Skip to main content

North to South

 

Current shows

South.
In February, the art show 'Painting of the Year' at the RRMND Gallery was coming to an end, when fellow artist Koen Ketelaars approached me. He offered me the opportunity to showcase my work at his new venue, which combines art, music, theatre, and a cafe. I was honoured by this offer and I accepted it. The preparations were quick and easy, as Koen, being a professional, knows how to get things done. He selected six paintings from my Hands' Private Life series, I packed them carefully and brought them to the venue, Cultuurlokaal De Ketel, located in the picturesque village of Hilvarenbeek, in the south of the Netherlands. 

Starting from April 1st, De Ketel is open to the public, featuring an exhibition of art by six artists, including myself. The place is fantastic, with perfect lighting and atmosphere. Art combined with a top location, friendly staff, good music, and delicious cakes and coffee - what more could you ask for? 

My paintings will be on display at De Ketel until July 1st, 2024. I invite you to come and see them live.



North.
A week earlier, another "rural" exhibition was opened in the Museum Swartwoude, where I am proud to show five of my landscapes. I believe, Swartwoude is the northernmost museum in our country, by the way. My paintings, as well as those of three other island artists, will be on display there until August. Feel free to visit and take a look when you are on the island. The Museumkaart is valid in this museum.  


  



More shows.
Some more exhibitions are upcoming, including my Driedaagse in het Stalhuus, the Zomer Vol Kunst at the Amelander Cultuurmuseum, and the November Art Show in Buren. Stay tuned for more.    


     

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Artist's Home

  Ameland Views on the Walls of the Artist's Home  A couple of weeks ago, I received a very special commission from the Eiland van Verhalen . The client requested that I design a background decoration for their stage show - a kind of illustration that would combine the iconic views of all four villages on the island. The final piece needed to be in a certain proportion, as it will be printed on a screen measuring 4 by 2.3 meters. I proposed the idea of creating a "paintings painting", featuring the interior of an island house adorned with paintings on the walls, each one depicting recognisable landmarks from the villages. This idea appealed to me as it presented a nice challenge and an opportunity to create a genuine painting. The client agreed that it was an interesting concept.  I had five weeks to complete the commission. Paul and I went across the island, taking hundreds of photographs for reference. I decided to use the interior of our own home as the compositional t...

Master Studies

  Studying  I believe that practice is the best form of learning, and master copying is the most effective to practice while studying. Since we always (aspire to) learn, I find that copying a masterpiece that inspires you is an excellent method to achieve this.  In essence, master copying is not about creating perfect replicas; instead, it's about gaining a deeper understanding of artistic principles and techniques. It's a valuable tool for any artist seeking to improve their skills and expand their knowledge.  From time to time, I will update this post with my new master studies. Here are some: May 2025 After J.C. Leyendecker painting "Couple on Deck Chairs. 1904" I have been fascinated by the works and biography of this great Golden Age artist for a long time. Recently, I finally read a beautiful book titled simply, "J.C. Leyendecker", written by Laurence S. Cutler and Judy Goffman Cutler. His name and influence were most prolific; his private life was kep...

Matthew's POV

Challenging a 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 case,...