Elisabeth Donker the Joy of Art

The Last Page

2009-10-26T15:30:00.002+01:00

Some two years ago now I complained to my son Coert that I couldn't find a mention of my work on internet. He suggested I start a web-log and make myself known. Coert got me started and I enjoyed regularly posting my activities for friends and family abroad, picking up a client along the way and, of course, "seeing my picture on the cover".
As time passes I look at all the posts and see I am having much fun doing pretty much the same.... but different. I feel, anyway, that it's not exciting enough to keep posting it here so I'm going to call this "The Last Page" for now.
For those who feel the urge.... you can keep up with me and my work via Facebook.

Trying to Find the Track

2009-03-11T20:10:00.003+01:00

Yes, that's it... trying to find the way back to my blog. My last post was back in December. Much has happened since then:

Chrismas
New Year
Cornalijn's birthday
Addiction to Facebook
Alot of winter, even a..
Ice Storm that took many trees and left us without electicity for almost two weeks. Couldn't even get to Princeton for my painting group.
A new showerstall in the bathroom
Coert came for ten days
MY BIRTHDAY
One of my goats, Lady, passed
We gave five geese away and luckily have kept at least one female (you try and "sex"a goose)
Cleaned up my studio with Coert.... enough room the actually work!

This list is just to bring you up to speed, although I have to admit that when I settle down each morning with a cup of coffee to update my blog I don't seem to get past my Facebook page. I'm working on it though.... I have space to work, I have the energy (although the weather is gloomy) and, and, and I just have to get it back on track.
Inspiration, that's it! I feel it coming... it's on the way.

Welcome to My Internet Exhibit......

2008-12-14T15:46:00.005+01:00

Welcome to the opening.
As this is a virtual exhibit I invite you to pour a glass of wine for yourself, sit back, and scroll through the paintings below.
Looking down through the next 5 posts on my blog you will encounter an oversight of some 30 paintings I made on Cape Cod.
The subjects range from inland landscape to dunes and surf all over the Cape but concentrated around Sesuit Harbor in East Dennis Ma.
Enjoy.

Cape Cod Lighthouses, Landscapes and a Portrait

2008-12-07T14:06:00.005+01:00

During the seventies I painted pretty much every lighthouse on Cape Cod. We had a yellow 4 wheel drive jeep back then and were free to drive over the beach and through the dunes with a pass from the National Seashore. We would drive from Truro along the Atlantic coast all the way out to Lands End in Cape Cod bay.

We call this the "Secret Valley". It was just around the bluff from our beach and we did some of our best beachplum picking there. The first painting hangs in Coert's house and is scene from the valley looking back to an abandond beachhouse on the dune. The following two paintings are in the valley itself where the colors in the shrubs always blew me away.

This painting I found after having posted last week. It is another view of the meadow between Stone's mansion and Stephen Phillips Road. Look at the dune....
This is a portrait of my daughter, Cornalijn.

the Next Chapter on Cape Cod

2008-11-30T15:42:00.005+01:00

During the Cape Cod years I was painting quite a lot.. so much and sometimes so fast I would just recycle canvases. This week we'll start with the Bagley house but then beach-side on the back-side.
The second painting is of the old Stone- house. A sprawling estate that used to be on the hill above Stephen Phillips Road, surrounded by meadows and hedgerows.
Just accross Bridge Street from S-P Road and down along Old Town Lane I painted this scene. Painted on a recycled canvas this is the only one that ever started chipping. In the background you might see two people walking along Sesuit Neck Road. It is from about there that I painted the Pear tree below. This tree still stands some 32 years later.
I got up really early one morning and went down to Sesuit Harbor to paint the colorful boats in the morning mist. This painting is in private collection.
These are the flats outside of Brewster, Ma. nearby the estuary of Quivet Creek. We call them "Crow's Pasture". This painting is in private collection as well.
This painting is of Quivet Cemetery in Brewster, painted from Sea Street the closed road as we call it. See the next painting.

I would like to express my appreciation to family members, old friends and valued customers that were so kind to send me photographs of paintings I knew were out there but in many cases had not seen for many years.

Cape Cod Bay

2008-11-23T14:54:00.005+01:00

This is a summer scene facing east from (what used to be) the Bagley house. In the background, the horizon you might say, is the jetty at Sesuit Habor. To the right is the East Dennis public beach. Off the beach, halfway "up the jetty", you can see "Gull-rock". This rock stands dry at low tide but is now in about eight feet of water. Here is a painting of a summer storm. I admit openly that this one was most likley painted from behind glass. This painting is in a private collection.
This painting we call "the Rolling Waves". Also in private collection.
The last one for today I call "the Morning Sea".... even though it is Cape Cod Bay.

Chapter Two: the Marsh and Bog Scenes

2008-11-14T15:34:00.006+01:00

This in a picture of me painting on Bridge Street in East Dennis somewhere between 1976 and 1980..... I ended up cutting this painting in half and selling the top half in one of those Cape Cod artist events along route 6a.

The painting below is pretty much the same but from closer to East Dennis. I painted this one from someone's backyard.This painting is the view upstream from the same spot on Bridge Street above.
This painting is now in a friend's private collection and they call it "Our Little Cottage". In the foreground is the flooded cranberry bog on Stephan Phillips Road in East Dennis. Coert mapped this one on Panoramio.
Here another of the same bog.... but earlier, signed 1974. Coert and Peter are walking back to the house after coming to visit me while painting. This one hangs in Coert's house and has been mapped as well.

Cape Cod Summers 1

2008-11-08T08:55:00.010+01:00

During the seventies my family enjoyed summers on Cape Cod. The July month was spent at the house of a dear family friend; H.P.Bagley II.

My children were young and played on the beach in East Dennis, next to Sesuit harbor. This gave me plenty of time to paint in the area.

My son Coert remembered, during a recent telephone call, having to “lug that tote-bag and paintbox” all over the place…. My reply was that someone had to carry the stuff.

Moving on:

This portrait is of Prescott Bagley (Jan. 1927- April 2005) painted in '75-76.

Below cottage is where Peter and I spent our honeymoon in 1964. This painting must also be from 1975 or 76.

Here a painting over the beach towards the jetty at Sesuit Harbor.

Seeing these paintings again (and there are some more to come) remind me of how much I was very influenced by my teacher at the time, Robert Hunter. He taught me to paint with thin layers. The "van Gogh" in me came out later.

Coert mapped the above paintings on his Panoramio site. Have a look there (be sure to zoom in) to see how, in some cases, the world has changed.

Sharing the Statistics

2008-11-07T11:25:00.005+01:00

I have been busy putting together a blog-exhibit these past weeks….

Whenever my web-log slows down you can count on me being up to something.

This exhibit will entail paintings made on Cape Cod in the 1970’s it has taken quite the effort to find them. Most I have spread around (stacked away) in my studio but some have been either sold or given away in the course of time. So I’m trying to remember what went where and to whom and contacting people for photographs.

In the mean time I thought it would be fun to share some “blog stats” with you.....

As of today we have had 3,162 “visits” to the Joy of Art, with 1,109 “absolute unique visitors”. The 3,162 visits show an average 1.78 “page views” per visit (total 5,621 “page views”) with an average of two minutes on-site.

The visitors to the Joy of Art are spread out over 60 countries around the world. In the top-ten, not surprisingly, we see the U.S. and the Netherlands, followed by Canada, Israel, U.K., Germany, Belgium, India, France and Turkey.

All in all quite some attention for a woman just doing her thing.

Been Delegating the Panoramics...

2008-10-18T21:10:00.006+02:00

I somehow got the date-function on my camera turned off and sent Coert another set of photos. Although this one does not offer a wider range of view I do like the way it "flames" (o.k. distorts)in the margins.... It's about time that Coert posts a few new pictures on his own Panoramio site.

Panorama over at the Pond

2008-10-13T20:35:00.005+02:00

My son Coert has been playing with panoramic-photo-stitching for some time now.... We both have space on "Panoramio" (his & mine), a site that links our photos to Google Earth and Maps.
Below my first attempt at a panorama compiled of three photos (Coert did the stitching for me). Now I'm trying to get the !@#$% date function on my camera turned off.
Hopefully more to come but for now the breathtaking colors of Cooks Pond.... you can click on the image for a larger view.

An Altogether Busy Week

2008-10-13T16:50:00.003+02:00

This week we had a guest from The Netherlands.
Nel is the widow of one of Peter's oldest friends, Gijs van Barneveld. Nel lives in the city of lives in Dordrecht. When Nel arrived on the 2nd of October Autumn had just set in. and when she left on the 10th the season was in full glory.
Nel was awestruck by the colors of our New England season and was constantly making photo's.... Below is one I made of her.
On Tuesday we painted the grandson of Charles Grey. The photo of my painting did not do enough credit to my work, but here is one of Victoria, I liked her painting as well.
Besides playing tourist with our guest touring around, shopping at Macy's, visiting Boston, art museums, etc. etc we celebrated the 50th birthday party for a friend of ours.
Yesterday Nel left, we had a little bit of an empty nest syndrome. She was such a good guest, full of enthousiasm and joy.

Art in the Bank

2008-10-03T10:58:00.006+02:00

This month I have a little exhibit at the Princeton branch of the Barre Savings Bank.
There was space for nine paintings.
The branch manager, Mary Tomasello, invites a different atrtist in each month to exhibit. Custumers seem to really apprecitate the monthly change of scenery.....it also gives everyone working in the bank something new and interesting to look at.

The fact that my work is being displayed in an area where people are working, waiting or doing business appeals to me. The space is alive and that adds to the vibrance I try to convey with my work... Plus, I enjoy the exposure I am getting for my art....

Here's a picture with one of my sunflower paintings on the left and a portrait of my grandson Thomas Patrick on the right. As usual you can click on the image for a larger view:
Another one of my sunflowers behind the branch manager's desk (a clutterd workspace is a sign of a clear mind):
A portrait of John in Native American dress on the left and a topographical abstract on the right:

the Mad Hatter

2008-09-28T08:28:00.007+02:00

Friday, on my way home through Paxton I noticed an "Estate Sale" sign along the road.
I hit the brakes.
I love estate sales, yard sales, garage sales, fleamarkets, you never know what you might find.

The sale was everything an old lady had kept. The lady of the house had moved into assisted living and her heirs (to be) were selling the furnuture, garden tools, kitchen pots and pans, dishes, knick-knacks, the whole deal.

On the dining room table I couldn't help but notice a tall hatbox with the name" Stetson" on it. I already have a collection of Stetson cowboy hats but no boxes..... yet.
When I asked how much he wanted for the box the man said "they all go together" and pointed at four more hat boxes. One of them had the name of Denholms and McKay company and the others also had local names. I, as a matter of fact, worked in the millinery department there in 1964-65.
In the Denholms box was a pretty pink straw hat, probably from the fifties.... we'll call that one "vintage".
I took them all.

When I unpacked my boxes at home I was surprised that the hat boxes had many "vintage" hats piled into them. I am now the proud owner of at least 15 hats.... fur ones, pink ones, a flowered one, a white one... to many to describe or picture here.
Anyway, here is a sample below. We had a lot of fun trying them out.

From Tradition to Prehistory

2008-09-20T14:24:00.005+02:00

While in The Netherlands, just about a week ago now, we sometimes had a evening treat called “Advocaat”. Dutch tradition is to eat this alcoholic beverage with a spoon from a small glass. Today I made a batch….. Here’s the recipe:

12 eggs
400 gr sugar
Two tablespoons of vanilla
1/2 quart of Brandewijn ( as this is hard to find here in the USA brandy or rum will be a good option, spiced rum even better.)

Break the eggs one by one into a bowl and beat them until smooth. Pour through a sieve and mix once more…. You want this really fine and creamy. Add the sugar while mixing the egg mass and then pour in the alcohol.

Warm the mixture in a double boiler (au bain marie) and keep stirring. Your “product” will start to thicken at about 140 degrees. When the foam is all gone the Advocaat is ready.
Allow it to cool, stirring occasionally.

Advocaat is traditionally served in little glasses, a little larger than a shot glass, topped with whipped cream and eaten with a little spoon (like one of those souvenir spoons).
That is the way it was done when I was growing up.
You might try using it as a pastry filling...
Whatever you do with it, it is delicious.

Paintings this week areTraci from the Nursery and John my neighbour in Native headdress, he collects these artefacts.

Last but not least a photo Coert sent me of a pot he made. He has been interested in prehistoric European “Linear Pottery” for so long he has started making replicas, firing them in an outdoor pit.

Back from Vacation.... Zucchini Soup Recipie

2008-09-14T14:50:00.010+02:00

Back from vacation and the garden is overgrown.
What to do with zucchini that is as thick as your fore-arm?
I don't know what I did with my camera so the date is not correct.

Anyway, I was in luck because Dorri had a recipe and had writtren it down for me.
I will translate it from Dutch:
For eight people, (invite friends because it is really very tasty)
Courgette soup (courgette is the French word for zucchini)

Three pounds of courgettes (zucchini), seeded.
One pound of potatoes
One onion
Two pounds of chicken breast
One stick of butter
One little jar of green olives with pimento
Half cup of cream
One quart of chicken bouillon

Cube the zucchini, potatoes and onion. Put them into the melted butter in a great big pan. Add the bouillon, put the chicken breast on top and bring everything slowly to a boil. Simmer for 20 minutes, until meat is cooked. Take out the chicken and puree the soup with a mixer. I do not own one so I mashed it with the tool I make mashed potatoes with....it worked fine.
Cut the chicken in small pieces and return it to the soup. Slice the olives and add them with the cream to the soup.
Bring to a boil and add salt and pepper to taste.
This soup is really delicious! Enjoy.

Second Week of My Field Trip Abroad

2008-09-07T14:57:00.006+02:00

Well, I've been up to quite a bit this last week. Here's a photo-impression of a few of my activities:

1. I attended my granddaughter Dana's riding lesson:
2. I visited with my sister in-law, Joan Herweijer, a sculptor:

3. I attended a country fair where lost and dying arts were demonstrated, this is a wooden shoe maker making a pair of miniatures:
4. I went with Dorri to the Saturday market in Harderwijk and arrived home laden with flowers:

A Day on the Heath

2008-08-31T20:37:00.009+02:00

Today we spent a wonderful day on the heath…. the Hulshorsterzand.

After breakfast this morning Dorri packed a picnic-lunch and we were off.

About six kilometers from where Coert and Dorri live we went to a heath that Coert helped restore (by clear-cutting 18 acres) some ten years ago.

I had a wonderful time just setting up my easel and painting for a few hours.

While I was busy Coert and Dorri were either taking walks in the area or reading in the shade. Dana & Christiaan were busily working on their paintings.

With the heather in full bloom I was reminded of how much I love this landscape..... to see the horizon and all the colors in between.
See the pictures below (click on them for full-sized image):

My First Week in Holland

2008-08-30T19:16:00.005+02:00

During this last week I have been observing (and enjoying) the typical Dutch atmosphere.

I have been to Friesland with Dorri to visit her mother enjoying the landscape on the way. One of the excursions on this day was to a distillery in the town of Sneek where they produce the regional “bitter”.

I went swimming with my grandchildren, Dana and Christiaan, went out to dinner with my brothers and spent quite some time on the bicycle on our trips back and forth to Harderwijk…. Averaging ten to 12 kilometers a day.

Today, Saturday, is market day in Harderwijk. We all went to town with saddlebags. Coert even had a little trailer so their dog Esra wouldn’t have to run all the way.

Luck would have it that today was the annual “Flag-day” for the traditional fishing fleet.

The whole harbour was full of old fashioned fishing boats, people in traditional dress, stands showing and selling the lost arts of basket weaving, net-making, broom-tying.

I think the pictures below should be self-explanatory by now:

Arrival in the Netherlands (no weeds in the yard)

2008-08-25T12:45:00.003+02:00

Coert, Dorri and the children picked me up at Schiphol Airport Amsterdam Saturday morning. We were back at their house in Hierden by lunchtime. Of course I'm here to celebrate Coert's birthday.... today actually.

Yesterday (Sunday) Coert and Dorri had a bunch of people over for drinks. I didn't get to making any pictures of the festivities that lasted late into the evening. Maybe for the better.

What I did make a picture of is what I saw over the hedge in the neighbor's yard.
I was very surprised to see five well kept pot plants growing there.
Coert told me his neighbor has the right to have five plants for personal use and he is exercising that right with enthusiasm. Although his partner is apparently not that enthused about it.

Myself only once ever trying but never having inhaled the stuff was proud to have recognized the plants.

Thought the folks over by the North Bend might get a kick out of this….

Peter's 72nd Birthday

2008-08-21T08:10:00.005+02:00

Peter's 72nd birthday was a weekend of joy.
It all started friday night with our weekly cocktail party. Everybody was there.
We had cake and sang happy birthday in Dutch and English.
Saturday a Dutch friend we had not seen for seventeen years unexpectedly arrived with her husband and two teenagers. As they arrived late we orderd pizza and we had a nice evening catching up and watching the Olympics on the new t.v. Peter got for his birthday.
Victor, our 14 year old guest from the Netherlands, had installed it. We had tried but could not get a picture.Sunday morning Cornalijn, Paul and kids came to be there when the candles were blown out on the birthday cake. Now there was eleven of us. Our dutch guest Corlijn (12 years) old made a painting of my granddaughterLillian. Daniel helped blow out the birthdaycake. We all went for a walk in the backyard to visit my 'thinking rock' (meditation place). While we were on our walk Peter's cousin Bill and his wife Carol had arrived. It was so festive to have so many people around. We all made dinner and had another long evening with lots of laughing and singing. Our friends from the Netherlands left for the Niagra Falls on Monday afternoon.....but not before having seen a Cardinal, an Oriol, Hummingbirds, snakes, squirrils chipmunks.

Now it's time to get ready and pack my suitcase to go visit my son and his family in the Netherlands. I will be there just in time for his birthday.

Re: Where Are My People of Chilmark?

2008-08-17T09:18:00.001+02:00

Almost a year ago now I deliverd a commissioned copy of Thomas Hart Benton's "People of Chilmark" to a buyer in Los Angeles. This buyer ended up selling the painting because at its original size (65x77 inches or 166x197cm) it was larger than he had anticipated...

Since then I have been trying to find out where this painting was.... because I wanted to know.
I had heard that it was sold to a restaurant or club but nothing was for sure so I posted missing painting report with a reward on this blog and saturated CraigsList in L.A. with want ads.

Just a couple of weeks ago the original buyer (Jim) was at a flea market in Los Angeles and recognized person who bought the painting from him. Jim knew I was trying to locate "People of Chilmark".
Jim was bold enough to approach the man, Ronald, and told him the whole story of my search.
It turns out that Ronald is a art collector. After buying the painting from Jim he had the canvas stretched and framed.
Ronald and I had a wonderful telephone conversation. I am very delighted with this happy ending. Thanks to everyone helping with the search and being supportive!
The findersfee goes to Jim.

Keeping Busy

2008-08-14T09:07:00.001+02:00

Besides being very busy in the flower and the vegetable garden. I have been painting.
Here a vase with sunflowers. At 24x36 inches this is a large painting.
The vase they are in is one of my WorcesterWare vases. I made a series of six of these vases in 1990. Most of them were later made into lamps. See the second photo for detail.....

North Bend Garden

2008-08-11T08:37:00.002+02:00

Gardening this year started out as quite the challenge.

All the water this spring got me off to a late start.... and the those !@#$%^coyotes that had been taking my chickens have left and been replaced by wild rabbits that ate all of the seedlings as they came up.
Since reinforcing the garden fence with chicken wire and replanting pretty much everything the ball has been rolling in a positive direction.

In this picture you see that I have help from friends..... "crop-sharers"instead of "share-croppers".
In the third picture you can see how fast everything is growing.
Note the sunflowers, they are not blooming yet, but see how tall they are.
We have already harvested several meals of summer-squash, little tomatoes, swiss chard, cucumbers, eggplant and even a pepper. All this besides the regular herbs. The pole beans "Kentucky wonders" are blooming. I like those a lot because of the red flowers. The hummingbird visits them a couple of times a day. ... You can set your watch by it.
Last but not least note the new fence. I am enlarging the garden for next year.

.... Bringing it back to me

2008-08-08T08:47:00.006+02:00

This year I discovered a new nursery hidden out on Route 56 in Rutland called Southern Exposure Nursery. Most of my garden annuals and vegetables came from there.this year.
Tracy , the woman who works there is so nice, and so beautiful. We asked her to pose for the portrait group.
They have a Southern Exposure website so you can have a look.

I made a painting of the place but I am not very happy with it. The painting is too wide and the righthandside is just too much.
I do love the middle though, with the little yellow shed under the shade of a big tree. On the left I tried to get the colors of the flowers as much as I could.

Anyway, I bet when I look at it in January I will like it.

The Watercolors of May

2008-05-23T07:36:00.009+02:00

This May I started watercolor painting more seriously with some help from my experienced friend Judy Tonelli. To get things started she suggested I use only three colors (red, yellow and blue) and combinations of these colors.
To paint with watercolors is certainly very different than oils!
Here are some of my first attempts with the colors Judy suggested:

Where are my People of Chilmark?

2008-04-25T15:12:00.006+02:00

Last year I posted my project Thomas Hart Benton's People of Chilmark. I heard recently that the original buyer sold the painting because it was too large for his new house. As far as I could find out, to a restaurant in Los Angeles. I would love to know where it is..... I'll offer a $25 (twentyfive dollar) gift certificate to Amazon or whatever to the first person to contact me with this paintings whereabouts.

58th annual academic Artists Association National Exhibition

2008-04-19T08:04:00.008+02:00

Sunday april 13 was the grand opening of the 58 th annual National exhibition of the Academic Artists Association. And it was GRAND. Jean Murphy and I went to the opening at The American International College in Springfield Massachusetts.

This is a juried show, and not that easy to get in. But Jean had a nice drawing voted in named "Jim".
Lynn Wrona had entered a lovely oil painting named "the Road Home" and won the Samuel E. Armour Memorial award for it.
Another Worcester artist I have known for a long time won a Honorable Mention, his name is Robert Duffy. His entry was an oil painting entitled "Maine coast".

Before the show opened a painting demonstration was given by yet another famous Worcesterite, Bob Aiello. He painted a lovely winter scene while everyone was asking him questions and giving advice, not an easy task.
My favorite in the show was a large painting named "Generations" by Sandra Wakeen of Somers CT. Here are some visuals:

Robert Duffy, "Otter Cove":
Bob Aiello, "Glory":
Sandra Wakeen, "Generations":

I Pose for the Painting Group

2008-04-14T09:36:00.009+02:00

Last week, for some reason, there was no model available for our painting group in Princeton.
I volunteerd.... Below you can see the results:

Bobcat on the island

2008-04-12T19:34:00.002+02:00

During the winter some trees had to be cut on the big island at Cooks Pond. To move the wood and concentrate slash the men decided to drive a bobcat to the island over the ice to do the work.

When the work was done and they had to return the machine it gained so much momentum going down the steep banking that went through the ice.
It took a lot of manpower, cables and winches and they succeeded to get it back on the island.
Now the motor was not working anymore.

As the bobcat was borrowed from a brother in law there was a lot of pressure and anxiety. In the meantime the ice melted, spring sprung, and the bobcat was on the island. What to do? Leave it till next winter? Build a cabin around it? Have it picked up by helicopter?

Yesterday it was decided to float it and have it pulled by a cable to shore.

All the fuel and hydraulics were emptied and sealed. Big air pillows were attached as pontoons and they pushed it down the steep banking.
We were all yelling :'pull, PULL!!!!!!!' and very, very, slowly it got pulled ashore.
Here are some photo's (sorry it was not the animal "bobcat" as you thought:)

The preparation:
The operation:
The sweet smell of success!

Back to Work

2008-04-07T08:50:00.002+02:00

The procedure was done, and I am fine. I will have to lose some weight and lower the cholesterol level. Before I continue posting on the Joy of Art, I want to thank everyone of you for being so supportive. I am overwhelmed by the flowers, cards, telephone messages, and visits. It takes something like this to realize how many friends one has.THANK YOU ALL.

Before my achy breaky heart took over the program my painting group at the Princeton Arts Society was preparing for an exhibit at the Jacob Edwards Library in Southbridge Ma. the exhibit, entitled "Getting a Likeness" will hang the whole month of April.

My Achy Breaky Heart

2008-03-31T14:22:00.009+02:00

During the last week I have been to the cardiology department at the Fallon Clinic in Worcester many times.
Since (what I thought was) my bad cold in December I become very tired very fast... often with a pain in the middle of my chest. At Fallon they did a stress-test and some kind of chemical test because (they say) I have a " left branch bundle blockage" or LBBB. From the stress test they learned that there is a scar on my heart from a recent heart attack. My cardiologist at Fallon, Dr. Luigi Pacifico, said that there is no way I can travel in this condition. So the big Paramaribo expedition is out.
April 7th he is going to do more tests.
You can all understand that I am very very disappointed to have to cancel my trip to Paramaribo to visit my cousin. I have not seen her in over 50 years. She is celebrating her 70 th birthday this month and I wanted to be there.
I was looking forward to go to an tropical country as there is still ice on the duck pond.
I guess the song of the week is "My Achy Breaky Heart".

Watercolor Travel-kit

2008-03-23T18:46:00.006+01:00

About a year ago my friend Dave gave a little lecture on how he "travel logs" when he travels. He showed his watercolor equipment; it all fit in a little pouch on his belt. I was in awe how compact it was. For this expedition I do not want to take along much luggage. Oil paint, canvases or paper and certainly and easel would be too much of a burden.
Watercolor is a totally different way of painting. I have not done it for many many years. It's so much different from oils because one needs to know how to draw. No moving nice buttery oil paint around. I am going to try it!!!!! My nifty travel-kit turned out to be quite an investment. First a little Winsor Newton set, extra brushes and of course extra paint because the colors that come with the set are "odd". My investment included some aquarelle pencils and watercolor paper, not to forget some sheets of kitchentowels. See the pictures of my new equipment.
I am open for suggestions, help, etc. Everything (photo above) is in the box behind the little artist painting the tulip.... my first watercolor since I can remember.
That statue, by the way, was carved by my friend Dick Whitney. (†2006). He made these carvings for many of his friends. We all cherish them.
The equipment is in a zippered makeup box 5x6x2 inches (below). I did cut the pencils in half, and shortened the brushes a little . The paper pad is a larger but all of this will easily fit in my carry-on bag.

Discovery of Panoramio on the way to Paramaribo

2008-03-21T21:21:00.004+01:00

While Coert was here he installed Google Earth for us.... The fun thing is that he, via his page on Panoramio.com, has a number of photographs posted on Google Earth. I follow suit. I created my own gallery on Panoramio. I haven't "mapped" all of my photos but I am interested to know what you think.... leave a comment here or there. Hopefully I'll be able to log in while in Suriname and keep up to date with photos. I'm not yet sure if I will be able to lug along my paint-box.

Princeton portrait group having an exhibit

2008-03-17T21:41:00.007+01:00

Our Portrait group exhibit in Southbridge Jacob Edwards library will open April 3. The portraits will hang there for the whole month. We are very exited about this because it is not often that we are invited to show our portraits, painted in Princeton. I entered Coert's last portrait, worked a bit more on it, and feel it is starting to look like him.I will not be going to the opening on April 3 , Because I will be traveling to a tropical country !!!! Suriname!!!!. Nobody seems to know where it is, that is why I am adding a map. Once there, I will be visiting my cousin Riet. We used to be pals, our mothers were sisters. We have not seen each other since I was twelve, and she was sixteen. It was a little over a year ago that we found each other back, via the internet. SOOO exiting!!!! To get to Suriname from here I have to change planes in New York, than in Port of Spain Trinidad, than to Paramaribo. I will arrive the same day at 11.45 pm. Riet promised to pick me up. Hope we recognize each other. I will not be "Blogging " till I come back, by April 16th . maybe some photo's.

Grotere kaart weergeven

Coert 's visit

2008-03-04T19:53:00.003+01:00

During Coert's visit he posed for the Portrait group in Princeton, and here are the paintings made that day.

The Lost Tape

2008-02-29T11:16:00.006+01:00

My son Coert was visiting these past days. He spent some time sorting out our VHS tapes and converting them to digital. Previewing most of the tapes Coert came across an interview I did for a (long lost) local television station. In this interview I explain the motivation behind my series of four WorcesterWare urns.... The phases in a woman's life. I have posted WorcesterWare before, but because of the many reactions I thought you might like to see this clip. Beware, the VHS was aged and damaged so the quality is poor. I, however, still look pretty good. Make sure to click on the lower (and smaller) "play" icon... otherwise you'll see all kinds of other stuff over at YouTube.

In the eyes of the beholder

2008-02-25T21:06:00.013+01:00

As you all know I go to Princeton every Tuesday. I go to Princeton to paint a portrait together with the Princeton Portrait group. One of us has to bring a model. That is not easy. Usually you have two or three turns a year. We paint from 9 to12, after twenty minutes we take a break and after some breaks we have coffee and cookies. The person who brought the model also has to provide for the coffee-break snacks. Sometimes they are very fancy home made pastries fruit, cheese, etc. and sometimes they are just doughnut holes. I have gained 10 pounds during my six year membership. Some weeks ago I took pictures of many of the portraits and the artist who painted it. Also of the model. As you can see, we all have a different view of the model.... The works are the view (eye) of the beholder.
First, of course, is my own picture:
Next is Milton, scroll down for more.

Here are Dave and Elly.

Sharon Bahosh and Merry's work... Sharon will be having an solo-exhibit at the Rockport Art Association this March. Be sure to have a look at her wonderful work!

Last but not least the famous Sid Soloman. See the side-bar right for a link to his site.

An Ode to My Teacher

2008-02-20T11:45:00.007+01:00

During the late seventies I took some painting classes at the Worcester Art Museum.
My teacher was the famous Robert Douglas Hunter. I have a small collection of his paintings and some prints in my studio. This man inspired me to look at composition, color and shade. " Mr." Hunter was teaching still lifes and is most well known for his long-table compositions. During these sessions with Mr. Hunter I met a number of people that some thirty years later are still good friends. Below is a painting I borrowed from public domain and further down this page is one from my own collection. See more of Mr. Hunter's work here.

Grand daughter on YouTube

2008-02-05T19:48:00.000+01:00

I discoverd today that my son Coert has a "channel" on You Tube.... Here is a clip he posted of daughter Dana...

Ice Rings on North Bend Farm

2008-02-04T13:10:00.000+01:00

Here are some photos of my "ice rings". They decorate our yard during the winter frost. I had a late start this year because it was not cold enough but now I have about 100 rings hanging. If it stays cold enough I will make "ice hearts" for Valentine's day. I make the rings in coffee ring containers I buy at yardsales. They freeze overnight and then I hang them the next day. The ice rings brighten up the yard, especially when the sun hits them.

Then and Now

2008-01-21T11:27:00.000+01:00

In the winter the rockpiles are more visable than in the summer. I enjoy the shadows and shapes the snow makes, they are ever changing. The window in the middle is where the computer is and so I am looking at the rocks every morning checking my e-mail. Not quite visable, on the right is a tall collection of rocks. My son Coert brought those from the Swift River and stacked them on one of his trips here. River rocks are much smoother than our "country rocks". I love stacking rocks and there are many of these "cairns"all around the neighborhood. I'll try and find the egg tempera paintings I made of them.

Tuesday's Portrait

2008-01-21T11:14:00.000+01:00

Last tuesday we had a wonderful model in Princeton, her name is Lauren. She works in the same WPI medical office as Regina and Donna, (see november). Next time we have a model I will make pictures of the other paintings as well and not only my own. She liked Jean Murphy's painting best and bought it.

Getting Winter to Flower in New England

2008-01-21T10:46:00.000+01:00

Now that the holidays are over winter has started to get serious. This is the time of year that I start longing for flowers..... however much I enjoy the light, color and shades of winter.
I started my Amaryllis late so that is not yet blooming. The Paperwhites are budding; but the most important, the Hyacinth is blooming.
I miss the smells from outside in the winter. The earth, the sheep, fresh mown grass and the flowers blooming.
It is around this time of the year, that I dig up my paintings of flowers and hang them up all around me. The first one, of the Nasturtiums, was painted last autumn.
The Sunflowers are from last summer.
The Gladioli are from my garden some years ago. The vase they are in is my own Worcesterware.

Painting together with PAS

2008-01-11T09:58:00.000+01:00

Still haven't got the date on my camera under control.... But anyway. This week was the first time that the painting group came together since the holidays, we had a lot to tell eachother.
Sid Solomon (seated above center with "white"coat) is having an exhibit of is locally painted landscapes, portraits and still-lifes at the Worcester Jewish Community Center. The opening will be Sunday, January 13, from 2-4pm.
We painted Lynn Wrona's granddaughter, Sarah, today. She was a great model. I also signed Coert up to pose for us on February 26th. I'm counting on him to plan his trip home around posing and cutting firewood..

Logging and Coyotes

2008-01-11T09:33:00.000+01:00

The loggers are all done now, the big machines are gone. Below is a photo of them loading the forwarder... Peter is supervising; he is standing well out of the way just to the left of the big maple tree.The logger left us some firewood. It needs to be cut, split and stacked. This will be a project for Coert when he comes next month.
During their time here, the loggers have seen six coyotes at once and seven deer, does with yearlings This morning there were two coyotes in the front yard. I took the pictures out of the window as not to scare them before I had proof of them. They are about as large as my standard poodle, with faces like a cat. When you see them you know for sure that they are NOT dogs.... See for yourself in the photos.

Henry E. Kinney

2008-01-04T12:50:00.000+01:00

I'd like to open this post by wishing everyone a happy 2008.
Continuing on..... I'd like to introduce you to Henry E. Kinney (1866- 1954) respected horticulturist, ornithologist and (the part that inspired me) a painter.
I came into contact with his work during my early years in Worcester and he inspired me to paint trees, tall trees with color. I have been told that he left a barn-full of paintings and I'm trying to track some down. I have a start as the son (T.S.) of a dear friend (R.P.S.) was kind enough to e-mail a photo of a painting in his possesion. I also know of a number of paintings lost in a housefire down the street a few years ago.
Searching on the web I have found little reference to Henry E. Kinney. He entered a portrait in a summer exhibit in 1902 and designed a nestbox specifically for Tree Swallows.

Below, again thanks to T.S., a family picture with Henry E. seated front row on the left and his obituary.
Hopefully I'll find more of his work to appreciate and share. Top priority right now though is getting my studio warm enough to paint.

the Chrismas Blog-Break

2007-12-27T09:17:00.000+01:00

Since arriving home almost two weeks ago we have been either shoveling snow or preparing for Christmas..... Or even better, shoveling snow so we could get out of the driveway to prepare for Christmas.
I made it up to Princeton for my painting group last week but made no pictures.
Here's a picture of the snow...... geese. Can you find them?

The Long (and Harrowing) Trip Home

2007-12-17T06:52:00.000+01:00

My son Coert brought me to Schiphol Airport near Amsterdam last Thursday. It was nice, sunny but cold weather. We stood in line waiting to check-in for some time because those @#$%^computers for the self-serve boarding passes weren't doing their thing. Finally a boarding pass and my one bag checked (travel light and fast is the motto) we said our goodbyes.
After all these years it's still a bit difficult and we both look forward to seeing eachother again in February.Anyway, a long walk to the gate, a long wait at the gate and finally boarding.
Departure Schiphol Amsterdam around 2pm local time.

In-flight I tried to take some pictures but only one is worth showing here.
As we got closer to our destination I saw quite a bit of ice form on the wing-tips. During the decent and landing the snow was so blinding I could only but see the red light flashing on the wingtip. The landing was so bumpy and scary the woman next to me took my hand for comfort.... the people on the plane were silent until we were sure we had stopped.... Then of course there was quite the applause.

Arrival Logan international Boston. 4:55pm local time, the last plane to land before closing down the runway and diverting the all other flights. We had to wait some time for the baggage carosel to start running as those poor baggage handelers were probably working up to their knees in the snow.I called Worcester Airport Limosine and heard that they had cars stuck in traffic all over the place and would come to get me a.s.a.p. Finally a young man showed and drove us through the blinding snow west on route 90, the Massachusetts Turnpike.
To keep this long story short I arrived home later than planned and was luckily not diverted to Detroit or somewhere.
Now, back home, in the snow our priorities are getting to the firewood and to the animals.

The Last Couple of Days in Holland

2007-12-13T08:12:00.000+01:00

Going to meet my grandchildren, Dana (background) and Christiaan on their way home from school.
A vist with Dorri and Dana to the Kröller-Müller Museum..... I had some difficulty getting sharp images without the flash.

Weihnachtsmarkt Bad Bentheim the Road Trip

2007-12-10T14:55:00.000+01:00

Grotere kaart weergeven

Day Trip 2... To the Royal Palace "het Loo"

2007-12-09T10:29:00.000+01:00

One of my day trips was centered around the portrait exhibit of the royal children (and one bastard son) between the 16th and 20th century at the royal palace het Loo. Wonderful paintings in a beautifully restored palace. What made the exhibit so unique was not only the time span but also the detail and the size, many life sized family portraits. Making it all that much more impressive was the fact that the clothing worn in some of the portraits were on display as well.... made no pictures myself..... camera batteries were dead. You´ll have to do it with the hot links in the text above and one areal photo copyrighted to these people.

Day Trips in Holland

2007-12-09T10:17:00.000+01:00

Yesterday I posted a couple of photographs I made at the market in Harderwijk. I just love how there are bicycles all over the place... Old and young bicycle to the market and do their shopping. Notice the large ¨saddle bags¨, helmets are worn only by the youngest of cyclists.... up to around five years old. This photo is taken with my back to the ¨gate of paradise¨, one of the entrances to the 13th century convent in the direction of one of the remaining city gates called the Smeerpoort.

Grotere kaart weergeven

Surprise vist to the Netherlands

2007-12-08T14:00:00.000+01:00

I went to the Netherlands to surprise my brother André for his birthday on Dec. 4th. Of course I didn´t tell Coert, Dorri or the grandchildren either..... surprise surprise. This morning we went to the weekly market in Harderwijk, the town where Coert and Dorri live. Below a photo of Dorri at their regular fruit and vegetable stand.
In the background, Sam, is the man that serves them every week for some years now.
The second photo is of a woman in front of the flower stand. Notice the children and baggage on her bicycle! Click on the photos for enlargment.

The "Small Painting" exhibit

2007-12-02T08:35:00.000+01:00

The "small painting" exhibit yesterday was a success, many people came and a few paintings sold. The exhibit will go on for over the weekend. My contribution to the organization was making the punch. Let me tell you, if you have never made one, it gets a life of its own. Hosea suggested a "green" punch with red cherries for the holiday season. His recepie:
4 cups of sugar diluted in 2 quarts of warm water
in that dissolve 4 packs of lemon lime coolade
add 2 large cans of pineapple juice
2 liters of ginger ale
and finally
add an ice ring with the cherries.
Seemed very festive. After I bought all the ingredients everyone said blah!!!! Green punch? No no!!!!
I went on the internet, and found lots of ways to make punch. What I learned was do not add orange juice and cranberry juice, that makes a brown punch. do not make your ice ring of pineapple juice with cherries, that makes a puce colored ring, and breaks easy. Do not buy bottled juices, but frozen concentrates.
It all worked out fine, nobody complained anyway.
Here are some foto's:
The first is of two paintings by Charles Grey, I just love the way he paints.

This one is by Lynn Wrona, this painting understandably sold rightaway:

Here is a beautiful painting by Barry van Dusen:

Finally me with one of my small lighthouse paintings:

"Small Painting" exhibit in Princeton

2007-11-30T10:11:00.000+01:00

Below a picture of my hairdresser, Hosea of Hosea's Hair Design in Worcester. I went there yesterday because today (Friday) is the opening of the "small painting" exhibit in Princeton. All of the paintings we be for sale. I am in charge of the punch and I am not even allowed to spike it! I also I have to bring along tablecloth, centerpiece, cups, napkins, plates the whole deal. Hope my paintings sell, because I spend a lot of $$$ on all of this stuff. Not to mention what Hosea needed to get my hair presentable.

Tuesday's in Princeton

2007-11-30T09:37:00.000+01:00

As you know I go to Princeton every Tuesday to paint with a group of artists. We take turns bringing a model every week and that is not as easy as it sounds. We paint during working hours and the model has to be able to climb stairs as our "studio" is on the second floor of the old Princeton Center Building. I was thinking to post the painting I make on Tuesday from now on. Here are two to start with, these ladies work at Worcester Polytechnic Institute.

Donna Damien is a medical office administrator.

And Regina Roberto is a nurse practitioner.

Portrait of the Grandson

2007-11-30T07:45:00.000+01:00

As I mentioned a few "posts" ago, there is just sooo much to paint. The first post for today is of my grandson Christiaan. Coert sent me his school photo along with that of his sister Dana some weeks ago. I thought the pictures were so nice I just had to portrait them. The background in Christiaan's painting is an indoor climbing wall. He loves climbing and Coert takes him every Sunday to an indoor wall close to where they live. Once a month they go to the highest indoor wall in Holland, 21 meters in Amsterdam.

Disposal of the Thanksgiving Turkey Carcass

2007-11-29T07:02:00.000+01:00

Spent much of today working on my grandson Christiaan's portrait. My cold is subsiding, last day on antibiotics.
When Peter went to the dumpster across the street, to get rid of the Thanksgiving turkey carcass, the goats and sheep had followed him without him realizing. It was so funny. He walked across the street with the three dogs and it was not until he was way away that he saw the herd coming up behind him. The goats and sheep are often running around loose now because they can not do much harm in the garden and they like to graze the lawn and eat the fallen leaves. The pictures are taken on Peter's way back home.
Hunting season has started and yesterday the first hunter was shot in Warren. We have four deer in the backyard according to Joe the logger. It won´t be long before they come in for birdseed fallen from the feeder.

North Bend Farm Logging News

2007-11-28T10:25:00.000+01:00

Joe the logger (on the right in the photo) is doing a great job thinning our woodlot. The forester, John Clark, of Bay State Forestry Service was just here to check it out. There are no deep ruts, the slash is cut small and flattened out. The path into the back lot will be cleared of any brush by the time they are done. Joe says he will be done by the end of December. He does not work when it is raining. He observed two coyotes, they were not afraid of the forwarder (photo below). I figured it is mating season and we can expect many more soon. We are amazed by efficiency of the logging. One man cuts the trees and "limbs", another man comes and picks the 20 foot long logs up with the forwarder. In the driveway (staging area) he sorts the wood into a pile of saw wood and firewood. See Peter and our grandson Daniel next to the wood stack below. From here the hardwood is picked up by a huge logging truck. Joe says the hardwood goes to a mill in New Hampshire because there are only a few sawmills left here in New England. The firewood is hauled off to Joe's backyard, where he will cut and split it.

Family Links

2007-11-27T09:36:00.000+01:00

My brother in-law, Just Donker recently updated the address list for the Donker family clan. More than 90 names, addresses, telephone numbers etc. All descendents of my parents in-law, Adriaan and Anna Margaretha Donker- Vallenduuk.

While compiling this list Just realized how many family members have an "internet presence" and added the links to the address list.
I thought it a fun idea to list them all here… in no particular order:

My nephew and painter Gijs Donker:

Gijs's younger brother, Justus Donker:

Thier tradically young deceased youngest brother, Adriaan Donker:

These boys father, my brother in-law, Willem runs the publishing company founded in 1936 by his father Ad. Donker:

Willem's wife Jos Exler
has been making a name for herself in "colorful couture" for some years now.

My brother in-law Frans Donker has been working hard selling books since 1976. He now owns and operates five great stores in Toronto Canada. The famous "Book City" stores.

My niece, Annette van der Hoek Phd, offers training in Sanskriet, Hini, yoga for children and many other subjects. Annette has her website locked with "shockwave" so I can't get a picture or logo for display here. This site is dutch language only.
Another niece, Anne-Margreet Bakker, started her own foundation, Moeder India (Mother India) to improve the living standards of low-income (poor) women in India by offering them an honest wage for honest work and providing a market for their product. Anne has her site locked down as well. Enough to see but no-go on the "save image as". This site is dutch language only as well.
Anne-Margreet's brother, Onno Bakker is into "Web and Mobile Messeging" with his fast growing company E-Buddy.

Please keep in mind that although I "copied and pasted" the images above they are as far as I am concerned owned by the people from which the website they come.

How the Granddaughter works the Grandmother

2007-11-22T20:51:00.000+01:00

I had Coert on the phone this afternoon.... He hadn't shown Dana her portrait. During our talk Dana asked to speak to me when Coert and I were done. It turns out she had seen my last post and knew the painting was finished..... she put the screws to me arguing that she had already seen part of the portrait and just could not wait to see the finished painting... and she is my oldest grandchild... and they were talking about art at school... and this would be just soooo perfect - and... and... and then the meltdown. I agreed to e-mail her a photo. In the meantime Dana had gotten Coert into action and he brought up the picture I had mailed to him. Dana was breathless.
I had lent my camera to J.D. Now that I see this post I see that we somehow changed the the time/date setting.... This photo was taken on the 21st of November.

Portrait of my granddaughter

2007-11-22T07:13:00.000+01:00

I finished the portrait of Dana yesterday.... I think it came out well and Dana's parents, Dorri and Coert, are very pleased. However, because the painting turned out to be more than a portrait of the little girl I'll only post this preview of the finished painting until she has seen it herself for real.

So much To Paint

2007-11-18T07:05:00.000+01:00

I have been wanting to get to painting "big trees" since the fall colors have hit New England. But somehow other projects just keep coming along my path. First I spent time on the commissioned portraits for Dianne and Sam. A few days ago my son Coert sent me photos of his children, Dana and Christiaan. I just had to do something with that picture of Dana. So here we go again! I had already given up on the foliage and figured on painting tall white pines... Looks like it might be with a snowy background.

Two Portraits and a Party:

2007-11-04T08:16:00.001+01:00

Here a picture of Diana Day next to the painting she is giving to her husband Ken for their anniversary. She posed for the painting in Princeton at the paint-group. Diana bought the vintage dress especially for the sitting. Since she now has the dress we, her friends in the neighborhood, decided we are all going to get a vintage dress and have a vintage Chrismas party.
The second painting is Sam Lipson, a long time friend. We both took our lifeguard course together way back in 1975. Sam is going to give his painting as a Christmas gift.
We had a nice cocktail party yesterday.... It turned into more of a suprise dinner party. I had baked a leg of lamb, mashed potatoes, gravy and peas. Linda Rochford made two pies, apple and cherry. It was a surprise for everyone that came. There were ten of us. Kind of a good thing that some of the regulars didn't show because we barely fit around the tables (I had a little table pushed up against the big dining room table). We all had a good time. While the women washed the dishes they all tried my quince liqueur. It should be ripe by Thanksgiving but it's pretty much gone now.

Pines and Foliage... the time of the season

2007-10-31T15:57:00.000+01:00

Here are a couple of typical New England landscapes... A photograph taken a few days ago over at the pond accross from our house:

Then a painting (oil on canvas 90x40cm) I made for my son Coert a few years ago because this is one of his favorite places:
And another he "just had to have" from my studio.... this one is egg tempra on panel 30x15cm:
Have another look at my first Pines and Foliage post if you'd like to refresh your memory. You can also locate the pond on Google Earth via Coert's "Panoramio" site.

My favorite tree..... the Sweet Chestnut

2007-10-20T16:00:00.000+02:00

Here is one of my favorite paintings, "the Chestnuts". I have turned down a couple of offers to sell it wanting to save it for the "small painting" exhibit coming up..... Maybe I'll just keep it. Chestnut trees, as you might know, used to be abundant in New England. Around the turn of the century there was a "blight" and all the majestic tall trees died. My barn was built out of chestnut timbers and boards because of that. When I was a girl in the Netherlands my brothers and I would go chestnut picking all through the neigborhood. My brother climbed into the trees to beat the nuts out of them so I could harvest from the ground with my other brother. Now my brothers get together every year and have a chestnut feast together. Potroast, chestnuts, pears, brusselssprouts etc. Once, about 10 years ago I was in the Netherlands around that time and I joined for the festive meal.
My son Coert has named a part of the forest he manages "Elisabeth's wood" because there are so many sweet chestnuts growing there.
Grotere kaart weergevenThats where he harvests with his family. They roast them in their fireplace. Every year at the end of October I think of the chestnuts, and you can understand my surprise when driving in Princeton one day I saw these chestnut trees, small, about the size of apple trees. They tured out to be Chineese chestnuts. They are in the yard of the Mirick family, on Mirick road. John Mirick is very active in the organization to grow blightfree chestnuts for New England. The American Chestnut Foundation.
Have a look and hopefully you too will appreciate the beauty of these majestic delicious fruit-bearing trees.

Egg tempera, getting back to business

2007-10-11T14:42:00.000+02:00

Here are some some small paintings (approx. 5x9 inch) I did with egg tempera... a really different way to paint. Usually I work in oil paint. Egg tempera is mixing powder pigments with eggyolk. I particulary like it because we have chickens in the backyard, so fresh eggs are close at hand. I bought my pigments at the "Paintmill" "de Kat" on the Zaanse Schans they have been grinding pigments there since around 1782. At de Kat the pigments are ground from natural minerals. Pigements are easily obtainable in U.S. as well. Painting with egg tempera is tedious, not big brush work. If anyone is more interested, please get in touch with me and I will get them started on the nitty gritty. You can als take a look at what Wikipedia has to say on the subject with a click here.
Anyway, below are a birch-wood, a pair of Shagbark Hickorys and a Maple leaf. Up top, how could you paint anything in egg tempera without considering a basket of eggs?

the Last Hoorah of the Season

2007-10-08T08:43:00.000+02:00

The sheep are running loose, it is the end of the season and they cannot do much harm to my garden anymore. My garden was breathtaking this year.
The asters and dahlia's are still blooming and in the morning the blue morninng glories. To see them in the morning sun! In the foto with the geese you can see some and also the tall yellow flowers. The last hoorah of the blooming season.
Click on the photo for an enlargement.

After thought...

2007-09-30T18:56:00.000+02:00

Both of the painings I had submitted for the Princeton Art Society's Farm/Art Day sold at auction for the asking price..... They were both bought by the owner of the farm.

Big Trees: cutting them down and painting them

2007-09-30T18:25:00.000+02:00

Logging started in our woodlot and there is no way we can stop it now. If they had only started way in back, but they began in my enchanted forest.... It will take a while before we go there again.
The leaves are changing and I will start to paint tall trees again. Below are a couple of paintings that were sold to a neighbor some time ago.

After Glow: Moving on....

2007-09-26T07:12:00.000+02:00

I mentioned yesterday to my son Coert how this project has taken more out of me than I had expected. The build-up went fine but the organization of the exhibit and especially the opening, that wonderful opening, took it's toll. Added to all this excitement was the (short) visit of Peter's brother Anne and his wife Feli from Brussels. I needed a few days just to recuperate!
My friend Paul Gunnerson sent some photos he had taken of the exhibit. Lets use them to close this project down. It has been a wonderful experience for me and up to now I haven't heard of anyone who did not want their portrait.... As a matter of fact most of them have been framed by Cliff before leaving the store.

After Glow: the embers

2007-09-20T07:59:00.000+02:00

Mixed feelings today. On the one hand still elated that my work was so well recieved and the opening was a success. On the other a touch of the "empty nest" because I had gotten used to looking at thirty-some portraits strewn about my studio these past months. The question arises: what's the next project? I'll need a couple of days to think about that.
Last night I had a nice long talk on the phone with my favorite daughter in law, Dorri. We talked about pretty much everything..... coming of couse to the grandchildren Dana and Christiaan. Dorri told me that their school had posted photos of the children. Look here for Dana, hit your back button and click here for Christiaan.

After Glow.... the first one.

2007-09-19T08:23:00.000+02:00

Yes, the first one because I'm going to milk it. Here are two pictures:
the first one we'll call "the big Hug". Yes, that's me.

the second is "the wall of faces".

The official photographer, Cornalijn, has posted about 100 pics in her Kodak Gallery... Try to get at it by clicking here. If this link isn't hot please let me know via the comments..... I have an account at Kodak Gallery that automatically logs me in so I'll need this feedback to keep the ball rolling.

People of Tatnuck, finally the Show!

2007-09-18T16:00:00.000+02:00

I'm very very happy, all rosey.... "I couldn't sleep at all last night". The opening was a big success. Everybody came to see. Old friends, neighbors of course but also the mayor of Worcester, Ms. Konstantina Lukes. In the guestbook she wrote: "wonderful, portraits of friends and neighbors, Worcester's best assets". Another, I couldn't decifer his name, wrote: "art that makes so many people happy truly shows the joy of art".

The Worcester Telegram ran an item in the local news with a picture larger than I would have expected. Try and see it here.

Thanks to all the people that helped plan, cater, serve and photograph this evening was such a success.

Here's a picture of the crowd that filled the store "Framed in Tatnuck".
On the left you'll see my daughter, Cornalijn, working the skycam. In the middle you can just see my grandson Daniel... it was all a bit crowded for him. On the right, in the dark blue shirt, one of the two responsible for serving refreshments. Kenny Day.... with his hands empty!
The second of many to follow is of Mr. Gunnerson, president of the Tatnuck Association, sitting right in the middle of Tatnuck Square.
You can click on the pictures for a larger view.
There will be more in the days to come..... We'll call it the After Glow.

Farm/Art Day unvisited and the People of Tatnuck

2007-09-17T08:52:00.000+02:00

I decided not go to farm/art day today, because it rained all morning. In the afternoon I did not want to go anymore. My friend Jean did'nt go either, that made me feel a little better. Today there was a big article in the paper about it and that made me feel a little bad again but I'm over it. I did bring the two paintings, nicely framed, so what more do they want. Today is the big day. My exhibit, the People of Tatnuck (renamed by others "Characters of Tatnuck") will be opening this evening . Tomorrow or Wednesday I'll post pics, links and the whole article. Make sure to check back often, maybe even bookmark! You can look at previous posts by clicking on the titles in the frame on the right.

the Sales Pitch

2007-09-12T14:36:00.000+02:00

It has often been suggested that I should do more to promote the sale of my work. The truth of the matter is that most of what I want to sell has been sold, although there are still a number of unique urns in my barn and paintings in my studio. My primary motivation, as stated in my profile, is "art for the art of it". But hey, you want me to paint something for you? Let me know. I work on commission and a 3 x 5 inch, or 9 x 15 cm photo is all I need if the subject for whatever reason can't sit in my studio. An old photo, a new one or one of your house, whatever. If you see something you like on these pages, again, let me know we can talk.

People of Tatnuck Sneak Preview 2

2007-09-12T12:23:00.000+02:00

The clock is running, excitement is mounting and the preperations for the opening are well underway. We expect at least 100 people for the opening of the weeklong exhibit. To tell you the truth I am getting a little nervous. Maybe I should have my hair done. For more details about the show you can see the first "sneak preview" or see the page at Framed in Tatnuck.
Anyway, the painting above is of Bobby Anderson, owner of the Tatnuck Fish Market. He always brings me bluefish when it is in season. The painting below is of Mr. Smeagle in front of one if his brightly colored trucks. He's the man we call whenever we clean out our barn.

Oil painting 9/11 that we never forget

2007-09-11T14:57:00.000+02:00

September 11, 2001. I painted this with CNN on in the background. A city in flames, the twin towers pierced by flaming spears and six American flags mourning over a sea of lost and fallen fireman's helmets. This painting hangs in my home.

By the Way

2007-09-10T18:45:00.001+02:00

This is a photo of my granddaughter, Dana Elisabeth, carrying my paintbox through the landscape which I had just painted. The "Ermelo Heath", closeby to where my son Coert and family live in the Netherlands. Although it's already two years old it is one of my favorites.... click in the image for the big picture.

Worcesterware revisited

2007-09-08T14:25:00.000+02:00

On September 6th "anonymous" asked in one of the comments to see some of my ceramic work. I've been so busy organizing my People of Tatnuck exhibition that I haven't been able to get to it until now... Below are a few pictures of Worcesterware. The first is where most of the finished work is stored in our barn..... please excuse the dust.

The second is of the plate I made for our own 3oth wedding anniversary in 1994. This one is hanging above a door frame in our kitchen.

Back to the barn, I dusted with my sleeve the platter with Worcester's City Hall.

The last is of a reading lamp in our "hearthroom". The shade is set for better reading.

I hope this satifies the curiosity of those interested. Just going back into the barn, looking at these works and actually thinking about my period of Worcesterware brought back fond memories.

Pines and foliage.... the preview

2007-09-03T18:05:00.000+02:00

The nights are getting colder and we've been waiting for rain..... it's time. These paintings I did last year of white pines, oaks and maples hanging in my daughter's house remind me of the colors to come.

Painting commissioned from photo

2007-09-01T22:49:00.000+02:00

This painting of a birthday party reprsents three generations. The mother of this little girl is the one who asked me to paint this from a 3x5 inch foto. The great-grand mother (right), and the grandmother(left), died recently. The mother of this little girl wanted to have this moment saved in an oilpainting.

Farm/Art Day

2007-08-30T17:50:00.000+02:00

This is Brad Hubbard's farmhouse on 162 Houghton Road in Princeton. I did this painting (the first of probably three or four) for the Farm/Art Day in September. Brad's farm used to be a Dairy farm but is not a working farm anymore. It is however a magnificent relic of New Englands past.
Take a look at the Princeton Arts Society's website for all the details.

People of Tatnuck Sneak Preview

2007-08-27T19:48:00.000+02:00

I am so much looking forward to my exhibit in Tatnuck this coming September 17th. People have been wanting to see their portraits or others that will be shown. Just to give in a little bit I've decided to show the portrait of my friend, Judy Tonelli-Brown. She is a graphic artist and does portraits as well. Have a look at Judy's site.

T.H. Benton's "People of Chilmark"

2007-08-22T17:35:00.000+02:00

One of the challenges of this past year was the painting of a full-size (65x77 inches or 166x197cm) copy of Thomas Hart Benton's People of Chilmark. I first of all had to make a frame for such a large canvas. I had some help from my friend John with this.
Then I sketched the "big picture" with charcoal and started with an under-painting in acrylic. Then while over-painting with oils I got into detail.... It was in this stage that the shadows and brilliant colors came together.
During this process I learned much about T.H. Benton. I wish I had the opportunity to get to Washington to see the real painting up close to get a better feel for the brush strokes.
I signed the painting "After Benton by Elisabeth"
To get the painting out of my studio we had to remove it from the frame and roll it up.... scary stuff! We then dismantled the frame itself and boxed the whole deal up and shipped across country to the client in L.A.
I was all together satisfied...... the client just loved it.

Real Woman Press Article

2007-08-21T19:03:00.000+02:00

One of my paintings was recently chosen for the cover of a local monthly women's magazine. To read the article about me see page ten in the August issue at: realwomenpress.com
By the way..... the painting is of my garden in 2005.

People of Tatnuck exhibit

2007-08-21T17:16:00.000+02:00

More than 30 of my portraits will be featured in a one-woman art exhibit entitled People of Tatnuck.

As a Tatnuck artist, I have undertaken to capture many of the colorful people who help make this Worcester neighborhood so closely knit.

My artistic motivation is neither recognition nor profit, but rather to present a colorful record of the people and merchants that make the neighborhood such a pleasant place to live and shop. I have been working in this project since March of 2007.

This exhibit is meant as a contribution to the spirit that makes the neighborhood the place it is today, with its variety of shops, services and the personalities that own or operate them.

With the closing of the exhibit I will joyfully donate the portraits to the subjects.

For more details about this exhibit see: http://www.framedintatnuck.com/PortraitShow.htm

first post: the background

2007-08-21T14:18:00.000+02:00

Biography: I was born Elisabeth Johanna Herweijer on February 24, 1942 in Hilversum, the Netherlands. As a child my artistic development was encouraged by private art lessons in drawing and painting. After middle school I studied fashion design in Amsterdam and worked in a animation studio in Hilversum for Polygon.

In 1963 I traveled to the United States (Worcester, Massachusetts) to work as an au pair. During this time I met Pieter Paul Donker, a dutch journalist working for the Worcester Telegram and Gazette. We were married on May 16, 1964 and have two children Coert Henri (1965) and Cornalijn (1966).

We currently reside on our farm outside of Worcester, where I do my best to work daily in my studio.

Artwork: My experience up to 1978 was focused on stained glass; learning techniques and later teaching. I did my oil painting primarily during vacations on Cape Cod. In June of 1978 we were lucky enough to buy the North Bend Farm, in the Tatnuck area of Worcester. It was here that I became interested in wool fiber. With much hard work we rejuvenated the run down farm and started sheep and Angora goat farming. Between spinning, weaving and knitting I also gave educational tours for local schoolchildren and daycare groups. During these years the oil painting was again in the background.

In 1988 I started painting on ceramic tiles and mugs. These quickly became too small for my designs so I moved on to plates and bowls..... and bought a kiln. After extensive research in Europe I registered a trademark, Worcesterware and started producing complete services and commemorative plates. My work has been presented to former First Ladies Barbara Bush and Hillary Clinton. In the meantime I also did ceramic repairs and restorations.

As Worcesterware became more business oriented I, as an artist, began to lose interest. I slowed down and eventually stopped the commercial operation and once again started oil painting.

On my 60^th birthday in 2002 I decided to retire. Since then I have devoted my time to painting, mostly in my studio or garden. I also enjoy painting with the Princeton Art Society and periodically volunteer time as an art teacher at a local rest home. Occasionally I accept commissions for portraits or other works.