Showing and Painting my Way through Summer

Art Fair Westerbork

On July 1st, I did my first art fair. It was a home game of sorts, as I was born in the municipality of Westerbork and my mother still lives there. It was an enjoyable, though very windy day. My booth was easily the most ‘Zen’ of them all, in part because I had underestimated the size of the booth! But I like to think it was a welcome respite for some. Sales of cards and calendars were brisk, though no original paintings changed hands. Apart from that, all the positive comments and good conversations, as well as unexpected visits from old friends and relatives made this a memorable day.

Summer Art Event, Balloo

No rest for the busy artist, as the following weekend I participated for the second time in this plein air painting event. Organized by Galerie Drentsche Aa in Balloo, around twenty-five painters worked en plein air for two days in the beautiful nature area of the stream Drentsche Aa. We were lucky with the weather and had a record number of visitors – on foot and on bicycle – who were happy to observe and chat. I was a bit of an odd duck in the sense that I was the only one painting in the towns rather than out in the fields, but that was my choice: the towns of Balloo and Loon offer plenty of interesting scenes and characteristic houses to paint. Summer Art Event has already become one of my favorite events of the year, not only because of the painting opportunities and interaction with the public, but also for the camaraderie among the artists. An exhibition of the works painted last weekend will be held at Galerie Drentsche Aa in August/September – details to follow (I’ll send out a special email in Dutch to all of you people in the Netherlands).

I leave you with a brief photo impression. If you live nearby or are visiting, I’d love to see you next year or during the exhibit’s meet-and-greet.