Maxima

The image above is a painting for a Dutch contest. The contest was announcd in a magazine called Atelier. About 200 of the best paintings will be showed in a exhibition early next year.. In case you don't know, this is our princess Maxima, the wife of our prince Willem Alexander, the king to be. I had to do it in acrylics and the subject had to be her. So I thought I'd give it a chance. Acrylics on masonite, 13 x 10. By the way, this is my first panting in acrylic, and I must say nice stuff to paint with!

Pencil portrait

Today I made this duo portrait with a pencil. These cute girls are my lovely stepdaughters. Their grandma will be 65 tomorrow and this, amongst other things will be their gift to her. It was my first pencil drawing in, I think, 25 years.

Having a good time

It has been a while, but I have not been lazy. Not at all! I'm having a good time here. Painting every day a small oil painting. There has been only a few that has made it to the trash can. I've noticed that some objects I couldn't do last year, now are going fine. So, the big lesson here is, let it go and try it an other time again. Some paintings I've tried 3 times and now I am satisfied with the results. The images below are a few samples of the 21 I've made so far. You can see them here, because I want this blog for all the other work I will be doing. If you are interested, the paintings are for sale for $150 each.
Thanks for all the support and comments you gave me, makes me feel ok.

Early morning at the Keuterberg

A while ago, I showed you the first session of this subject. A larger painting, though. I had difficulties finishing it. Well, it seems that this small painting has more succes. I am happy it worked out.

Early morning at the Keuterberg - oil on masonite - 19,7 cm x 14,7 cm (7,7" x 5,7")

Confession of a painter

Some of my readers are asking me about the paintings in The Firts Session Paintings, a while ago. I thank them for it. I am having some difficulties, finishing (or continuing) these paintings. Painting is harder than I thought it would be. Large paintings (at least for me they are large) frighten me. I think I can do more than I really can. These paintings in the last post are still there. They will be finished. Some day. It looks if I am complaining, but I am not. I am enjoying painting. A lot. But I wish I could do more than I am doing. The bar is set to high for me. I only want to get better in painting. I wrote this before, but this is my story, so far. Many times I find myself looking at, and thinking about the paintings I am working on. Asking myself questions. What’s the next step? Which parts could be better? Should I change things? This process sometimes takes several days, untill I know what to do. In that time I don’t paint. I stare at paintings. That is why I started a new painting project: a weblog called: ’Holland in Small Oils’. Little paintings of landscapes, still lifes and whatever comes to mind. This is my answer to that “thinking-process”. Find the answers to my painting problems. And, because I feel that, no matter what, I should paint every day. When I paint every day, it will improve my skills, and I will make better paintings. It is a (almost daily) two or three hour exercise. I seem to have less problems doing small paintings, I feel comfortable with these kind of exercises. When I produce a lot of these little paintings, I think I can go back and produce some larger ones. At least, I will learn new things and will get more experienced. Go, and take a look, I hope you will join me and be a part of my learning process. Give me some comment and support. I really need it. Tell me what is good, tell me if what's wrong. Some day I will conquer myself. This weblog will stay here and I will post some new things, but not for now. For now, I will concentrate myself on the small paintings. Above, on the image, you see the track I am walking on. A track that leads to an unknown area. But I will explore the field before me. I will go for it! - Jiddje

First session paintings

These are paintings that I am working on right now. This is all after the first painting session. Most of the times this is the stage that I am taking a close look at the composition. Does it work out well? Is this the plan I had in mind? Is it satisfying up till now? And mostly, there are going to be some changes. Some minor, some huge. When I am sketching, the whole thing looks satisfying to me, but after this stage I put the paintings somewhere, where I can look at it all day. Sometimes for days. Thinking and thinking. Is this what I want? Maybe I could do this and maybe I could do that. What happens if I do that? Colors need to be changed. The color of the waves I want it to be more blue. Trees need to be removed and plant some other. This thinking about colors and composition and other things often takes more time than painting one piece.

I will let you know about the next stage.

Late Spring

This is number three of a serie of landscapes of countrysides
Late Spring - oil on board - 52 x 28,7cm (21 x 11 inches)

Near Valkenburg

Oil on board - 46 x 33 cm (18 x 13)

Frisian dwelling mound

Well, it took me awhile to paint this one. I studied a lot and this is the result of some hard work. It is an old Frisian dwelling mound. We have a lot of these "hills" in Friesland and Groningen.
Oil on board, 53,5 x 22,7 cm ( 21 x 9 inches)

Happy Easter

Approaching rain

After I did a few still lives I felt it was time to do some landscapes. I have some plans with making landscapes. I want to bring some more mood in the paintings. Like sunrises or fog. I don't know exactly how, but I am figuring that out in the next couple of weeks. I keep you posted!
Approaching rain - oil on board - 24 x 20 cm (approx. 9 x 8)

Announcement

Here is the announcement/advertisement of the Bird's Nest Inviational. I am really proud that I am on that list and have the possibillity to show my painting in the States. If you have the time and are in the neighbourhood, you should see the show. There is a lot of fine artwork to see.

Hope

I will be particpating in the Bird's Nest Invitational from Brandon Michael Fine Art in Santa Fe in February. I was invited to join at their first annual Bird’s Nest Invitational to celebrate home & flight, security & change. I was very excited, and still am, to join and make this painting. In a day or ten it will ship to their gallery where you can see it from February 13 - February 20.

Hope - oil on canvas - 30 x 40 cm (approx. 12 x 16)

Little Jug

Every time when I paint, I try to paint in a painterly way. But within an half an hour I find myself painting with as much detail as I possibly can. I am not happy about that. So, every time I try it over again. But it won't work. So, this time I forced myself watching the edges. I took -way too- big brushes and gave it a real chance. This is a quick study. Well. it took me a couple of days, because the painting needed to dry in between session. While painting, I liked the way of painting, so I prepared some more board. I will try and make some more paintings like these. Not necessarily the same subjects, but the same painterly way of painting. I believe that paintings get more decisive this way. I still have things to work out, though. I'll have to practice more this way.
Oil on board - 33 x 40 cm (approx. 13 x 16 inches)

Two finished paintings

End of Sommer (approx. 12 x 16)

Grand-Duché de Luxembourg (approx. 12 x 16)

I started these paintings about three months ago and finished them a few days ago. It was a kind of complex painting for me. I've never done anything like this, with (for me) many itemms in one painting. It was a test for me if I could pull it off. If I had the patience for it. The paintings are available and you can see more information on my website (www.jiddje.nl) how to get one of these.

Happy New Year!

Christmas card - Work in Progress 2

This is part two. The paint is very wet, so I hope you can see the result so far. I'm thrilled to get it right on time, there is not much time left. But, then again, I think I know a whole year when Christmas arrrives. Is it not the way things go? No matter what, I will keep positive. What I do know, is that painting under pressure is not my best.

Christmas card - work in progress

This is the simple drawing and underpainting of my newest painting, which will end up in a Christmas card. The painting is 12 x 16 inches. What is it? It is an old Frisian skate. A man in my neighbourhood owns it and has skated the eleven city race back in 1941 on this very skate. He lend it to me for the painting. The other thing is an old chocolate milk jug where people boiled chocolate milk in, when they got home from skating. So, it is a simple setup, but I enjoy painting it. I am not sure of the title, yet.

Now on the easel

End of sommer (12 x 16) not finished
Grand-Duché de Luxembourg (12 x 16) not finished

I've been very busy doing a lot of things but painting. There is so little time to paint, but now and then I manage to paint a little bit. I guess that happens every now and than. In between I am "studying" paintings and read a lot how other painters do their paintings. You should read Paul Foxton's blog, I find it very interesting. I am also painting more and more in layers and I am practising with Liquin. Both paintings need some color correction. On "End of Sommer" I need to do some more on the apple an the grapes. I think that will be it then. On "Grand-Duché de Luxembourg" I need to do some correction and adding on the apples, the two grapes and the jar. And highlighting the the tangerine slices. I will keep you posted with the in between paintings, so I can keep this blog running.

And I promised my wife to make our own Chrismas card. That will be a painting also. We made a lot of photos of the subjects, picked the right one out and made some sketches. Yesterday I started the underpainting. And in a few days I will post the painting so far. I hope I will make it on time.I am thrilled to make this one.

From Mrs. De Bruins apple tree

I've been searching for apples with leaves for a long time and could not find them anywhere. Untill I discovered an apple tree in Mrs. De Bruins garden. I asked her if I could have some of these apples for a painting. She agreed. Thank you Mrs. De Bruin! Oil on canvas, 30 cm x 24 cm (approx. 12 x 9.5 inches).