This header is a pastel painting I did in 2009 is of a place in the Netherlands, my country of origin, after a photo shot by Dick Witte.

Some of the painters who have influenced me:
Mondriaan, Hopper
O"Keefe, Weyeth
Singer Sargent
van Gogh, Rembrandt
Picasso, Escher

Since this is my second blog page, it generally takes me longer (sometimes very long) to reply to your comments, but I do read and love them!

Monday, January 11, 2010

PAINTING SOMEONE'S DESTINY

On first impression this little painting seems an innocuous goodbye gift. But it is more.
This gift was given to a woman who dared to venture out of the security of being a stay home mom with kids, and becoming a business woman in big Los Angeles. Ont only does one need guts for that, but also smarts. 


She started out very small. She operated out of her family van. Two of her daughters helped her when she would cater coffee at a big conference, wedding, or other event. That is how she still operated when she moved to a Northern state.
In the little painting I put her name on the coffee shop, which was not a symbolic gesture. 
I could see her in my imagination owning a coffee shop, and starting a chain of coffee shops.

©  Oil, St.Germain

 I believe art is not only a "different" way of seeing reality. I think with art we can "foresee" with our imagination what potential lies in the future. After all, creating means: making something out of nothing, after the Master Creator who created the earth and the universe. It is no wonder that Vincent van Gogh said, "God is the greatest artist of all."

I believe this principle is not the monopoly of artists.  The greatest gift one can give to someone else, is to relate to them the potential you see in them! 
With that, I have seen timid students during my teaching time who barely could make a C (passing grade), bloom into confident A (highest grade) students.