suz landscape painting journal

Wildlife Bridges in the Netherlands

Suz — Mon, 29 Oct 2018 11:31:45 +0000

One of the two wildlife crossings spanning the A50 highway on the Veluwe in the Netherlands. photo by nl:User:Henkmuller

While the mini-bus driver of our recent trip to the Kruller-Muller museum rattled on about the dutch countryside and the ubiquitous cows, (and how he didn’t think much of Van Gogh) he mentioned as an aside, the eco bridges for animals. Well, we were surprised. They’d never really registered for me as, being from Australia, something like an eco bridge is the very last thing the government would do for the animals of Australia. Can you imagine it? How fantastic. Animals being able to pass over freeways without becoming ‘roadkill’. The Netherlands alone has 66 overpasses and ecoducts. They can also boast of having the world’s longest wildlife overpass. The massive Natuurbrug Zanderij Crailoo is a half-mile long. Nice to see some genuine government action for the protection of animals. Wildlife Crossings around the World

Van Gogh’s brushmarks

Suz — Mon, 22 Oct 2018 05:21:54 +0000

We visited the Kröller-Muller Museum in eastern Netherlands last weekend, (which I’ll write about in another post.)

The main object of our visit was to see the Van Gogh collection, as the 19th century painter is Hiie’s favourite artist.

As we were sauntering around the modernist gallery with a truck load of school children, I finally realised what makes it so compelling and powerful seeing Vincent Van Gogh’s paintings in real life.

It’s the brushwork.

You feel like he is present with you, as you can see and feel every brushmark he made.

Every swirl and twist, every thread and staccato point of rich, glistening coloured oil paint.

I’ve never felt like that with any other painter, to this degree. where you can feel the artist’s presence.

Paul Signac ‘Two Cypresses’ 1893 Kroller-Muller Museum

Many paintings may have a ‘beautiful’ image but you don’t feel the individuality of the artist in the same way. Everything’s smooth and impersonal in regard to brushmarks.

And once those dots and dashes become formulaic like in the ‘pointillist’ painter Signac, it loses this individual presence. The art of the past stays in the past.

Van Gogh’s brushwork isn’t a style. He’s trying to render the power of his reality as he sees and feels and his paintings are always contemporary because of it.

In real life, that is. You don’t get that from a book or on the internet.

#kröller muller museum

Who doesn’t love a moped…

Suz — Wed, 17 Oct 2018 08:41:33 +0000

The morning autumn colours in combination with that soft blue atmosphere in the distance, inspired me to take this shot.

An added bonus the guy is smiling – which I didn’t notice until I lightened the picture. Lovely.

It’s in Kungsträdgården in Stockholm. Who doesn’t love a moped?

Twitter Art Exhibit 2017

Suz — Sun, 08 Jan 2017 13:24:07 +0000

The fun Twitter Art Exhibit this year is in Stratford Upon Avon in the UK. The exhibition runs from the 1st to 19th April.

The charity being supported this year (by sales of the art postcards) is Molly Olly’s Wishes, who do brilliant work for children with terminal or serious illness by making their ‘wishes’ come true and also by being there as a support for their families and giving away therapeutic toys and books that help the children understand the treatment they are receiving.

from Twitter Art Exhibit website

I’ve sent one of my pine landscapes again…

So if you’re interested in participating yourself, (from anywhere in the world as long as you have a twitter account) get your paints and pens out.

Deadline to get your work to the UK, is 17 March 2017.

All information about participating is at The Twitter Art Exhibit website. Or go to their twitter site.