Friday collage

What is Left

digital collage

Getting Arboreal - A nature collection- November Issue...

It was time again to pay a visit to my tree. My first contribution to this collaboration came already late, and so is this one (sorry Julie!) . And since the tree itself looks the same to me, no fall, no color changes here in the tropics, I show some photographs of its surroundings.

The hill in the picture above is Sentry Hill, it is part of a range that runs from North to South on the island. I live somewhere to the right, next to where the slope begins. In the pretty dense forest live animals like mongoose and yes, monkeys! They sometimes visit our mango trees, but I digress...

This 'staketsel' (sorry, this is Dutch) is located in the park and opposite of 'my' tree.

It serves, I guess, no other purpose than being decorative

And here it is, seen from the other side as last time.
The park is being used a lot by islanders who have something to celebrate; every weekend there is some kind of BBQ, children party or meeting of an organisation and in the weekday afternoons I sometimes see children playing golf with their coaches!

I don't know what tree it is, it bears edible little apples in February and you can see them already in this picture if you click

some other hilltops from the range I mentioned, seen from under my little-apple-tree.

There is a big discussion going on since a few years concerning this area, because developers want to build houses here. Fortunately the people of Sint Maarten for once are resisting this!
We should be very careful with what is left on places like this.
Already too much of our beaches, coast and other pristine parts of the island has been sacrified for the big money

Do you want to see more special trees, and read stories that go with them from all over the world? Then hop over to The Land of Lost Luggage, participants are on the left.
Thanks for visiting!

And so it happened

... that this little piece of fabric turned from what it was here to this blueish result!

As I wrote on Saturday, I worked without planning, as I often do. It sometimes happens when I am in my studio, listening to e.g. a French chanson or classical music, that I am completely caught by it, by the text or whatever about it, and I simply have to start 'something', do you recognize this urge to create? Caused by the beauty of something, in this case music?

Back to this work above, I have to say that I already learned a lot of the mistakes made. I knew before that the use of acrylic would make the fabric stiff, which I considered no problem as it is not a household piece plus it was only a try-out! Yet at some moment during the process of painting, in between the several layers, I considered it worth finishing with a binding, so I did, which led to the first mistake (I expected it to be a process of trial and error...)

1. I should have put the binding on before painting, bc though I had squared the work it is slightly wavy now. Probably caused by ironing the binding on the back.

2. the acrylic paint has also made the fabrics look dull, which I don't like either. A solution to this could be adding medium to the paint.

What I love however, is the quilting pattern that is being highlighted by painting, the places that are recessed show different colours than the top, which gives a beautiful layered effect. It is clearly visible in the first picture (please ignore the difference in color of both photographs, since the first one is made inside and the other one in daylight on my veranda).

In the first picture you can also see that I added some bronze paint by stamping with one of my favorite found objects (I found it at one of our beaches and it is a weathered old buoy of a sailingship I guess, and has hardened out and burst into a circular pattern).

All in all I found this first experiment in sewing, quilting and then painting worth to be continued. What I will try next is using textile paint, or maybe even thickened dye. We'll see!

But it was fun to do, and for me this is maybe the most important part. It gives freedom to enjoy the process and not having to worry about the outcome.

Sewing machine, fabrics and paint!

It is Saturdaynight, we have a little break in our tv-programm

and I am suddenly encouraged to give it a try:

Why not?

Let me first tell how it started...

Whenever I need some inspiration, I surf the internet, like I know lots of artists do. And when I came across the website of Deirdre Adams some months ago, I felt a pang (isn't this the way it is said in English?). I mean that feeling of: thís could be the solution of my problem (no or way too expensive stretched canvases on our island), not being able nor willing to choose between fabrics and paint, and thus combining the two, having a deep desire to deepen my skills, to try something new. So I took the plunge...

Took out my scraps, not worrying about a color combination, nor about design principles, not yet. Worked frantically and without hesitation: it was just exploring the possibilities. Sewed fabrics together in a random way, continuously reminding myself of the fact that 'it is only a try-out'. Quilted it by machine

before the first layer of diluted acrylic paint

and after drying, a second session with Peynes Gray and Burnt Sienna.
It will take a lot of practising, of trial and error, before I will get some acceptable results, but this is fun to do, and exciting also!

More in a future post, so stay tuned...

Old stairs leading to...(continued)

(images are clickable)

In this post I promised to come back to the interior of this old building

that is located on the premises of Fort Amsterdam.

So I went up the few steps of the stairs, curious about what to find next...

looking to the left in the doorway

and to the right...

my interest was there, definitely, so I looked up, oh my,
look at that color, that lovely disintegration and decay!

Old rafters under the disintegrated roof.

Can you feel with me my happiness, when I found this 'jewel' on my island?

So close to my home, so quiet and abandoned, so accessible?

Just because...

the sun is back on the island, after some very grey and rainy days

this:

Sunny 78

digital collage

Old stairs leading to...

mortar plastered over age old stones...

leading us to this jewel on the island of St. Maarten,
more about it tomorrow...

Coco bark

(click for details!)

Isn't this amazing? This bark of the coco palm is usually cut off and thrown away, but I like to use it for lining my hanging baskets before adding the soil.

Going green for a long time...

Fort Amsterdam Sint Maarten

Due to the greyish weather I wrote about yesterday, our weekly day to the beach was different this time. Our plan was to visit the beach that is situated near Fort Amsterdam. And since it was long ago I had visited the ruins of what once has been a fortress, we decided to hike there first.

The island of St. Maarten does not have many monuments, and the few that are, are not properly taken care of I must say. Compared to the island of Curacao, which is also part of the Dutch Antilles, Sint Maarten's historic heritage has been neglected severely. It is a pity that I must say that. Which does not mean that I did not like the ruins, the remains.

There are a few small buildings on the fortress. This is what is left of the hospital, you can read the description if you click the first photograph. Being a fan of all things old, weathered and rusty, this was my favorite. When I strolled around and in it, my fantasy went wild, I could almost feel the loneliness of the soldiers that were being hospitalized here. Look at that endless Caribbean Sea ...

Old, weathered, to me so beautiful!

One of the canons, pointed to the south east of the island. Please ignore the ugly cruiseship, but hey, this is today...

This sailing ship seemed to be sailing here especially for us, the visitors of this historic spot. To make up for the most welcome, but ugly cruiseship of the former picture.

I was happy with the grey weather, with our visit to this beautiful place on the island where you can feel a bit how life must have been way back then. As a monument of Holland's history, there seem to be (or have been) a few more 'Fort Amsterdams' of which the one in New York is of course the most famous

Living close to the one of this island truly makes me feel connected!

Treasure

It was a grey Caribbean day. Gray-greenish waters, cooling down already a bit with only a few weeks to go in the hurricane season. The light outside was perfect for shooting photographs, which I did, oh yes, plenty of them. More about that tomorrow. For now just this treasure that I found on one of our beaches. Not knowing from what organic being it comes, most probably a shell or starfish, it fills me with gratitude. Gratitude for the beauty to be found in the most humble pieces of nature...

St. Maarten Day 2009

Caribe, caribe!

digital collage, click for details

The islands yesterday

(images are clickable)

This was my view yesterday while driving on a very steep and narrow road that is leading to one of our beaches at the east side of St. Maarten. The island in the distance is St. Barth's, it belongs to the French Antilles and it is said that several Hollywood celebrities have a home and like to spend some time there. I visited it in 1983 when it was not yet invaded by the jetset, it was a lovely island at that time and indeed very, very French. Yesterday I was captured by the grey sea and sky, which is pretty seldom here, and I must say that I always feel very happy when the sun decides to not show up for one day, reminds me of Holland...
I then get active and energized immediately (would this be something Pavlovian I wonder?)

picture: Historic Santa Fe, NM

But I would rather not return to such a grey climate! A little bit of turquoise and other colors will always be preferable, oh and some sun please!

with a little bit of fantasy, of which I am sure most readers have plenty, one could see this as a heart. I shot this picture in MAdrid along the Turquoise Trail, it could have been put there for me, how could I not see and make a picture of it?!

Today I decided to show this picture, because I just read that I am the lucky winner of Rayna Gillman's giveaway on her blog, you can read about it here
While I am a long time fan of Rayna and her art, you will understand that winning this beautiful scarf makes me very happy today, I will wear it happily and with pride.

Thank you so much, Rayna!

And on another note: the greyish weather made me start some new work. Last week I have been playing around with the sewing machine and made myself a jeansskirt. It has been ages since I made this kind of clothes, with all the accented seams and details like nails, but I must say that it was fun to do again. Then I saw a nice scarf (I am a scarf lover indeed) in Denyse Scmidt's book and made me one for our upcoming trip to the Netherlands. And finally I started some fiber art. It is in the very beginning phase, but I am thrilled to see if my plan evolves in the way I want, this may sound a little bit cryptical, but I am sure you get the idea. Will show results as soon as there are some

In the meantime I wish you a very good Tuesday!

Playing around

with my sewing machine, with my art journal and PS, and now we leave for the beach

Life is Good!

(click image for details)

Sunday collage

Thanks so much!

Jane Royal of Painted Hearts Studio has honored me with a Best Blog Award!

Though I am aware it has been forwarded to lots of bloggers before in the past,

I so much appreciate this gesture of online friendship

Thanks so much Jane, for the award and your ongoing support on my blog!

Go and have a look at her blog, you will be amazed of her watercolour works...

***

Upon receiving this award, I cannot help looking back at the very beginning of my blog and how my life has changed ever since. For quite some time I had my doubts whether I would be able to blog, would have enough to write about as my life here on this so very tiny island is not exactly exciting. That is, if you come from a bigger land (Holland is huge in comparison, can you imagine?) and are not a part of the working and/or artistic society, the latter hardly existing.

In the artistic/creative field I felt very lonely and this has been my big urge to start blogging myself. Quite a confession, is not it?!

Never I could have guessed to meet so many fantastic people and art online.

For this I will forever be grateful.

My life at present feels better than at the start of my blog. I now have a twofolded life (without being shizophrenic, don't worry :)) one where I live and try and manage more and more to be happy in, despite the hot climate and the limitations, and one online, where I have found and keep discovering a community of kindred spirits and friends.

Thank you all out there, thank you!

I have checked with Jane about the 'rules' of the award, about passing it on in return etc. Fortunately she assured me that there is no obligation at all. From the above you may have guessed that I consider all bloggers that have added to my artistic and/or spiritual well-being worth receiving the award, so I pass it on to you, you know who you are, don't you?

And for once, to support this rather personal post, I show some images of our tropical home, the house where we live, from where I love to communicate with the 'rest of the world'

Wishing you a wonderful and creative weekend!!

Inspired by trees

(all images are clickable)

for the subtle color palette

for the order within

admiring its strength

for this one has it all

and for its bold structure

On the moon and Wabi-Sabi

Wabi-Sabi moon

Yesterday after dinner, it was about six o'clock in the evening, this glimpse of the moon (second picture) was visible above the hills where we live. Some years ago I could follow the rising moon in all its glory, but since then an ugly house (I know, beauty lies in the eye of the beholder, but still..) has been built right in front of our plot and the pleasure of seeing the moon has deminished somewhat.

Despite this, I usually get excited when it is full moon, so yesterday the camera came out to document this process.. I should have used a tripoid, should have changed the settings of our simple point and shoot camera, I am a lazy one at that...

These two pictures I have chosen, also for another reason. While reading lots of wonderful blogs regularly I sometimes come across the term Wabi-Sabi. Today I finally googled it and a whole world opened up to me, so much to learn about this interesting approach of life, art, photography etc!

My usual work is absolutely not wabi- sabi, this is what I understand.

All this abundance in my digital collages simply does not fit. But on the other hand: I am very much attracted to old, weathered, torn and rusty, oh, and simplicity, so my wabi sabi side must be there already. We'll see how this developes, this competition between colorful, much visual activity, and the simple beauty of old and worn.

And many thanks to Ian Foster, Donna Watson and Leslie Avon Miller for introducing me to

Wabi-Sabi

Have a very good Tuesday

Monday memories...

(click the image for details)

Pueblo 1

Monday,

start of a new week after what turned out to be for us a delicious weekend.

Monday morning,

for some reason (the working of the human brain never ceases to surprise me) suddenly remembering our wonderful time in New Mexico last summer, buying our RV, customizing it to our wishes, visiting Albuquerque, the Turquoise trail, Cochiti Lake, the Sandia Mountains and of course Santa Fe!

Today seemed the perfect moment to show this digital collage.

Let's make it a wonderful week and enjoy!