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Back to the Hands' Private Life

For a long time, I was carrying the idea of combining a historic cityscape with some hand gestures or actions. Suddenly I came across an old selfie photograph I took years ago in the beautiful downtown of Dokkum. It was a cold, wet and foggy day before Christmas and the streets were almost empty. The picture seemed to have the perspective I had in mind. Then I thought the pair of hands opening an umbrella would be a suitable story. So I put my jacket on, grabbed the vintage umbrella that we found last summer in a second-hand store, and asked Paul to take some shots to use later for this painting. 
Paul has become an essential co-creator when I need a photograph of my both hands at once. Because it's quite impossible to take a selfie of both hands, don't you think? Well, thank you, Paul!   

So this became another one in my series Hands' Private Life. Painted alla prima with a limited palette of oil colours on acid-free cardboard  20 x 41 cm.

View the finished painting in my gallery.




Exhibitions:
- Driedaagse Expo at Het Stalhuus. June 2025, Hollum
- "Enjoy" Group Exhibition. February to April 2026, Galerie Kakelbont, Paterswolde

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