Paper problems

Have been halted by the police on the highway for paper-control... and yes I missed one paper: the 'assurance'-paper or the green card as we call it over here. For one reason or another the latest one was not in my car. So they decided to take me with them and escort me to their office. They said to me I could get my car back when I showed them the missing paper. You can imagine my astonishment : no car for the weekend as all offices and companies are closed !!!
Even when I asked them if I could pass on Monday showing them the paper or if they wanted to speak with a woman of the car-assistance-company who was on my portable-phone and who could say it was my car, they wouldn't listen. So I was there in the middle of nowhere without car. You had to see the smile on the face of the officer when he asked me how I felt without a car !!! I thought they were there to help us !! Now I know that there are bad people in the police !!!
So I took 2 busses, went a few miles on foot and was taken by a gentlemen in a car for a few miles, then again 40 min on foot: all in all it took me 4 hours to get home. Searching all the papers, everywhere in my house: nothing !! Put some phone-calls to friends to explain everything. I had a concert that evening with modern music of Luigi Nono, but I was to down to go... phoned it off. Luckily on Sunday friends were coming over so I could cook a little dinner for them and my son (whom they gently fetched for me). Monday morning went to the office (40 min on foot, bus 1 hour, metro 30 min, foot 15 min) to get to the office and ask for a copy of the document (luckily the secretary had one) and went to the police-office with a colleague. Showed my paper and could get my car.

Evening at the opera

'Yevgeny Onegin' of Tchaikovsky at 'De Munt' in Brussels. Good voices and a wonderful acting of the chorus. 6 out of 10

Evening at the opera

This time it was 'The lighthouse' a modern opera of Peter Maxwell Davies at the 'Lunatheater' in Brussels. The singers were Michael Bennett, Robin Adams and Kelvin Thomas.
A good contemporary setting and music I adored. I am moving further and further to modern opera. Verdi and Mozart are too 'easy' for me now. 8 out of 10

Evening at home

Started a new painting : oil on wood. I would like to make a series of oils representing the process of healing. For this I think I would paint a surface in a color and containing a distortion or better said a 'cutting' in the surface from which other colors are coming out. The surface is 'self'-healing itself by creating his or itself over the cutting. a bit complex to explain, but as soon as I got pictures I'll put them here. This painting's surface is a mixing of turquoise and other blues with a bit of white mixed in it, the wooden panel is horizontal and on the left hand is the cutting. I painted already one healing-arm, but I think another 2 will follow.

Evening at home

Prepared 7 wooden panels with primer ... I am going to paint this week ... and I think it will be modern ...

New exhibition

There I go again with the next exhibition. 19 oils are on show in a private collection : Dawn of Childhood, Creatures of land, Creatures of Water, Algues, Chaos 1 and 2, Autumn rain and wind, The guardian, Meeting 1 and 2, The unexpected visitor, Wotan und Loge auf Brünhildes Felse, Midday in the canyon, Here comes the flood, Here comes the flood too, Open abscess, Stigmatization 1 and 2. This is the first time I give a solo-exhibition in a private exhibition : we will see the result.

At last !!!!

Sold my first paintings : Electra and Salome (see gallery), two older paintings.

Evening in Brussels

Manfred Honeck conducted the Orchestra of the opera-house 'De Munt'. On the program : Musique funébre pour cordes 'à la mémoire de Bela Bartok', Concerto for orchestra of Bela Bartok and the 5th symphony of Tchaikovsky. Perhaps I wasn't in the mood, but the only one that I realy liked was Bela Bartok's Concerto, even I thought that I liked it more the last time I heard it.

Evening at the ballet

'Rain' of Anne-Theresa De Keersmaeker on the 'music for 18 musicians' of steve Reich. (9/10). When De Keersmaeker let her dancers move on music of Steve Reich it is like ... speechless !!!! A few negative points are : too much running in circles and the ladies are sometimes to 'baroque' in their jumping-movements. The scenic part (ropes making an almost broken-circle-spiral-curtain) gives it a plus.

Evening in Brussels

Went to the 'Messa da Requim' of Verdi at the 'Paleis voor Schone Kunsten' in Brussels. Good production with the mezzo Michelle DeYoung and the Bas John Relyea. Soprano was less good and we will forget the tenor. Choir and orchestra of the munt superb and superbly conducted by Antonio Pappano. After all 7/10.

2nd weekend in London

Local London restaurant, Portobello Road, Indian Tandoori, and for the second time Tate Modern.
An this with my friend Hubert.

Evening at home

Finished the next painting and called it : Stigmatization 2 / sidewards. I started this painting on november 23rd by making the greenish background. I listened at the same time to the last act of 'St. François d'Assise', an opera of Olivier Messiaen, at the moment of the stigmatization of François. Today I listened again this same act end wanted to finish the painting. It started as the previous stigmatization by adding a line in white/crimson/orange/jellow but this time horizontal) with the knive and flattened it out with a brush. I also added a second smaller line with knive/brush. I'll take the pictures as soon as possible to put it on this site.

Evening at home

It took a bit of time but at last I updated my site with the new paintings.

Evening in plane Madrid-Brussels

Working in Madrid has come to an end. Have seen some beautifull things. For modern art I guess it must have been the 'Museum reina Sofia' that impresses me the most, more than the 'Bornissem-Thyssens', but the contemporary art-collection in the Conce Dunque is very, very good.

Weekend in London

Visitid the Tate Britain galery with some fine pre-raphalites and some fine Turners, Dali-exhibition (0/10 - do not go !!!) - 'The mikado' operette of Gilbert & Sullivan, British museum (go also to the top-top-floor for the japanese contemporary dishes and bowls) and Tate Modern (in superb renovated old power-station - no not the Battersee).

Evening at home

There I go 2 paintings in one evening. Expressionism, quick, automations, ... meanwhile I listened to 'St François d'Assise' of Olivier Messiaen. My god !!! This is strong... and of course influenced the first series of 3 paintings ... a triptych : Stigmatization / upwards. 3 panels of wood of 34 cm on 90 cm. The name comes from a scene of the last act of this opera where François recieves the stigma's.


The second painting that followed immediately was only 50 cm on 60 cm

Evening at home

At last I am home again !!! After being a few months away it is good to see all the different things that surrounded me again.

My life is for the moment in a twirl. Divorcing my wife, working 3 days a week in Madrid (Spain) ... I'll have to work to re-design my interior and execute my design.

Sorry also for not maintaining my site ... this will come as soon as I have a little bit more time.

Evening in 'the old bakery'

For the moment I am not living at my home - divorcing my wife makes it impossible to live together in the same house. A couple of friends invited me to come live with them until everything is arranged and they even proposed to use the top level of 'the old bakery' to use as 'paint-room'. I wanted to share this moment with you and took a few images just before I started to paint and the result of this paint-session.



I painted already the background in august and added a first tree. I think there will be a couple of them and I think I'll make 'seeds' of them... you'll see the result after the next painting sessions. My god !! I feel good....

Resuming the past

Hi to you all again !!!
Nice to be back on internet !!!
At last I feel much better. I am divorcing my wife and it is as if a big weight has left my body. I am feeling very well and had plenty of ideas for new paintings. We will see what I will make of it. Time to re-install myself, get the prepared wood an start painting again. I think that I will start again this evening. I am going to prepare a second piece of wood of 90 cm on 90 cm and start painting a subject on the one with the sky already on it. I had the possibility to go to a concert tonight, but I think I go back to my old painting-habit.

Evening at home

As I haven't got a name for the moment I'll number this painting as beeing 1: the first of this year. At last I started again. I painted the background of a 90 cm x 90 cm wooden panel. I prepared the wood around a month ago and kept it aside. It has a smooth surface and after putting this first layer it is even smoothier.


As you see it is a degrading of bleu into light-blue. I got some ideas to go further. I would like to create one or more trees with water or clouds as leaves. I used three kinds of bleu : sky-bleu, ceraeleum-bleu and magenta-bleu. I think I will need a second very light transparent white layer to make the whole a bit more sky-ish.

Evening at home

Gaining at last confidence and self-esteme. Want to paint some pictures now ... perhaps this week-end.

Evening at home

I was very down this month ... but still i painted 1 picture : Open abscess. A painting on wood.

Evening at home

Problems ... problems ... problems ... when will it end ? When will there be peace in our harts ?
You can imagine that I don't want to paint now ...

Friday there will be a concert ...

Evening at the opera

'Oeudipus Rex' of Stravinsky in the Royal Circus in Brussels.
Fine opera ... very special all in Latin (except for the spoken parts). I think I prefer the Japanese version on video ... more static, mystical, dramatic, less lyric ...

Evening at home

Tomorrow I am going to see 'Oeudipus Rex' of Stravinsky in the Royal Circus in Brussels.
It must be something very special ....just looked at a Japanese version on video.

Holliday Malta

Went to Malta for a few days ... If you like visiting and like prehistorical (megalithical) age and you want to know a bit more about the knights of Malta... don't hesitate ... go for it. Don't go to Malta for beaches (there are anly a few small ones). Have done some beautifull walkings through the island ... very dry but beautifull. Colours, taste, sent, almost all the senses are filling me up with impressions ... even wanted to paint at a certain moment !!!

Evening at the opera

My god !!! Saw a concert version of St Francois d'Assise of Olivier Messiaen with Mimi. Reinbert de Leeuw was conducting the Radio Filharmonisch Orkest, Groot omproepkoor and Chor des Westdeutschen Rundfunk. 10 out of 10 !!!!
You know that Olivier Messiaen's speciality were birds ? In a part of the opera you realy hear music like songs of birds ... !!! Of course you have to be 'open-minded' when you go to listen his music, but it is worth-while.

Evening at the ballet

Seen 'Un jour la nuit' : a ballet of Michèle Anne De Mey. All the music was of Gustav Mahler (music I adore), 'Lieder eines fahrenden Gesellen' and some movements of the 1st Symphony 'Der Titan'. Not so good compared with 'Drumming' of last month.

Evening at the opera

'La Cenerentola' of Gioachinno Rossini. I was looking forward to this one ... the setting was design by François Schuiten (very known drawer of cartoons - known for the 'Obscure Cities'-series), but what a desception !!! could have been must better ...
4 out of 10 ... As always one has to be carefull in hoping for a good moment , a lot of parameters plays with the definition of 'good moment' !!!

Evening at the ballet

Seen 'Drumming' : a ballet of Anne Theresa De Keersmaeker on music of Steve Reich ... simply superb !!!! Afterwards a little drink with Mimi and Geert ...

Evening at the opera-house 'De Munt'

Went to the opera-house for a concert directed by Antonio Papano (futur musical director of Covent Garden).
On the program :
Aria of Florestan of Beethovens 'Fidelio' ... could be better
A complete opera in concert 'Il Prigioniero' of Luigi Dallapiccola ... superb !!!
Last movements of the 9th Symphony of Beethoven ... very known as always
Fine evening :-))

Day at home

- family-visit

Other music-gifts (I asked for it) : 'Rubycon' of Tangerine Dream and 'Dark side of the moon' of Pink Floyd.

- evening at home

Put signatures on 'Midday in the canyon' and 'Here comes the flood'.
Painted a second wooden panel with finger/knife/brush in a few hours : 'Here comes the flood too'.
I've given the same name to this one while he has the same colors/structure/format as the previous.

Christmas eve at home

We decided to unpack the presents ... surprise ... CD 'Meddle' of Pink Floyd ... My god !!! ages ago I heard echoes !!!! Simply marvelous ...

Evening at the opera

Went to the new world-creation of Philippe Boesmans 'Wintermärchen' an new opera in 4 acts adapted from Shakespeare 'The winter's Tale'. It was snowing outside and on the scene ... fine production with superb setting and voices and wonderful music. For me the 3rd act (integration Jazz-music from Aka Moon - even improvising on scene) was not necessary : it broke too much the opera in two parts. Understand my point of view. I am not against integration of other kinds of music in the opera-house, it just irritated me. A superb Dale Duesing, Susan Chilcott, Anthony Rolfe Johnson, Cornelia Kallish and even Heinz Zednik (known for his Loge/Mime interpretation in Cherau's Ring)... all by all a fine opera (but not as strong ad Boesmans previous opera Reigen).

Evening at home

Painted a wooden panel with finger/knife/brush in a few hours : 'Here comes the flood'.

Day at home

- afternoon

Prepared the wood-panels of most part of the panels by giving them a coat of gesso ...
Thanks to Bernard and his Malvica-camera I could take some pictures of Wotan ...

- evening

Put 'El Greco' of Vangelis as music and painted 2 panels with a sort of bleu-green-yellowish landscapes - give them the title : Midday in the canyon

Morning

Bought some wood and let it cut into different sizes ...

Evening at home

Just worked on the new painting for about 10 minutes. Added the front part of the spear of Wotan, the red-shine on the rocks below Wotan, changed some 'flame'-directions which were disturbing and filled in some 'gaps' ... added my signature too in the left-bottom corner. I don't think I'll touch this painting again ... I've got to leave some imagination to the viewer too ...

Evening at home

I was angry ... very angry ... Took a canvas (90 cm x 90 cm) which I was preparing for fine painting, laid it on the floor, emptied on it left-over of oil-tubes (cut open with knife) and had a go on it with my fingers. Added some colors of other tubes and finished it in about 90 minutes.
Put the canvas up, sat down and looked at it. Saw immediately the figure on the left ... which reminded me of Wotan after he kissed/put to sleep his daughter Brünhilde and demands Loge to create/be a magic fire around the rocks where she shall sleep until a mortal men shall wake her.
I think I have to put a bit yellow into the red (flames/Loge) and highlighted the figure of Wotan and perhaps even Brühnhilde ... perhaps the next session. I'll put the oil on the net as soon as I've got the image ...

Down ...

A very bad period for the moment ... I am down ... luckily I got my music to get me to higher levels ... no painting for the moment ... simply waiting for the next day ... if there is one ?
The only things I see in the near future is an opera on December 19th and perhaps new-year's eve with friends ... never been so down in my whole life ... don't see the purpose of it all ...
Is this what they call the mid-life-crises ?

Evening at the opera

Saw 'Carmen' of Bizet. Superb in the Royal Circus in Brussels. Normally I don't like to see an opera outside the opera-house. This time 'De Munt' used the setting of the Royal Circus to recreate the arena (so important in Carmen) and it worked ... Everybody with me agreed ... only the male voices came less over but for the rest ... superb !!!! Performances until November 25th ... Go and see for yourself ...

Evening at the opera-house 'De Munt'

This time to see a ballet : 'Just before' from Anne Theresa De Keersmaeker. Wonderful - too much to look at ... so looking from one thing to the other ... Beautiful live music performed by the Ictus Ensemble : John Cage, Steve Reich, Iannis Xenakis, Magnus Lindberg, Pierre Bartholomée, Thierry De Mey and even Claude Debussy - especially 'drumming' of Steve Reich ... Text from Jolente De Keermaeker ( by the way : I've noticed that I had problems to look at ballet and listen to text at the same time, perhaps it is the perception in the mind that causes this ... strange though !!!)

5 days in Bourgogne (France)

Food, wine, sleep, colors (especially the vineyards in their autumn-colors) and history (from prehistorically paintings in caves and dolmens of the Celtic age till the 18th century in Dijon ...) : absorption of many thinks into my head ...

Evening at home

Started with the grass on 'golden leaves shrine' nr 2 (did almost a third). Listened to 'Wish you were here' of Pink Floyd and a part of 'El Greco' of Vangelis.

Evening at the opera

Went to 'The Entführung aus dem Serail' of Mozart. For me it was a very good performance. Singers all right (Elzbieta Szmytka as Konstanze was not so good in the first act, but she did very very well in the second act). Scenes and costumes also good. The only think that bothered me is that they build a platform that came partly above the orchestra. This way they cut the whole scene in three parts : a platform in front, a pit with an oriental water-fountain in the middle and a 'background' in which they showed in each act a different landscape (1st act : serail-room, 2nd act : a garden at night, 3rd act : garden landscape during day with broken column ?). I didn't understand why he wanted to build the platform and almost not use the second-pit-scenery. Apart from this negative issue I had a wonderfull evening.

Evening in Tournai

I was invited to the closing-concert of the 'Festival de Wallonie'. They had no luck ... First of all the cathedral in which the concert was planned had structural problems which resulted in changement of the location ... (acoustically not so good) and after that Jose Van Dam (famous Belgian baritone) had to cancel (suicide of his son two days before) and has been replaced by the mezzo-soprano Petra Lang. Van Dam planned some months ago to sing Gustav Mahler's Kindertoteslieder (songs of the dead children ... premonition ?) !!!!!! This part was very good ... I think I like more and more Mahler's lieder. Afterwards the 4th symphony of Anton Bruckner : I was very tired and yes it happened ... I almost fell asleep !!! Afterwards invited as VIP to the drink and discussed with an impresario and an artistic director ... very interesting to hear their side of the festival ...

Evening at home

Started to paint again : golden leaves shrine nr 2. I think it is best I prepare the background and paint this one first, it is completely finished in my head (the nr 1 is not). With pencil draw the lower decagon (ten-sided figure) in perspective (same as golden leaves shrine nr 1). Painted the whole sky. The construction will be floating above the clouds ...
Listened to 'Les contes d'Hoffman' of Offenbach.

Evening at the opera-house 'De Munt'

Went to a concert in 'De Munt' opera-house. Program : Dvorsak (variations op. 78) , Mahler (Superb 'Lieder eines fahrenden Gesellen' sung by the baritone Peter Mattei - the best one of the evening for me and Mimi) and Schumann (symphony nr 1).

Evening at home

Painted the first brown layer of the grass on Golden leaves shrine nr 2. I've done it this time with the knive and afterwards flattened-out. Listened to Vangelis (The city and El Greco).

Exhibition at Longueville - Vagabond'art 1999 (3 days)

My god !!! What a week-end ... Full of emotions (art-speaking and private) ... Too much to tell everything. First friday : framing the golden leaves nr 4 (almost forgot the signature), transferred the paintings to Longueville and installed them - the location is superb - saw there was a lot of space left and decided to come back to home to fetch other paintings - evening : private opening of the exhibition - already some good reactions of other artists and had long discussion with Johan (even went to the exhibition and turned around the golden leaves nr 3 - impossible to look at as the perspectives are wrong).
And then the exhibition itself ... Had some great reactions (nothing sold, but I think that isn't the point). Especially 'The unexpected visitor', 'The golden leaves shrine nr 3' and, of course, 'Dead water' were the ones the people looked at ... some people liked more the abstract ones especially the autumn series. I think all by all there must be over 1000 visitors on the whole week-end.
Very tired but satisfied ... now the private problems ...