My work in more detail

Technique

I will keep the precise technical details of my methods to myself. They give my work their uniqueness. And without knowing my methods it is impossible to follow my footsteps.
What I can tell you is that I use mixed materials, especially pastel, ink, pencils and paint. I also add a layer of varnish for protection. Technically they are drawings, but most people find nothing that reminds them of a drawing. Some people even mistake them for oil paintings. It doesn’t matter because I only care about the end result.

Until now, certain characteristics often return in my artwork.

Organisation/build-up

Rhythm, compositions following directions and patterns. Mostly one central focus.

Colour

No “pastel colours”, but intense or dark colours. Colours may gradually change into other colours or shades (an important quality of pastel). Blue seems to be important to me. The degree of contrast is high. For a technique using mainly pastel, the colours are unusual.

Depth/dimensions and detail

My artworks are detailed, with shapes often having clear, sharp boundaries. Most of the time no optical perspective can be recognized. But my art is not simply two-dimensional. The art is build up in layers. A sense of depth is created by the power of colours, contrast, and the use of lighter and darker shades, but also by the way layers are placed on top of another. A good illustration is an artwork from 2003 called “waves”.

Favourite elements

Animals
Especially birds, cats, horses, fish and humans.

Objects
Water, feathers, leaves, smoke, scales, eyes. The objects are usually illustrated in a childish way. This is not done to suggest anything childish. I do not intent to relate to anything immature, but try to free the viewer from his/her mind. In whom years of mental conditioning have led to the imprisonment of the heart. I do not intent to create any wild freedom, but simply free the love of colours, shapes and shades.

Line-work
Spiralling, curling, organic lines, dots and short lines.

To what is my work related?

The answer is:
Surrealism, magic realism, primitivism, art nouveau (Jugendstil)… and probably a lot more.

Surrealism
I am not a surrealist like Salvador Dali, Paul Delvaux or René Magritte. I do not try to create the illusion of a 3dimensional correct space. Perhaps I am not a surrealist at all. If I am a surrealist, I am a figurative surrealist. The way I think about life is close to what surrealists appears to preach. However, I definitely do not paint without rational mind, I am far from being an abstract surrealist. But I do believe that everything is associated with everything. The reward is to find amazing paths of association.

Naive art
In part I am a naive artist. I like primitivism. To my opinion it contains associations we cannot even put into words, because we are usually not aware of the associations of bright colours and rhythm.
I use rhythm, my work is colourful and it often seems two-dimensional. These are the powers of naive art. But I am far from being a true naive artist, because I have a philosophy, I believe in the elements I use. To me, two dimensions can be more than three. And my two dimensions are placed at different depths. Also, I am photo-realistic whenever I want to.
I like the way children represent water and sunlight, but I use it in a more rational way. It all has a plan. In a way it is a plan of simplicity.

Jugendstil
Does my work have anything to do with Art Nouveau? Of course it does. Ornamental elements are so important to me. I do like symmetry, but only if it is not complete. I like organic shapes, because it is the freedom from the mechanical, geometric imprisonment of our society. Leaves and birds are two very loved elements in my work. However, I do not consider my art to be part of Jugendstil, but it is certainly influenced by it. From all influences that have shaped my artistic repertoire, Jugendstil takes a very important place.