UPDATE on our move. Even though the furniture was moved to our new place last Saturday, we have hardly been there - just to drop off boxes! We still have been cleaning up "the rest"( I think "the leftovers" were more than the furniture, LOL). We have not even touched the garage - that is for next week and hubby needs to make a few repairs before our house to be sold.
We managed to empty it, but the closets are still full with stuff accumulated for 15 years!
Every day people have been coming by and have already two offers in. On Sunday the realtors will "show" it.
In most of my childhood years in the Netherlands, I lived close to the dunes. These were a familiar and spectacular sight. I imagined they were like guards, protecting almost the whole W-coast of the country against the ever present danger of water and wind. They also functioned as a filter of our drinking water. The edge of the dunes ended in the beach. Since Holland sees the sun only 60 days out of a whole year, I was always glad to go to the beach and see the dunes.
When I saw the sand dunes in the valley of Yosemite, while driving by, one in particular attracted my attention. It had a half moon shape and looked like a little island. Across the road was a parking place. Cars zooming by rather fast while we were crossing the road with my art gear. We had to get over a wooden fence next to the bike path.
I stood in the midst of plants to paint this view. I had no extra room to move, since right in front of me there was a steep downward slope to the river.
Hubby found some steps nearby to sit on and read while I painted.
At one point a whole busload of French tourists stopped across the road. The driver of the bus came to me to make a chat. "You've got the best spot! That is what I do! I start painting and I finish it at home."
We managed to empty it, but the closets are still full with stuff accumulated for 15 years!
Every day people have been coming by and have already two offers in. On Sunday the realtors will "show" it.
In most of my childhood years in the Netherlands, I lived close to the dunes. These were a familiar and spectacular sight. I imagined they were like guards, protecting almost the whole W-coast of the country against the ever present danger of water and wind. They also functioned as a filter of our drinking water. The edge of the dunes ended in the beach. Since Holland sees the sun only 60 days out of a whole year, I was always glad to go to the beach and see the dunes.
When I saw the sand dunes in the valley of Yosemite, while driving by, one in particular attracted my attention. It had a half moon shape and looked like a little island. Across the road was a parking place. Cars zooming by rather fast while we were crossing the road with my art gear. We had to get over a wooden fence next to the bike path.
I stood in the midst of plants to paint this view. I had no extra room to move, since right in front of me there was a steep downward slope to the river.
Hubby found some steps nearby to sit on and read while I painted.
At one point a whole busload of French tourists stopped across the road. The driver of the bus came to me to make a chat. "You've got the best spot! That is what I do! I start painting and I finish it at home."
Sand Dunes, 12 x 16 Oil, St.Germain
From the pic above you see that I'm standing higher than what I painted. I exaggerated the top view I had, also to make the moon shape more obvious. I started this little painting last year, and did not come very far, because I could not stand or sit long, or hold my painting long either. Maybe I'll tell you that story another time.
Coming home I saw that the pics I took did not give me the info I wanted, so I had to wait till this year to finish! (I mostly paint my landscapes during my yearly vacation)
It may not look like it, but the river was the easiest part LOL. The scene looks much greener to me than the pic shows. How the grasses on the sand dunes, and the trees were situated took some time before it was to my liking. Still some small details in the background may be changed, but this is in big lines what mood these sand dunes evoked in me.
What does this scene tell you or remind you of?
34 comments:
You are something Jeannette. In the middle of selling a house and moving to another , which is quite a big project - you find the time to finish a picture that reminds you of the sand dunes in Holland. It shows you're a genuine artist who cannot be cut off from her art, no matter what.
Good Luck!
Duta,
You're quite right -painting is so addictive!!And it comes first in my life, that's why moving, cleaning, packing, is secondary to me. It has the advantage that it keeps me even keel LOL- que sera sera - whatever will be, will be:)
I love the colors. very vibrant, it almost reminds me of Autumn (my favorite time of year)!
Spectacular Jeannete! It speaks whimsical to me; something I'd love to see in a child's room.
That is a terrific place and scene to paint Jeannette. I like the artistic liberty you have taken for painting it at a hight level.
I love your scribble and doodle too.
I get the feeling the moon is reflected in the water where the colors of a sunset lie. I marvel at your talent as I can only make mud when mixing paint.
I like the idea of the memories of the dunes. When I think of sand dunes they are several stories high and stretch far from the coast.
It evokes memories of dreams I´ve had of walking in a landscape that was not natural yet familiar to me, as in autumn in the desert in New Mexico, but without the water.
I don't think I have seen anything quite like those sand dunes in the water. Your photos capture the beauty wonderfully and of course your artwork is fabulous as always.
Serene, beautiful.
It is a beautiful painting Jeanette. Reminds me of the some of the work done by Canada's Group of Seven. They would all go out into nature to sketch and paint, finishing their work back at the studio.
By the way I mention you in my post today.
Good luck with the move.
Your landscape painting exudes the feeling of warmth, and the crescent shaped dune made it so much more interesting. Love the colours you used for the water, it really sets off the whole pic and perfectly contrasts the blue skies. Beautiful.
Lovely photos~! The painting is also quite impressive :O) Good luck with your move~!
Thank you Joey,
the colors in my work in oil is, I think, most bright - sorry to keep you waiting this long - it took a week for the new internet provider to get it going!!!
You're right, they are almost like fall colors (never thought about it that way - that's why I like the input of others:) )
Jane,
Thank you, Jane - may be the whimsical child came out in me when painting this:) Sorry for the long wait - see my comment to Joey!
Joan,
Thanks so much, Joan. Yeah, you could see people were kind of wondering why I was standing on a steep slope:)
Gaelyn,
Maybe I'll give some attention sometime how to prevent mud colors -but you are poetic in describing the scene Gaelyn! When traveling a lot, like you, there are some places one can never forget! The dunes in Holland are also higher than these.
Irene,
Thank you! Hope those were good dreams? Sorry for the wait - it took 3 days of haggling with the new internet providers just to get us connected (after 3 days of waiting for them to come out for the electric part)1
Jen,
Thank you, Jen! You're very observant - maybe I should have called that one in the water (the moon share one) a sand bank? LOL
Lillie,
Thank you, my friend!Sorry to keep you waiting (it was almost like "blog-withdrawal" haha)
Barry,
Thank you, Barry. For me it's the only way to make a landscape come alive, to paint plein air -like the Group of Seven!
Bytheway, after a week being away from the internet, I'll answer your e-mail, asap!
Bluest Peach,
Thank you for your kind comments! Yes, the moon-shape sand dune was what attracted my attention, while driving by in the car. Hope I'll be able to visit your blog - it tried your icon, but it doesn't work...
Sreddy,
Thank you! I think you would have made a very interesting take of this scene in your painting style!
It's a gorgeous paintig Jeannette!
Good luck on finishing up the move!!
Jeannette, what a gorgeous painting with wonderful personality, I love how that little dune is shaped like a crescent moon!
Carol,
Thank you Carol. Your encouragement is timely, since it's wearing on me to have two living places right now. Many well to do people here have that - I don't know how they do it - I forget the bring the necessary stuff every time (even though I make a list! -of course, sometimes I forget to bring the list too, LOL)
Lynette,
Thank you - yes, isn't it delightful? Nature has so many surprises for us to catch ...so we can sketch and record it:)
Beautiful painting. I visited Yosemite about 15 years ago. One of these days I need to get back there.
Matthew
Thank you! Hope you get back soon - Yosemite is worth the trip!
Jeanette, I'm glad you came by my site, too. I like the iron art a lot. There's something that appeals to me in things that are both practical and beautiful, especially if they battle rust! I have taken many photos of rusty things...
A beautiful painting Jeannette, thank you for sharing its history.
Thank you Dimple, when I looked at your blog, I thought, HOW do you still manage to have time for a blog???
Dog poop...that's why I don't have a dog (just joking - we traveled too often, so never got to it).
Thank you Denise. I find that people understand the painting so much more, when the story is added.
The painting is really very cheerful and a great success!
Youasked where the Middachten Castle was. Well, it's not far from Arnhem. Thanks for the visit!
Wil, thank you - this one was a little harder and took a little longer to finish than some others. That's why I like to tell the story behind the painting, because one can't tell by just looking at the painting how much work it took.
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