanks of the village cows reclining tranquilly in the meadow, as heavy rain clouds drifted away to the east, revealing the sunlit clear sky and promising a lovely summer day. That's what I wanted to capture in a painting. Let's call it the "Cows of Hollum".  Oil on canvas 30 x 50 cm, alla prima, limited palette. View the finished painting in my  gallery .

  A struggle I am trying to learn ... (more follows)

Another Show Thrilled to announce the new 4-month-long exhibition called 'Zomer Vol Kunst' has started at the Amelander Cultuurmuseum in Nes.  Three of my landscapes are currently on display in the beautiful historic interior, alongside around sixty artworks by 22  Amelander Kunstenaars . The museum also features a fascinating permanent exhibition about our island's religious history and heritage. It's definitely worth a visit, and admission is free when you have a Museumkaart.  

Illustraties voor het boek Sprookjes van Deirdre Kijk, mijn eigen fiets is gelukkig nog heel. En ik heb de Venkrijs nog niet gezien. Maar ik heb hem wel gehoord 😱😜 Dit is de laatste illustratie uit het boek "Sprookjes van Deirdre" van Dimphy Timmers. Ik ben heel blij en trots dat ik hieraan mee mocht werken samen met Peter Van Noort en Jeanet F. de Jong en vele anderen. Zeker een "something to remember". Een beperkt aantal exemplaren van het boek is nog beschikbaar bij: boekhandel Enjoy Books, Sorgdrager Museum, Herberg de Zwaan, Onder de Vuurtoren, Koffiehuys Ameland en het Amelander Cultuurmuseum. De originele illustraties zijn misschien binnenkort ook te zien op een mooie plek op Ameland 🤫

Turn off the lights Back to hands! About a year ago I sketched a hand gesture used to protect against bright sunlight. Now I felt I was ready to paint it on canvas. I'm pleased that people who know me can recognise my self-portrait here. So that's in the pocket.  As for the gesture, the intention was to convey a reaction to sharp light, just like when someone suddenly opens the curtains and the bright sunlight blinds the subject or when the lights are turned on unexpectedly. Metaphorically, it may be seen as anything unexpected happening when one does not initially know how to react, instinctively trying to protect oneself.  This will be another one in the series Hands' Private Life. Let's call it "Sudden".       Oil on canvas 40 x 30 cm, alla prima, limited palette. View the finished painting in my  gallery .

Illustraties voor het boek Sprookjes van Deirdre Chocolade eitjes, die een dag voor Pasen waren verdwenen. Zijn ze uiteindelijk terecht? Hoe gaat het in het sprookje van Dimphy? Krijgen we daarover vanmiddag in het Koffiehuys Ameland te horen? Of proeven? Dat weet ik niet zeker, maar zeker is dat er vandaag om 15.00 weer een mooie presentatie van het boek Sprookjes van Deirdre is, deze keer in Nes, in het authentieke en gezellige Koffiehuys Ameland  in het centrum van Nes. Opnieuw met prachtig voorgelezen stukken uit het boek door Ameland Vertel! en met betoverende live muziek door Kees Poulus. De originele schilderijtjes die ik als illustraties voor het boek heb gemaakt zijn er ook aanwezig.  Van harte welkom! Het boek Sprookjes van Deirdre is in beperkte oplage nu uitsluitend op Ameland te verkrijgen in de boekwinkel Enjoy Books, het museum Sorgdrager, in de Herberg de Zwaan en in Onder de Vuurtoren in Hollum en in het Koffiehuys Ameland in Nes. Meer volgt.

  A recent interview for Persbureau Ameland, beautifully written by Marloes van der Singel.  Amelander Kunstenaar Valta: ‘Ik wil de schoonheid van het alledaagse vangen’

  Neighbours Studying around. When I look out of my studio window, I can see a beautiful historic house across the street. I have enjoyed painting two versions of it - a Christmas scene and a high summer scene.  The owners of the house, our neighbours Hilly and Jaap, now also own these small studies, and I'm glad they liked them.  I also enjoy using the Cinematic photo tool by Google Photos; it's fun to play around with. Sometimes the effect is quite surprising, so go ahead and take a look.  

Illustraties voor het boek Sprookjes van Deirdre "Gratis kaas vind je alleen in een muizenval", zeggen ze daar waar Misha vandaan komt.  Het was leuk om Misha te schilderen. Hij weet dat hij er lief en schattig uitziet, en dat hij slimmer is dan de anderen die ook denken dat hij bijzonder is. Dat alles zou het makkelijker maken in het krijgen wat je wilt... Leer je soms ook van je eigen fouten? Ik heb gehoord dat dit zeker de moeite waard is om eens te proberen. En als je van de fouten van anderen kan leren dan heb je helemaal een superpower. Zou slimme Misha het ook kunnen na zijn spannende avonturen? Lees het in het boek van Dimphy Timmers. Het boek Sprookjes van Deirdre is in beperkte oplage nu uitsluitend op Ameland te verkrijgen in de boekwinkel Enjoy Books, het museum Sorgdrager, in de Herberg de Zwaan en in Onder de Vuurtoren in Hollum en in het Koffiehuys Ameland in Nes. Op maandag 24 juni om 15.00 is er opnieuw een presentatie van het boek door  Ameland Vertel!  ...