Sunday, 11-Nov-18 21:14:33 CET

Maya 11 November 2018

It is Sunday 11 November 2018. I start writing this blog early in the morning while drinking a cup of tea still sitting in my bed at home. Today I will go to the first live painting session at de Stoker in Amsterdam of season 2018 – 2019. The rain is hammering on the roof.

I have the feeling that the season is starting later this time. Cannot recall that it began in November any year. Today I will paint Maya.

One unfortunate consequence of the late start is that I derailed on my blogging. Blogging came to a complete stand-still. Oh well, I will pick up on that again. Perhaps I need to find other moments to block and stick to it.

So what is going on in my life lately? The most difference is that my wife and I are making serious plans to move to a new house. That is correct; we will move. When it happens and how it happens is uncertain. We are starting on one of our most significant projects ever. In Almere, there is an area set aside for new development of properties. The participants are developing this part of the city themselves, deciding where the roads will be, where to build the houses, etc. We will be working together with a small group of other participants to create a road building association. I will come back to this subject many times the years to come.

Another development is the environment. My wife and I are concerned about the climate. So much so that we are trying to reduce our carbon footprint. We are eating fewer meat products. We don’t identify ourselves as vegetarians. We are in the process of learning how to do this, and it is a change process. Bit by bit we try to understand how our deeds have an impact on the environment and then we see what we can do to improve that. Sometimes changing a habit is hard but we are working on it. Some things came naturally such as using less of plastic while other changes are more difficult like switching the milk in the coffee for something else. I don’t think that will work right now. Suppose that all our investments in real estate property in the Netherlands will be wiped out in 2100? Every true capitalist would shiver by just by the thought.

Now it is half past 11 in the morning, and I am sitting in my favorite coupé on the Intercity service to Amsterdam. There is a vague sun shining through a partly overcast sky. There is very few people on the train.

Last time I went painting at de Stoker was Ernestine on 22 of April. That is seven months ago. Then I found that there is someone organizing painting sessions in Almere as well: Karmen Richardson. She got a website art4funclub.eu, and that is nice as well. She is only arranging passes with shorter poses. Maximum pass length is 30 to 40 minutes. The good thing with that is that the model is doing more dynamic poses and the less good thing is that you cannot finish oil paintings with shorter poses. I experimented with graphite and aquarelle, and it works out quite well.

I also installed FLStudio 20 and experimented with that. There is tune in the making, but I feel no obligation to finish it any time soon. I started on it beginning of July, and it progresses nicely.

Everything with electronics has stopped completely. Again. That does not mean that it will never come back. The thing is that activity I need a more organized working area to work with electronics. For that a proper workshop is essential. The new house will have an appropriate workshop. That is the plan.

Now I am on my way home from the painting session. I finished my first painting of this season. It did not feel like I was doing an exquisite painting but it was great start painting again.

Saskia was there naturally, Tom, Ron, Irene, Luke, Ans, Floor a new artist, There was also another new female artist, but I don’t remember her name.

Instead of washing my brushes I packed them and went home a little earlier.

Near the studio, there is a shop called Stach. I went there and bought two chocolate cakes, and then I continued to the tram. The tram 13 is still making a detour because of the bridge they are rebuilding.

On the train home, I could choose between a train 16:53 or 17:07. The second train arrives 3 minutes after the first train but it is not stopping at every station, so I took the later train. In the coupé there were a lot more people compared to this morning. There was also an acquaintance that I had not spoken to for several years. I was sitting a couple of seats away, and I waved at her, but she did not see me. On the way out from the train, I will manage to talk to her a couple of words.

That went fine indeed. She was happy to see me and promised to talk to each other another time.

The painting of Maya was not especially happy. The colors are warm and friendly as such, but her eyes are not lively. I verified this on site while making the painting. The light came from above, and there was no glimpse of reflection to be seen in her eyes. It is giving a little bit sad expression to the painting. Maya is from Greece and although she was smiling in the pauses between the painting sessions when working she was serious. Next week I will see if I can do a more lively portrait of Maya.