Abstract Nature

Sketchbook Project

I love sketchbooks, and always seem to have too many of them. Half filled with doodles and thoughts and plans for paintings.
Can one have too many sketchbooks? Well, I think not. But to actually fill one with all kinds of drawings till the last page is like a journey that's come to an end. While filling it up I flip through the previous pages often. But when a book is full, it's finished and ends up on a shelf to stay there, mostly untouched. That part of life is closed. It becomes a memory.

How special to discover 'The Sketchbook Project', where people from all over the world are asked to fill a sketchbook and return it, which will then be displayed in an art library where people can 'read' the sketchbooks! This way the pages will be viewed by all kinds of people in various places. What a chance to 'speak' to people on the other side of the world via drawings and doodles!
Somehow strange, because specially these sketchbooks are often so personal, but i guess that's the beauty of reading them.

I immediately ordered one of those sketchbooks and can't wait till it arrives.
Hope i can fill this one up without hesitation or fear because of perfectionism...

Een nieuw jaar

Het nieuwe jaar is begonnen.
Vol goede moed begint iedereen weer aan een nieuwe start.
Maar waarom? Na veel verschillende kalenders en jaartellingen hebben hoge heren lang geleden bedacht dat 1 januari de eerste dag van het jaar is. Een reden om goede voornemens te hebben. Het beter te doen dan vorig jaar. Elkaar welgemeend het beste te wensen. Maar binnen de kortste keren zit je weer in je dagelijkse routine en ben je niet meer zo bezig met al die goede plannen. Waarom zou je ook? Alles voelt toch nog precies hetzelfde als vorige week? Sneeuw waar we allemaal zo naar verlangen met Kerst, maar er vervolgens alleen maar over zitten te klagen. De kou die door je handschoenen snijdt. De verdorde plantjes in je tuin... Waar is dat nieuwe jaar dan? Ik voel het niet! Ik zie het niet! Nergens behalve in mijn nieuwe agenda. Omdat het nou eenmaal zo bedacht is.

Tot 44 v Christus begon het nieuwe jaar op 1 maart. Voor mijn gevoel is dat een betere datum. Nog wel koud, maar je voelt dat het leven weer aandringt. Het wil weer. De lente komt eraan!

Mijn enige voornemen voor dit kalendermatige nieuwjaar, is dat ik in de lente om me heen kijk. Tussen alle agenda's door genieten van het nieuwe begin in de natuur. De belofte van krokusjes, lammetjes, groene twijgen en steeds meer vogelgekwetter. En daaruit de energie halen voor nieuwe plannen en goede voornemens. Voor mij begint het jaar op 1 maart.

The flower

IF: Blur

Illustration Friday Topic 'BLUR'.

IF: Modify

"I guess that's me... "

Illustration based on this week's Illustration Friday Theme "Modify"

Pipuri

L.t.r: Pia, Pierre, Puck, Philippe, Patric, Pinti, Pippy, Pico and Pilou

Curious Creatures called 'Pipuriï' are flocking my room at the moment.
I made them from paper maché and painted them with acrylics. I love to place them together or in different combinations or places. Every time someting else happens, a new interaction or new emotion.

Watching television:

Pilou is a little shy:

Pia & Pierre:
Pia was sold to a lady a few days ago. I hesitated to let Pia go alone (because the idea of the project was about interaction, the pipuri-group thing), but the lady was so nice to her and thats interaction too! (she actually kissed her nose and stroked her, really!) that I was happy to let her go with this lovely lady. Strange how paper things become creatures of affection, but that was exactly the thing i had in mind while making them ;-)

IF: Talisman

Talisman
An object believed to bring good luck or to keep its owner safe from harm

As a child, I never went anywhere without my teddy 'Beer'.
Drawing from a few years ago, but suited the subject :)

IF: Poise

This week's topic on Illustration Friday is 'POISE'.
After searching for the meaning of the word (yay, i'm learning english as well here... haha) I instantly thought of cats.
I love cats, I have two of them, and they really are Masters of Poise. For them it's as easy to walk on the carpet as to walk on the fence around my staircase...

IF: Legendary

Mrs. Bibble rushes to a party with her legendary chocolate&honey covered pancakes.

A quick drawing in my moleskine sketchbook.
So frustrating when an image is in your head, but comes out quite crappy. I don't like the apron, and her pose is not as 'moving' as I wanted it to be. Just have to practice on my drawing and especially my patience while drawing more i guess. But allright, it's not so bad that I didn't dare to submit this one. A good reminder to become better and better!

Moleskine

For years I wanted to start an art journal, or at least fill a sketchbook with experiments, colours, texts, pasted in things.... whatever. As long as it was looooose, and impulsive. But always when I bought a new sketchbook, I started to make only 'nice' drawings, and beautiful ones... Too tight, too planned, too carefull. Then I found 'Wreck this Journal' by Keri Smith in a bookshop, and wow! That book made me dare to NOT plan what to draw, NOT be afraid to drip onto another page, NOT thinking it must become a nice drawing. It triggerd the more impulsive 'artist' in me.
I bought a real moleskine sketchbook now, and now it's first pages are filled with all kinds of blips and blurps. Here are 3 of them... (to be honest, these are the nicest drawings. Now I'm writing this I realise I should scan the more impulsive pages even more!)

IF: Breezy

People on the floor

Park

What could have been a sunny day on a terrace...

And now what?

Illustration Friday: Trick or Treat

Illustration Friday: Extremes

Bought myself a small wacom tablet for my notebook yesterday, and got Painter Essentials with it. So IF is a good excuse to practice my painter skillz in time I ought to be working... heehee! Here's my illustration for 'extremes'... Almost too late, but just before the next friday:)

Illustration Friday: Captain

Captain Rufftail bravely navigates the deserted ocean with seaman Pinkear on the rudder.



Very busy with work these months, but this image popped up in my mind when I saw this week's theme, so I quickly drew it to work it out later. Or maybe I leave it as it is...

Illustration Friday: Moon