Stress and Rest

Soon I’m going to move to another province. A move gives always a lot of stress and what I find also difficult is that I don’t have more time to paint and to draw. But I try to find some time to go to Rotterdam Zoo and Avifauna. Looking animals, trees, plants and flowers bring me to rest and I can forget for a while how much work I need to do and how many things I still need to arrange. And nobody is saying someting wrong to you... I haven’t made many sketches but it was nice to spend sometimes an afternoon outside.
When I was in Avifauna I saw again my faithful companion and model (a Pink-backed Pelican, see my flickr. He was sleepy so I began to sketch him but I was quickly distracted by...

... a young Common Crane that walked alongside. 

He (of she?) immediately showed interest...

... in my rucksack and tried to open it.

He was very curious and everything was interesting: plants... 

... a hole in a tree trunk... 

... a trash.

The mother came for a moment to see what her young was doing. Adults have an evident back head and neck, with a white stripe running down the nape and a red spot on the crown. Their starts are longer en graceful. 

En then they walked away, with the company of Barnacte Geese (on this picture you can see only one).

 

  And so I'm left alone with my sleepy model.

In Early Spring...

In this early spring we cannot see much green and flowers yet. Sometimes it is too cold... But the animals are attracted to each other or have already young. At this time of the year we can see how life is richness and wonderful. So: wherever you are stand today at a moment still and enjoy the spring!

When de winter was mild the spoonbills were confused. They built nests and then the forst came suddenly. The zookeepers of Rotterdam Zoo took care for the upbringing of the young Spoonbills.

 Magnolia Denudata, Rotterdam Zoo (Diergaarde Blijdorp)

Pygmy Hippopotamus with young, Rotterdam Zoo (Diergaarde Blijdorp)

 White-Bellied Caique, Avifauna

 Black-Necked Swan, Avifauna

Rainbow Lorikeet, Avifauna 

Bald Eagle, Avifauna 

Indian Rhinoceros in the bath with the company of a Wild Duck, Rotterdam Zoo (Diergaarde Blijdorp)

Javan Green Peafowl, Avifauna 

Rüppell's Griffons building a nest, Avifauna 

Victoria Crowned Pigeons, Avifauna 

Dalmatian Pelicans, Zoo Blijdorp 

Rufous Hornbills, Avifauna 

Towny Owls, Avifauna 

Pumpkins as models

Pumpkins are one of my favorite subjects for my work. I love pumpinks! Their variety in colors, textures and shapes are really beautiful. Hier are some dry pumpkins that were models for my paintings, drawings and linocuts. Sometimes it happens that some pumpinks dry in place from rot and so they remained intact but their colors changed.

Studies of pumpkins, acrylic on cardboard,2003

Some mini sketches (2004-2008) that I made for the composition of paintings. Some of these paintings are at Flickr as Meeting I, Meeting II, Night Visit, Playing Hide I. Other paintings are at Flickr are Playing Hide III and View I.

Sketchbook with sketch of Night Visitor 

Sketchbook with pumpinks that I use for some drawings in 2009. In Flickr are two of these drawings of 2010 : Birds and Pumpkins I and Birds and Pumpinks VII.

I also made a little leporello book with a story about a dreamy pumpkin (see hier below) and another book with a linocut On the windowsill watching the clouds.

The progress of life, 2005

Friendship, 2010

The visit, 2006

The View I, 2005

The View II, 2005

The View III, 2005

The View IV, 2006

See also my Flickr for more works with pumpkins.

Ice and snow in Rotterdam Zoo (Diergaarde Blijdorp)

Quotes by Albert Einstein about nature and curiosity:

"Look deep into nature, and then you will understand everything better."


"I have no special talents.  I am only passionately curious.  Curiosity has its own reason for existence.  One cannot but be in awe when one contemplates the mysteries of eternity, of life, of the marvelous structures of reality.  It is enough if one tries to comprehend only a little of this mystery every day. Never lose a holy curiosity."

Dalmatian Pelicans and Great Cormorants 

 Cattle Egrets and Common Eider

 American Coot

 Common Shelducks and Little Gulls

Egytian Goose

Vicuñas

Spotted Hyena

Polar Beer

Red-Crowned Cranes