24 hours in a day. 8 hours of sleep, 8 hours to go to my job, my family wants to see me once in a while and I want to do it all. Paint landscapes, portraits and still lives. I can't choose. I wish I had more time to paint. This time I made this little still live study. Done in oil (8.5 x 8.5). More to come. But.. I might choose another subject next time. I really don't know.

I came up with, I think, an important idea. I realize that in the past months I am too much focused on the result that I am planning to make. And, this idea, I must focus more on the process of painting rather than the result. I hope I can make this switch in my head.
About this painting. I had a foto session the other day with a young girl in my neighbourhood. And I am planning to do some paintings with this girl. And this one is the first. It is just a sketch, just to see if I can do a painting of her. I believe she has a beautifull face to paint.

Setareh - portrait sketch - oil

This one is a sort of experiment. Almost the whole painting is done with a palet knife. I think I can use that one for the tall gras. It gives me a different feeling working with the palet knife than a brush. I try and go one with this experiment. So that I can see if it works out well. What do you think. And maybe you have som tricks working with the palet knife. I'd like to know.
Out of the shadow - oil - 8 x 9 inches - available

Yes, I'm still here. In the previous post I said I was concentrating on portraits and landscapes. And I am. But it don't come easy. At the moment I am busy doing a portrait and preparing some new ones. And I am trying to do some landscapes. This one above is one of them, but it did not go as well as I planned. I am figuring some things out with some landscapes but I am not sure yet. I spoiled some paintings (well, spoiled? At least I know what not to do), but I feel I am on the right track. I need to practice more. If I know how, I know I can do a lot of the landscapes I want to do. I hope I can show you what I mean one day. "Paththrough Zuidlimburg" is done in oil (12 x 7)

This year I want to specialize on portraits and landscapes. I want to try and get some commissions on portraits, so the next paintings will be portraits. I think from may or june I will make some landscapes, which I love to do. I did't paint this one in one session. It was three sessions. That's not a problem. But the problem was the gap between the sessions. It was too long. A day or four. The paint was alredy drying. I did'nt expect that. And I had some trouble mixing colors that were already on the canvas. So, I know what to do next time. I learn every day this way. This is me, oil on canvas 23 x 31 inches.

I don't know why, but I wanted to paint the queen of Holland a long time ago. But I never came to it. Untill now. Maybe it is because she turned 70 this year. It is a big, for me it is, painting, 31.5 x 24 inches. And a real struggle. I used mirrors to see if it was done all right. It took me three (!) days to find out the color of her hair. But I think it is satisfying.

It has been awhile, but finally, the wetter gets better. I can't wait untill spring. I want to do some landscapes. In the meantime I've been practising on some other paintings. Just to get some things right. I noticed some imperfections in my paintings. Or rather, someone opened my eyes. I'll keep working on it. This one is approx. 10 x 8 inches. Oil on paper.

Btw. Elijah (Art & Critique) was so kind to write about my work the past few days. If you want to, you can read it here

Thanks Elijah, you made me feel very proud!

It took me 5 paintings since the apple slices. They all went into the trash can. So, it took some time for me to grab myself together and finally paint a piece that I really like. And here it is. Oil on paper, approx. 11 x 8 inch.

It took the internet company 14 days to put me back online! 14 days! Why must these things take so long? Anyway, I'm back again! Happily I can paint while there is no internet.
Slices of apple, 22,7 cm x 16 cm (approx. 9 x 6 inches), oil on paper

...but the painting continues. This is what I have done this weekend. I made some more, but it is not good enough to post it.

I'm having serious trouble connecting to the internet at the moment. This has been going on for the past 8 days. I've called the internet provider several times and the said they've been working on it. But still.... no connection. (Why must these things take so long?) In the meantime, I've decided that I will post the last few paintings while I'm at my work. That will do the trick. I hope that the problems will be over soon.
The tangerine slice: 22,8 cm x 17 cm (approx. 9 x 6.5 inches)
oil on paper
Two pears: 20 cm x 17,1 cm (approx. 7.5 x 6.5 inches)
oil on paper
Garlic: 16,2 cm x 24,3 cm (approx. 6.3 x 9.5 inches)
oil on paper
Three apples in bowl: 15,7 cm x 18 cm (approx. 6 x 7 inches)
oil on paper

I don't know if you know these. I don't even know if they excist anywhere else. It is a typical Dutch meal (as far as I know). In Holland we call them "stoofpeertjes". These are a kind of pears. If you peel them and boil them for a couple of hours, they turn red and taste wonderfull.
Oil on paper, approx. 7 x 7 inches. If you are interested (in the painting that is), drop me an email! If you are interested in the meal itself, give me a comment, I'll see what I can do!

The past weeks I tried to paint some big paintings, but it did not work out thee way I had in mind. So. here is a little one. My wife bought it for me. Oil on paper, 16 cm x 18 cm (approx. 6 x 7 inches)

I have been tagged by Rene Pleinair! If you haven't seen his paintings yet (shame on you) then take a few minutes and check it out. It is wonderfull.

Here are the rules: 1. Link to your tagger and post these rules on your blog. 2. Share 5 facts about yourself on your blog, some random, some weird. 3. Tag 5 people at the end of your post by leaving their names as well as links to their blogs. 4. Let them know they are tagged by leaving a comment on their blog.

Well, here are my things:

1 I was born in litlle village called Britsum (Finne @53.252000, 5.784980 on Google Maps) It is not really that street, but it can't be far away. I don't really remember this village... I was to young.

2 I have 5 kids (4 girls and 1 son). All live with their mom. But they don't have the same mom. Three of them (mine) don't live where I live. get it? When I read this, I don't. But I won't make it to complicated. I love 'm all five!

3. I hate watching TV. 50 channels and nothing on, Bruce said. I'd rather listen to music (radio, mp3 or cd)

4. I hate biking. I seem to have a flat tire all the time. I'd rather walk. Specially early in the morning, at sunrise. Just wandering, me and my thoughts. It can last for hours.

5. I'm not sure, but I think I should paint in a typical direction. But I can't. Now I paint like an impressionist and painting landscapes, then I am willing to try a still life in hyperrealism. Then I want to make some beautifull figures or a great portrait. There is so much that I want to paint. It drives me nuts.

I think I want to tag these people. I searched the blogs to find some artists I don't really know, but make fine, fine paintings:

Nancy Merkle

Dustin Boutwell

David Zeggert

Kim Rhoney

Ria Hills

You should see these artists sometimes!

I want to introduce a foundation to all of you readers. It is called: Stichting Gastouders Hongarije. Let me explain. It is a foundation who gives the possibillity to little orphan children in Hungary to spent fourteen days twice a year in "normal" houses with "normal" families. These children, from 3 years old to 17, 18, live in orphan homes ocross Hungary and are totaly on their own. My wife has been there last year. These kids have nothing to play with, are dressed in old clothes and most of the children has no future at all, because of the lack of education and warm family. So, some families in Holland have such a child during the summer and with Christmas, so they'll never forget what it is like to be a part of a family. These orpan homes need little things like toys, stuff to tinker with (?) and so on. So if you wish to help a foundation like that, you can buy this lolly and I will donate all of the money to the foundation. There is a website (only in Dutch), you can read all about it here. There are pictures, too. They really need it. We've got a girl from Hungary ourselves twice a year. This is "our" Anna. She is 7 years old and a lovely little rascal.
You may bid on this painting during this month and on January 4th I hope I can donate all the money to the foundation. I will thank you for it.


Oil on gallery wrapped canvas, 50 x 60 cm (approx. 19.5 x 23.5 inch).

Often I travel on the Internet, looking for how people paint their paintings. It's a great way to find out and try it yourself. So I tried this chair, books and apple, with, in the beginning, very wet paint. Almost water with a colour. Amazing, what can be done! I think I will continue with such paintings.
P.S. I am a great admirer of paintings of Chris Stott, I hope he doesn't mind :)

I have forgotten to post this painting. I finished it last thursday. A week ago! But here it is. My wife bought these (nice huh?) and since I am busy doing some transparent things (at least I'm trying!), these cherrie chocolate drops come in handy. 25,5 cm x 19,6 cm (10 x 7.7 inches), oil on paper. If you are interested having this one, drop me an email. You can have it for $150.
How about my other paintings I told you about? Well, the lolly is allmost ready. I intend to finish it this weekend. The bag of apples will take some time, though. I am eager (?) to make it a beauty. In the meantime I made an other painting. In the realistic way. And I tell you, I had fun painting it and I think it went wel. Very well. It is a bigger one, too. I will show you tomorrow. I have to photograph it first. And the thing is, when I come home from work, it is to dark to do that. And when I'm off to work, it is dark, too! So, come back tomorrow and I hope you like it as much as I do!

After painting a lot of landscapes and little still lifes, I am busy doing some bigger paintings. And in a different way, too. I want to make, at least I'm trying, some paintings in the hyper realism way. The paintings will be 50 x 60 cm (approx. 19.5 x 23.5 inch). Oil on canvas.
How come? A long time I was thinking to myself if I could do such a thing. And the only way to find out is... doing it! On the left you see a plastic bag of apples. After taking a lot of photos in different ways, I decided that this will be the crop, the composition. What you see here is just the underpainting. Nothing more, nothing less, just a lot of very wet paint. Now comes the hard part. This painting will take a couple of weeks, I guess. It depends on how it goes. On the right you see a lollipop. This one is half way. The lolly itself is ready and must dry carefully, before I finish the plastic. The background finally wil be black. That will suit well with the bright colors of the lolly. This painting is finished in about two weeks, if I don't ruine it. Fingers crossed!

Nearby Drachten, a 10 minute walk from home, I found this spot. Late in the afternoon, the sun lightening the tree tops, that little house in the sunlight. I could not resist to paint this one.
30 cm x 24 cm (9.5 x 11.8 inches), oil on canvas

These days it's very hard for me to judge my own paintings. When I paint at night, it's dark. When I come home from work, it's dark. The first time I see my new painting at daylight, it will be Saturday, so I can see what I am doing. What a surprise! The subject of this -unfinished- painting is very different from what I did the past few months. Why? I see a lot of paintings on the net. Every day. And beautiful paintings, too. And besides the landscape painters and still life painters I like the realism painters. People like Ralph Goings, Tjalf Sparnaay and Pedro Campus, to name a few. I just wanted to see if I can do this kind of work too. What do you think of it, up till now?
It is not finished yet. Every time I paint, the session before has to be dry more or less. But I wanted this to share it with you. It is 60 cm x 50 cm, oil painting.

When the summer is over, it is often cloudy and foggy out here. But sometimes, when the clouds are gone at first light, nature is at its best. Long shadows, floodlight and enchanting colors. This painting is an example of all those ingredients. And just around the corner of Drachten. Amazing, so much beauty nearby.
30 cm x 24 cm (9.5 x 11.8 inches), oil on canvas. If you are interested in this painting, drop me an email (info@jiddje.nl) for further purchasing information

For this painting I used some black to darken the colors. And that's the first time I ever used black. Normally I mix some blue, red, green and brown to make a dark color. So why use black now? I don't really know, but I wanted to see what happenes if I use a little bit of black through the blue/green/red/brown. Two things I've noticed: I am not sure if the color is more dark than I used to, now that the painting is dry and I wanted to see if tha black paint would be rich black. Well, it's not. I will be testing the black some other time, again. Actually, I bought the black to make the basis for some grays I want to use in a larger painting I am working on. More about that later on.
Do you painters use a lot of black? I'd like to know.
9 x 7 inches, oil on paper. The spot is near Bakkeveen (Friesland)

Dan from Empty Easel wrote a very nice article about my paintings today. I was suprised to see it and it makes me feel very good. Thanks Dan!

According to the dates you might think I haven't panted for almost a month. But I am concentrating myself on some bigger paintings and a few commissions I am happy to have. The past few weeks I am busy making studies of portraits and landscapes. October Heathland is one of those studies.
The last 50 paintings I painted, I did those in about two or three hours and it became more or less an obsession to make a painting a day. Allthough I am painting almost every day, I am not sure if I want to make a painting a day. My main concern and goal is to make good paintings, not fast ones. So, I will be posting new paintings, and maybe steps of new paintings, but not as regular like the past months.

The day before yesterday we were at the Karmel monastery, looking for chestnuts. It was very peaceful out there and I thought, why not paint the monastery it self? I never really painted a building and I must say: it's not my kind of thing. It is a struggle. But when you try different things to paint, you can discover what suits you and what does not. And that is the fun part of being a (almost) daily painter. Tomorrow is a new day to paint.
Oil on canvas (unframed), 8 x 6.5 inches. If you are interested in this painting, it is for sale ($120) and ready to frame. You can email me at info@jiddje.nl.

Sometimes I drive a little through Friesland taking some pictures from the beautifull landscapes I see. Many times I have to wait for the sun to come through. I like the highlights and the shadows in a painting. Original oil painting by Jiddje. 8.5 x 6 inches, oil on oil paper. If you are interested in this painting, it is for sale ($120) and ready to frame. You can email me at info@jiddje.nl.