Sketch as meditation
This is quite a poor watercolour copy of what was probably originally an oil painting on canvas. For me, making this copy became a meditative experience, although it began with a sense of irritation. The original image is printed on a postcard. On the back, in Dutch, it says: “Painting made by an Alzheimer patient.” […]
Spain
A weekend in Spain. This is the view early in the morning with Benidorm in the far distance.
Not a pencil but silverpoint drawing
The pencil was invented in France. More precisely, it was invented and patented in 1795 by Nicolas-Jacques Conté. This is fairly standard Wikipedia knowledge, but it raises an interesting follow-up question: what did people use before the pencil? The answer is that you can make a mark with almost anything. However, for precise drawing, artists […]
Hotel lobby in London
There isn’t much to say about this sketch, except that it’s based on a photo I took with my phone in a hotel lobby. The pillar the woman is leaning against was actually covered with signs pointing to the toilets, exits, and so on, but I felt including them would be too distracting. The woman […]
Carry On Movies (1930–2001)
The Carry On series includes 31 comedy films made between 1930 and 2001, all featuring a recurring cast of actors. I’ve watched many of them, though not all. The films are classic examples of British comedy, often including familiar character types—like a flirtatious blonde in revealing outfits, a clumsy person, or someone with a squeaky […]
Balthazar
Balthazar is a Wirehaired Vizsla. He was born in Limburg on June 4th 2024, in a crowded litter with nine brothers and sisters. Balthazar had the roundest belly of them all, and even though he walked with a clumsy puppy wobble, he was always quick to find food. He seemed happy with everything around him, […]
The Russians Are Coming (1966)
To unite a country, having a common enemy often helps. For Europeans right now, that enemy is Russia. Even though Russia hasn’t invaded any Western countries since World War II—they’ve mostly just weakened over time—we still see them as the bad guy. Some people believe Russia might try to invade us sometime after 2027, but […]
Mon Oncle (1958)
Mon Oncle is a colour movie and according to Wikipedia the first one in colour made by Tati. Mr. Hulot, a character made up by Tati , lives in an old neighbourhood at the top of a complicated house that I partially depicted in my small sketch. He is a brother of a woman married […]
Playtime (1967)
Monsieur Hulot, a character created by Jacques Tati, is in a modern part of Paris. It’s unclear why he is in this place made of concrete and glass, but he wanders around, meets friends, and observes the world with curiosity. Meanwhile, a group of American tourists explores the city in their own typical way. The […]
Venice restaurant
We had lunch at a restaurant in Venice, away from the busy tourist areas—if such places exist. In front of us, a local man, who clearly knew the restaurant owner, was enjoying his wine and spaghetti. He ate calmly and with focus, enjoying every bite. It was clear he felt completely at home.