Portrait of an Artist - 2009

Portrait of an Artist 2009 | 8x10" | oil on hardboard

Some of you will remember that a year ago I did a portrait swap which was facilitated by the Different Strokes from Different Folks blog. Artists were asked to submit photos of themselves and in turn, received a photo of another anonymous artist to paint. It was fun last year, in the end discovering that the woman I painted was from Israel.

Once again this year, I do not know who this woman is, but hope to correspond with her after both of our portraits are revealed on the Different Strokes blog. I would encourage you to go there and see the wide variety of styles and interpretations. There are 180 artists participating this year.

I painted this on a little larger panel than my most of my other blog work, and it was a pre-primed panel that I had purchased. The surface was ultra-smooth and I struggled with that more than I thought I would. In the end, I think it came around fairly well.

Peace on Earth

Peace on Earth | 4'x8' | oil on Upson board

This painting is another one that my Grandpa painted many years ago. It is just a few doors up the street from us and stands in front of my brother's house this Christmas season.

Thank you to everyone who took the time to check out my work in 2009. I truly appreciate every single comment and email I received. Merry Christmas.

Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men on whom his favor rests. –Luke 2:14

The First Christmas

The First Christmas | 4'x8' | oil on plywood

I'm sorry to say it has been a busy December with not much time to paint.

This is the scene that we have in front of our house this Christmas season. I painted this quite a number of years ago and store it in my garage the rest of the year. It has seen its share of wind, snow and cold weather but remains pretty bright and colorful.

Maurice is once again decorated with lots of Christmas lights and decorations, so if you're in the neighborhood, please drive through and take a look.

Simply Winter

Simply Winter | 6"x6" | oil on hardboard

Winter has officially arrived. I can hear the wind howl outside the window as I type this and I scooped a bunch of snow this afternoon with more to do in the morning. Luckily my boys have a late start for school Wednesday, so they will be enlisted to grab a shovel in the morning. I'm sure they'll be thrilled.

This is a corn crib and grain bin southeast of town. It sits alone out in the middle of a field. The stark contrasts and simple shapes again got my attention. Not much going on here, but I guess that is the point. Stark, cold and white. Welcome to winter.

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Slice of Life

Slice of Life | 5"x7" | oil on hardboard

This is a painting that was commissioned by someone who had seen an earlier cake painting. That slice of cake stirred up memories for her of a special cake that was often baked by a loved one in her family.

Food conjures up memories for people. Do you associate certain foods with particular holidays or events each year? I'm pretty sure most of us do. For our family, this cake is always a birthday dessert created by my Mom and enjoyed by the whole family.

I plan on enjoying some great food at our family Thanksgiving dinner, and hope that you are able to celebrate as well. Thanks for viewing my work on a regular basis. I appreciate it.

SOLD

Wide Open Spaces

Wide Open Spaces | 5"x7" | oil on hardboard

This is a loose painting where I had fun laying on generous amounts of paint. Especially in the lower part of the painting. I like the freedom to just push the paint around.


Most of this was painted with brushes, but I also utilized a rubber pointed tool/brush to add texture and actually scrape away portions of the paint.

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Allendorf Elevator #2

Allendorf Elevator #2 | 5"x7" | oil on hardboard

If you didn't look carefully, you might assume this is the same painting that I posted a couple weeks ago. This one has been simplified a little bit. I'm going to paint this a few more times, and simplify it with each version.

I am a believer in the saying "Less is more". I have to remind myself frequently of this simple phrase and remove things that are distractions or the things that just really aren't very important. That applies to both my art and other areas of my life as well. Remove the things that aren't important and it gives focus to the things that are.

Often the most elegant, refined and beautiful things are the ones that are simple. I can't say that I like this painting better than the first one, but it does have a different quality to it. I'm looking forward to seeing where this leads.

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America's Prettiest Towns

Forbes Travel.com names America's Prettiest Towns

I've shared this news with some of you, but thought I'd share it with everyone. I was recently invited to be on the "Expert Panel" for Forbes Travel's selection of America's prettiest towns. Why me? Who knows–but the guy who wrote the story found my blog and asked if I'd be interested in helping make the selections.

It was difficult narrowing down America's towns to just a select few. I'm sure you have your favorites as well and of course everyone's definition of pretty is different. Take a look at the list and hopefully you'll agree with some of the choices.

Make sure you watch the slideshow as well if you have the chance, as that has some of my picks and quotes too. You can see the results online by clicking here.

I figure it's not every day that someone asks you to be an expert, right? Thanks for indulging me.

Allendorf Elevator

Allendorf Elevator | 5"x7" | oil on hardboard

Allendorf is a tiny town in Osceola County. When I was a kid, my brother and I would spend a few days each summer at my aunt and uncle's farm near there. We would occasionally go to the little cafe that was in town at the time. The cafe is gone now, but the sign was still there when I snapped the photo of this place.

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The Daily Palette

My work was just featured on the University of Iowa's website called The Daily Palette. The Daily Palette's goal is to heighten interest, awareness and appreciation of the visual arts and writing through recognizing the efforts of Iowa-identified artists and communities.

You can view the site by clicking here.

Twin Bing

Twin Bing | 5"x7" | oil on hardboard

The Twin Bing. A mid-west candy classic. You're not from familiar with it? The Bing was invented in 1923 by the Palmer Candy Co. in Sioux City, Iowa and it was originally a single lump of nutty chocolaty cherry goodness. But evidently it was so good it went to Twin Bing in 1973 (and in 1986 to the triple lump King Bing).

I remember buying them at Duane's Grocery store here in Maurice when I was a kid. I can't quite remember if they were a nickel or a dime back in the 60s. Cherry nougat center surrounded by chocolate and crushed peanuts. Good stuff; trust me.

It's the nostalgic packaging that still grabs my attention. It has not changed much, if at all, over all these years. I worked this painting longer than I intended to. I kinda got sucked into creating the multiple shades of red and the wrinkled wrapper.

I've managed to keep the candy bar in the package thus far, but I can hear it calling my name.

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A Servant's Heart

A Servant's Heart | oil on canvas | 30x40

Here it is, the final completed painting. You've seen glimpses of the hands in the past, but here you can see them completely. Open, giving, serving hands–filled with things that represent what it means to be a servant.

Painting hands is a difficult task, and that was compounded I believe by painting them at this super-sized scale. My son Joe was my hand model and I think his hands worked well–although he wished I had done a better job of capturing his callouses. Tough critic.



My son Jack took the photo of me next to the painting. I thought it would help give you a better idea of the scale of the piece. Pretty large compared to most things you see on the blog.

In Rick Warren's book, The Purpose Driven Life he writes, "It is possible to serve in church for a lifetime without ever being a servant. You must have a servant's heart. How can you know if you have the heart of a servant? Jesus said, "You can tell what they are by what they do."

Real servants make themselves available. (the watch)

Real servants pay attention to needs (the coins)

Real servants do their best with what they have. (the nut and nail)

Real servants do every task with equal dedication (the matches)

Real servants are faithful to their ministry (the ring)

Real servants maintain a low profile. (the shadows)

Whoever wants to be great must become a servant - Mark 10:43

Fields of Gold

Fields of Gold | 5"x7" | oil on hardboard

It was my hope to post the completed commission piece this week, but I've had a tough time getting together with the buyers to deliver it. I figured they should probably be the first to see it. Right? Thus, I'll wait to show you until they have it in their hands.

So I decided I'd post this instead today. Fall is now officially here and things are changing quickly here in Iowa. The harvest season is ramping up into full swing and the fields look beautiful. Golden fields of soybeans are radiant on a sunny autumn afternoon.

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A Servant's Heart - Work in progress

A Servant's Heart | detail | oil on canvas

So much to do and so little time. Time is truly a valuable asset. What we do with it is a measure of what is important to each of us. I've had people ask me how I find the time to paint. Usually it's not a matter of finding the time, it is that I make the time to paint. It's important to me.

The watch in the painting represents the fact that real servants make themselves available. They make the time to serve. Making ourselves available is not easy–especially making the time to serve in the right spirit. Do we serve without a hint of resentment?

Just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve - Matthew 20:28

It's almost time to show you the completed "puzzle" of these detail images I've been showing you this last while. I just want to put a few finishing touches on it.

Maurice Elevator at Dusk

Maurice Elevator at Dusk | 5"x7" | oil on hardboard

This elevator is the one that stands right here in Maurice, just a few blocks from our house. It has of course been around for a very long time and the old tin siding has a beautiful tarnished silver finish. I have always admired the way the sun lights the building at different times of the day–particularly late in the day when the warm sunlight creates dramatic geometric panels of light and shadow.

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A Servant's Heart - Work in progress

A Servant's Heart | detail | oil on canvas

Here's another detail of the commission I'm working on. It's coming along pretty nicely.

Servants do their best with what they have. The nut and the nail are the symbols which represent that in the painting. Servants don't make excuses, procrastinate or wait for better circumstances. They just do what needs to be done. They do the best they can with what they have. Less than perfect service is always better than good intentions.

Whoever watches the wind will not plant; whoever looks at the clouds will not reap. - Ecclesiastes 11:4

Vicks Corner

Vicks Corner | 5"x7" | oil on hardboard

If you're at all familiar with Okoboji, you know where Vicks Corner is. Although I have no idea who Vick is, this building is a landmark that has been a part of the Okoboji area as long as I can remember. A gas station, garage, bait shop and grocery store. It was a "convenience store" long before they started calling them that.

It also reminds me of other corners around here. My favorites are Perkins Corner and the Million Dollar Corner. Perkins Corner is near Hull and the once thriving town of Perkins. My Grandpa and Grandma Vander Stelt lived there for a time as a couple of newlyweds. Perkins is not much more than a few houses these days. The Million Dollar Corner is two miles north of Maurice at the intersection of highways 75 and 10. It was dubbed that because it cost the then astronomical amount back in the day when they built the intersection. Also the home of a gas station and cafe which had the same name.

What corners have special meaning to you?

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A Servant's Heart - Work in progress

A Servant's Heart | detail | oil on canvas

Here is the second closeup detail of the commission I'm working on. This painting is 30"x40" and the quarter you see here is actually about 6 inches wide on the canvas. Each element in the painting is symbolic of a different aspect of being a servant.

Servants are always on the lookout for ways to help others. How sensitive are we to the needs right in front of us? Opportunities come and go quickly.

You can tell what they are, by what they do. - Matthew 7:16

12 Feet

12 Feet | 5"x7" | oil on hardboard

As promised, another Okoboji painting. I typically do not enjoy the task of titling my paintings. My titles often are pretty straightforward. But there are times like this painting where I find a title that makes me smile. I couldn't decide whether to title it "4 foot 8" or "12 Feet". In the end, 12 feet seemed like the better choice.

More cut-off figures. I like the composition, angularity and colors.

This was at the pool at our resort. We always stay at Triggs Bay Resort. It's one of the few family run resorts remaining at the lakes.

I've also been working on a new commission piece. I thought it might be interesting to give you a glimpse of it. (see detail below) This is a tight shot of a small section of the painting. It is a painting that focuses on the theme of serving others. It is coming along pretty nicely. I'll post more glimpses as it progresses.



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Beach Babes

Beach Babes| 5"x7" | oil on hardboard

We just returned from a week of vacation – our yearly pilgrimage to Okoboji and the Iowa Great Lakes. There are a slew of jokes you could make about Iowa and its' lakes, or lack thereof. With Minnesota hoarding 10,000+ lakes, it leaves very few for Iowans to claim as our own and even fewer that we can call "great". We always stay at the same family resort every year and this is a scene on the beach there.

The bold colors and bright sunlight create some vibrant contrast and make for lively color. While the woman and child are the focus of the piece, I like the swimmer in the water and the partial figure cut off on the right.


Beach Babes| detail

This detail of the swimmer shows how a figure can be captured in a few simple strokes, and the bright white highlight on the shoulder gives the viewer the impression that the skin is wet.

I hope many of you have had the opportunity to take a vacation this Summer. It's good to relax, recharge your mental batteries, and spend time with family.

Stay tuned for more Okoboji paintings.

Available for $100

Bale Out

Bale Out| 5"x7" | oil on hardboard

More round, er..uh...square bales.

I've never considered myself a landscape painter. My Grandfather was a painter of landscapes. He painted them almost exclusively. I'm not sure why they didn't become my passion, but I do enjoy painting them; especially at this small size.

Available for $100

Cake Walk

Cake Walk| 6"x6" | oil on hardboard

In honor of my 50th blog entry, I'm introducing a new square format. Almost all of the paintings on this blog thus far have been 5x7" but I now have prepared a bunch of 6x6" panels so you'll be seeing square pieces now too from time to time.

A few weeks ago we had our annual church picnic. If there is any event that is quintessentially small town, it is our church picnic. Many of our traditions and community celebrations have come and gone, but the Maurice church picnic remains, even after well over 100 years.

I like taking photos at the picnic and this year was another beautiful summer evening. They block off the street and do a kids carnival, including things like a football throw, face painting, fish pond and more. The cake walk is always a hit. Both of my boys won a cake this year so we had a nice supply of cake...for a few days. My sons like cake.

This scene captures the long shadows of late day sunlight. Something about the cutoff figure at the top center kinda completes the composition nicely. It brings the eye back around in a circular direction.

Below is a photo of those in attendance at the picnic this year. A big group for a small town. Click on it for a closer look.

Fields of Green

Fields of Green| 5"x7" | oil on hardboard

It has been a week of rain and stormy weather here in Sioux County. Fields near town were flattened by 70mph winds and other areas suffered the wrath of golf ball to softball sized hail.

These are fields South of Maurice that escaped unscathed, and are benefiting from the generous amounts of rain. Remnants of rain clouds hang in the sky. I like how the purple shades in the clouds contrast with the lush shades of green.

We spent the weekend in Des Moines, and on the drive home Sunday I was again inspired by the beauty of our state. How it ever became stereotyped as flat I will never know. I guess compared to Colorado we're flat. But if you compare us to Nebraska...

Available for $100

Field North of Maurice

Field North of Maurice| 5"x7" | oil on hardboard

Here is a painting of a freshly cut field just North of town. The sky gives the impression that rain is looming and the combination of the two is a bad thing. It reminds me ever so slightly of one of my favorite Van Gogh paintings.


Wheat Field with Crows | Vincent Van Gogh

Wheat Field with Crows is one of Van Gogh’s most famous paintings and probably the one most subject to speculation. It was executed in July 1890, in the last weeks of Van Gogh’s life. Many have claimed it was his last work, seeing the dramatic, cloudy sky filled with crows and the cut-off path as obvious clues to his impending fate.

I saw this piece at the Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam over 25 years ago and still remember being struck by the dark beauty of it.

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Monarch Moment

Monarch Moment| 5"x7" | oil on hardboard

As kids we would spend lots of time chasing butterflies around trying to catch them; often without much success. And when we did finally catch one, we really didn't really know what to do with it other than stick it in an old mayonnaise jar with the token small twig and some grass in order to create a kids version of a natural habitat. Oh, and of course punch some holes in the lid with a nail.

I captured this one quite some time ago with my camera instead of a net. No mayonnaise jar required.

Available for $125

Trosky Elevator

Trosky Elevator| 5"x7" | oil on hardboard

Back to the midwestern skyline. This was based on a photo shot from the car as we drove past Trosky, Minnesota last year. I know nothing about Trosky, but imagine it to be like Maurice in most ways. A small railroad town with the elevator dominating the skyline.

I have some other elevator paintings that will be coming up. I've heard them referred to as the cathedrals of the prairie, and I find that fitting. These old wooden elevators are a dying breed, but there are still many to be enjoyed and I believe most of the remaining ones are still being used for their original purpose. They store a small portion of the harvest, often positioned beside their much larger concrete elevator counterparts.

Available for $100

My Palette

It has been a different week. Mostly because my Dad had heart bypass surgery this past Thursday, which many of you are aware. He is making some slow progress in his recovery but your prayers for him would be appreciated.

No painting this week. I thought I'd share something different. These are a couple photos of a recent palette of paint. For many years I have used 5 quart ice cream pail lids as palettes. I even have certain friends and family who save them for me and drop them off occasionally. They are a good size, fairly neutral in tone, easy to mix on and donated to me free of charge (a good thing for a Dutchman).



There is also something interesting about each one after they are filled with color. I have stacks of these painted lids in my painting closet. Someday I'm going to do something with them. Maybe staple them all side by side to a gallery wall or cover an old car in paint palette lids. It'll probably never happen, but the stacks are there if I become inspired.

Some artists have a set system of how they arrange the colors on their palette. As for me, not so much. I do have those colors that I lean on a lot. Colors I couldn't imagine living without. Prussian blue, raw umber, yellow ochre, burnt sienna, cadmiums red and yellow, and cerulean blue to name a few of my favorites. It's rare for me to add new colors to the family of colors I use. I'm not sure why. It's probably like having a favorite sweatshirt that you love to wear. It feels like a part of you and the more years you wear it, the more attached to it you become. So a new one takes a while to break in and become comfortable with.

The Man of Steel

The Man of Steel| 5"x7" | oil on hardboard

"Look, up in the sky! It's a bird! It's a plane! It's Superman!"

On our recent trip to Tennessee, we were on I-24 between St. Louis and Nashville when we saw a billboard inviting us to Metropolis, Illinois, "Hometown of Superman - Exit now and see the giant statue of Superman". Well, how can a family on a road trip vacation pass up an opportunity as tempting as that? It was the perfect Clark Griswold moment, so we took the exit and followed the signs to the quaint town square in downtown Metropolis. What a great place. Quintessential small town America and the perfect home for "truth, justice and the American way".


Jack and Joe pose in front of Superman in downtown Metropolis

We got out of the car, took a bunch of pictures and quickly dashed into the souvenir store. Unfortunately, we were on a tight schedule, so we didn't have as much time to roam around as we'd like but it was great fun none the less. Then on to Nashville, faster than a speeding bullet...

The painting is from an unconventional angle, but I do like how it gives you a childlike perspective of this bigger than life super-hero.

Available for $125

Yellow Street Gallery

Yellow Street Gallery| 5"x7" | oil on hardboard

This is a painting that is based on a photo taken by a wonderful photographer friend of mine. His name is Tom Becker and he is quite humble and modest about his great work. Tom and his wife Allyson took a trip to Mexico and that's where I believe this scene was composed. I liked the composition and light. The brightly colored yellow wall, the graffiti painting and the figure on the right (which is Allyson by the way).

Graffiti art has taken its place in the big time art world these days and is now considered "legitimate" art by many. I won't weigh in on my thoughts about that, but will say that in this painting, the doorway creates a frame of sorts and makes it a walk by gallery on this sunny South-of-the-border street.

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Pink Tulips

Pink Tulips| 24"x30" | oil on hardboard

I recently posted a tulip painting and mentioned the local Orange City Tulip Festival. This coming weekend the festival will take place and as of today, the tulips are looking great. Barring a windy day or two, things should look great.

I grew up going to the festival and it is a celebration of Dutch heritage and a place to celebrate community. Seeing old friends, watching parades and eating the great food is all part of the fun.

This is a larger tulip painting that I did a number of years ago. If you happen to attend the festival this weekend, this painting and the earlier blog tulip will both be on display at the Tulip Town Bulb Company. Breng ons een bezoek.

A Little Faith

A Little Faith| 5"x7" | oil on hardboard

This painting started out as another in my short series of birds. Prior to this you've seen a cardinal and a bluejay. It changed direction a bit when I was inspired by artist David Arms, who does imagery similar to this.

I hope you like it.

Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see. - Hebrews 11:1

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The Time is Ripe

The Time is Ripe| 5"x7" | oil on hardboard

Fruit is the classic still life subject I suppose. Artists and art students have been painting and drawing these for hundreds, perhaps thousands of years and they still are ap-peel-ing to look at (sorry, I couldn't resist).

I think part of the reason why is that they are simple shapes, yet they are still challenging to capture on canvas. To create the illusion of the third dimension is always a thrill for me, no matter what the subject is.

I should eat more fruit. I try to take a piece along to work each day, but as you can see by the condition of the banana in the painting, our fruit is not always eaten in a timely manner.

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Spring Chicks

Spring Chicks| 5"x7" | oil on hardboard

I started this painting prior to our vacation, with the intent of posting it for Easter. I ran out of time so I finished it this weekend.

I have childhood memories of going to Jim's Feed Store here in Maurice to see the chicks when the shipment arrived in the spring. Fast forward 40 years and I find myself driving my son and his friends down to the local farm supply store to buy chicks.

JBC (Joe, Branson & Caleb) Poultry Farm is what they've dubbed themselves and they certainly have an entrepreneurial spirit. They started off their poultry hobby with 9 full-grown chickens that didn't lay too many eggs, and now they own 100+ chicks that are growing rapidly and no longer look anything like these cute chicks in the painting.

I think we'll still be waiting a while to see the farm fresh eggs from these beauties.

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Tennessee Road Trip

Hopefully there are a few of you who noticed that I didn't post a painting this week. Our family took an old fashioned family road trip vacation down to Tennessee this past week. We really had a great time and it was so much fun to see the sites, culture and people down south. We were primarily in Nashville and Memphis and they are two very different cities. I'm wondering if all of us Yankees should start calling each other "darlin" and "hon". Southern hospitality was very nice to experience, and I have to say that the food was wonderful too.

I've downloaded my photos and it looks like I limited myself to only 402 shots. I could have shot a bunch more, but I showed some restraint mostly due to the fact that I didn't have enough memory cards for my camera. My wife and boys always are patient with me while I'm shooting photos of everything in sight, no matter how odd it may seem to most people. They have grown accustom to my ways. Below you'll find 4 of the 402 pictures. There could be some paintings coming out of our trip. Y'all stay tuned...

Cardinals game in St. Louis on our way to Nashville

The Grand Ole Opry

Memphis BBQ at Rendevous

On the steps of Graceland

Mom's Bread

Mom's Bread | oil on canvas

It was my Mom's birthday a couple of weeks ago, and I had intended to post this at that time, but of course it slipped my mind. So I thought I'd share it this week instead. This is a large portrait I did of her. Click on the photo to get a little closer look.

I featured Mom's cake on my very first blog painting back in September of last year. As I mentioned at that time, she loves spending time in her kitchen and homemade bread is one of her specialties. In the painting she's holding my favorite bread that she bakes. It's an oatmeal bread that is unbelievably wonderful....just like Mom.

Chapel of Love

Chapel of Love I | 5"x7" | oil on hardboard

Chapel of Love II| 5"x7" | oil on hardboard

This is a small commission for a friend. She is giving it as a wedding gift to a couple who were recently wed in this lovely church in upstate New York. The church sits on a the edge of a lake.

I painted the more detailed version first, and then decided to do a version that was a little more loose and painterly. There are things I like about each version. I'd be curious to know which version you prefer, and why.

Sunlit Tulip

Sunlit Tulip| 5"x7" | oil on hardboard

Spring is here. Whew–it was a long, cold and snowy winter here in Iowa so we're all ready for spring. I was just outside and saw that our tulips are just beginning to emerge from the dirt.

I dug through my photos from last spring and found some I shot in Orange City. My good friends, Brett and Nora Mulder, are the owners of the Tulip Town Bulb Company and their gardens last year were in glorious bloom with every variety of tulip under the sun. I took a lot of photos there.

Brett could tell you exactly what variety this is, but I'll just say it is the red/yellow kind.

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Coffee Couple

Coffee Couple| 5"x7" | oil on hardboard

The pleasure of a great cup of coffee is tough to beat, unless you combine that cup of coffee with the conversation of a good friend. Then it's even better.

I think I like the old lady and all the stuff in the background better than the figures in the foreground.

In the midst of your busy day today, take time to enjoy a cup of joe with someone. You'll be glad you did.

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