During the early 90's we were on holiday in the south of France and I was staring longingly towards the Lubéron mountains and the small little villages scattered around in the landscape, wishing that I will one day be able to spend some time painting in France. A wish that has been granted over and over again.

During 2004 and again in 2006 we went barging on the canals in France with a couple of friends.

Since it is a holiday in slow motion, everyone had a bit of time to spend at leisure. Of course my time was spent painting.

It is always difficult to paint out of your comfort zone, but this was pushing it to the extreme. But so rewarding. The landscape around me was moving in slow motion and I tried to capture points of interest in the landscape and my companions

 
Time is the greatest enemy of an artist, especially for me. As I did not want to miss one little thing, it makes you so much more aware of the landscape and everything around you It is as though you are taking visual notes all the time. The paintings are free and on the spur of the moment. The most challenging is not to be in anybody's space, not to get the other people full of paint and to be able to throw your brushes down at any given moment.

In situations like this, it isn't only the landscape that is of interest, but the people surrounding you is always intriguing. What they are doing and the way you react towards them and yourself. We all loved the being outside in nature and I wanted to capture that very pleasurable moments of sharing with friends
 

 

 
The experience to attempt painting in situations that is not always easy is richly rewarded by engraving certain information en scenes in your unconscious being to be taken out whenever you are alone in your studio and when you are far removed from opportunities like this . Sharing with friends and nature all play a role to enhance your own feeling of belonging and loving what you do.