September 8, 2015
From Helsinki- the surprising beauty of Jugend architecture
September 7, 2015
Jugend architecture is more generally known as Art Nouveau. In Finland you see swooping, flowing lines in the decoration. There are mythological symbols, many from the national epic poem, Kalevala, as well as images of nature, such as owls and bears. There are elements. The most important buildings are in stone, but they also used soapstone, a softer rock. This style was in vogue in the early 20th century.
I’ll post another entry with interior shots- quite fabulous!
Here are some good examples of building exteriors from a two or three block area near the harbor and the Russian Church:
Sketches of the Dutch
Here are some drawings and sketches of the Dutch.
Drawings:
Sketches:
Windmills of Zaandam
August 31, 2015
Zaandam was quite the industrial center and still there are two chocolate factories – we can smell the chocolate every day- and quite a number of other factories in the area. The industrial revolution here was powered by windmills. Most of them are gone- there were some 630 at the peak and there are 14 now. Here are photos of a portion of what remains:
In the above mill they sell flour that I assume they grind there. They have some speciality flours such as spelt and pancake flour – I am not sure what they mean by that. At any rate, the Dutch eat both savory and sweet pancakes. Here’s a shot of the interior.
Traditional houses of Zaandam
August 29, 2015
Monet’s “Blue House in Zaandam” and a sketch of a man with beard. Peter the Great’s House.
I guess I did not do enough walking yesterday, so we walked to downtown Zaandam. I photographed one of the houses Monet painted. It no longer looks the part, as you can see. There are about 35 Zaandam houses by Monet. There is a map you can use to see them all.
I saw one of Monet’s houses today, and it does not look the part, as you can see. The port is still there but there is a house in the way.
Peter the Great lived nearby for 8 months, studying ship building. The house was saved from collapse and is inside a building. It is so badly sagging that when you enter you lose your balance. It’s like being in a fun house with many crazy angles. He was there to learn military ship building but found that the lack of written plans here to be counter-productive to his purposes and so went to England where they used plans. He later returned to visit the village. His landlord refused to see him, as Peter had lived there 8 months without paying any rent.
While Peg was shopping I did a few sketches while having coffee along a canal. These are miniatures, about 2″ x 4″ in pen and ink:
Of course I have to do these sketches surreptitiously, and the people usually move a lot, so it is quite challenging.
Jazz Singer, painting
Jazz Singer, acrylics, A3, 16.5 x 11.5″
I was inspired by her natural warmth and the way she connected with her audience, which I hope I captured.
Tall Ships 2015: Miniatures Paintings and Drawings
[Every 5 years 3-5 masted sailing ships, most of them training vessels, come to Amsterdam. We sat on the side of the North Sea Canal where I sketched. And ate pofertjes! (Small pancakes). Here are my drawings and paintings from that event.
Cats!
One of my favorite topics! Here two kittens play in the botanic gardens in Valencia.
Paris drawings
These are pen and ink drawings together with water colors from our time in Paris. Some are from Courbevoie, famous for the impressionist paintings done on ile de la Jatte. I spent a lot of time meeting with friends at Bar de la Gare and Cafe Bert in Paris.
