Work of the Week by Erik Hagen

Snow no. 1

2011-12-23T04:17:00.000-08:00

Snow no. 1. 2011.
Oil on linen.
40 x 30 cm (15.8" x 11.8").

Snow no. 1. detail

Well, it IS the season.

Happy Holidays, Fijne Kerstdagen,

Happy New Year een Gelukkig Nieuwjaar to all!

Water 5

2011-12-05T03:45:00.001-08:00

Water 5. 2011.
Oil on linen.
40 x 30 cm (15.8" x 11.8").

Water 4

2011-07-22T02:01:00.000-07:00

Water 4. 2011.
Oil on linen.
40 x 30 cm (15.8" x 11.8").

Water 4. 2011.
Detail

Rain releases a grain of sand from the top of a mountain, which is carried to the sea. It is buried and eventually transformed into a layer of sedimentary rock. Eons later, the stone is lifted by tectonic action. The process begins anew: erosion reveals a timeless beauty in the exposed layers. A human lifetime is but an instant when considered from geologic timeframe.

There are parallels between our lives and the hydrologic cycle; renewal and birth, energy and life, erosion and decay. The physical and often ancient or transient traces left by earth and hydrologic processes are a reminder of our mortality even as they suggest redemption through renewal, evoking the cycles of energy and life.

I am a water resources engineer and artist. The latest 'water' series brings these two halves together. (http://erikrhagen.com/water/water.html)

New drawings from the Ipad

2011-06-29T08:36:00.000-07:00

Life drawing has never been so fun. I work on the drawings with a big smile on my face. Fantastic. I hope you enjoy the images!

Open Studio: Invitation to Art&Jazz May 21 and 22

2011-05-20T02:29:00.000-07:00

As part of Art&Jazz, my atelier is open from 11 to 5 on May 21, and 11 to 3 on May 22. You are invited to to see my studio. I am exhibiting with another artist, Luba Fateeva. There are many more open studios in the 'hood, so if you want to tour some other studios it is a fun day out. I have some maps or you can see the other sites on the web (in Dutch) at http://www.artandjazz.nl/home.html.

Where: Parkweg 9a
2585JG

See you there!

Man with the broken nose. 2011.
Oil on linen.
120 x 100 cm (47.2" x 39.3")

Pink, orange, and blue layers with plastic bag

2011-05-20T01:37:00.000-07:00

Pink, orange, and blue layers with plastic bag. 2011.

Oil on linen.

80 x 50 cm

White layer tacked to blue layer

2011-05-20T01:35:00.000-07:00

White layer tacked to blue layer. 2011.

Oil on linen.

50 x 40 cm

Red, black and blue layers with grass

2011-05-20T01:34:00.000-07:00

Red, Black, and blue layers with grass. 2011.

Oil on linen.

40 x 30 cm

Having fun with paint. And grass.

Red and Blue Layers 2

2011-05-20T01:32:00.000-07:00

Red and Blue Layers 2. 2011.

Oil on linen.

120 x 100 cm (47.2" x 39.3"

Rothko has a bad day

2011-03-14T03:37:00.001-07:00

Rothko has a bad day. 2011.

Oil on wood.

80 x 60 cm (31.5" x 23.6").

Red and Blue Layers

2011-03-14T03:35:00.000-07:00

Red and Blue Layers. 2011.
Oil on linen.
120 x 100 cm (47.2" x 39.3")

Yellow and Green Layers

2011-03-14T03:32:00.001-07:00

Yellow and Green Layers. 2011.
Oil on Panel.
106 x 50 cm (41.7" x 19.7").

Green and blue layers

2011-03-14T03:31:00.000-07:00

Green and Blue Layers. 2011.
Oil on Panel.
106 x 50 cm (41.7" x 19.7")

I showed a partial image of this painting a while back but finally had good studio light for a decent picture.

Purple, green and orange layers

2011-03-01T04:02:00.000-08:00

oil on linen

30 x 24 cm

Another painting from the 'unfinished edge' series. This little painting is small, really just a sketch. It is fun to work through some of the ideas in smaller paintings.

Blue, green, and yellow layers

2011-03-01T03:03:00.000-08:00

oil on linen

30 x 24 cm

Details showing the sides of several recent canvases

A friend writes that my threshold for entertainment is low. Perhaps you will agree after reading this post. Nonetheless, I find myself fascinated by the edge of the canvas and how to finish a painting. Convention dictates that one scrape off the residual paint to make a nice finished edge for framing. Instead, I am leaving each mark on the canvas as it is made, including any paint that spills over the edge. There is no "erasure:" these latest works are all about the process. So, the resulting canvas edge shows something of the different layers in the paintings and how it is made. Interestingly, the paintings become much more three dimensional, almost like sculpture.

Blue and yellow make green

2011-03-01T02:50:00.000-08:00

60 by 40 cm

This painting was worked entirely 'wet on wet,' i.e., with wet paint on wet paint. The horizontal stripe was the last step in this painting: it was made with a big palette knive, the kind used for drywall work. This was painted over an older painting, I think it was a landscape.

Detail: Red and blue layers

2011-03-01T02:44:00.000-08:00

This is a detail from a large painting called "Red and blue layers." The original is 120 by 100 cm.

Green and blue layers

2011-03-01T02:42:00.000-08:00

I have been busy in the studio, but there hasn't been good natural light for photos: hence the lack of weekly posts. Finally I broke down and took photos using studio lights. Criminy, when will spring get here?

This small painting, 30 by 24 cms, is a good representation of what I've been up to lately. It combines the use of pallete knives, scrapers, brushes, resulting in layers of new and old paint. Mostly, the paint is worked wet on wet.

Green and blue

2011-01-24T08:53:00.000-08:00

100 by 120 cm. (about 3 by 4 feet).

Lately, I have been using bolts to attach paintings to wood frames, and/or a thicker impasto paint: I seem to be coming back to my roots in ceramic sculpture as my paintings get more three dimensional.

This is a very personal painting, and a bit on the dark side. On the one hand, it is a Dutch winter: green moss and dark skies: death. Yet when viewed in a brighter light the moss green becomes a deep and more verdant green, with promise of growth and summer. The black center becomes a deep blue, almost more of a northern-lattitude midnight summer sky: rebirth. I like this painting because of the ambiguity: it is my new favorite.

Blue and Yellow

2011-01-17T07:11:00.000-08:00

Recently, I've been using discarded materials like old-wood, and architectural objects. The latest set of paintings explores the way the painting is connected to the support. This painting is mounted onto a cast-off wood shutter using bolts fastened through the surface of the painting to the underlying wood, done while the paint is still wet. The paint itself is augmented with oily painter's medium, so the paint surface shimmers like a jewel. It's been too dark and rainy to take photos here in Holland using natural light, so I can only share these photos now. More soon!

The Lisa

2010-12-24T00:57:00.000-08:00

This is "The Lisa." I loved painting the fabric. The Lisa is a big painting, 2 meters wide. You can see the painting in progress in the second picture (that's me, taking a coffee break), and some details of the painting in the close-up images below that. The painting is done by palette knife. This may be my favorite painting of the year.

Rothko counts to three

2010-12-02T06:29:00.000-08:00

Rothko Counts to Three
Oil and gypsum on linen
30x24 cm (14x11 inches)

Yellow screen

2010-12-02T06:08:00.000-08:00

Oil on linen
50x40 cm

I have a backlog of paintings to post! (Detail of the painting, below.)

Green Lines I

2010-12-02T06:04:00.000-08:00

Oil on linen
120x100 cm. (About 4 by 3 feet)

Another big painting with a theme of woven green lines (brushstrokes.)

Blue field

2010-12-02T05:49:00.000-08:00

Oil on linen
120x100 cm. (About 4 by 3 feet)

Another big abstract painting. Influences include Mark Rothko and Kresimir Niksic.

Blue fields

2010-12-02T04:01:00.000-08:00

Blue fields
Oil on linen
50 x 40 cm (23 x 18 inches)

Blue Fields is a playful artwork about color and texture.

Open House Saturday December 11

2010-11-30T00:49:00.000-08:00

Green Layers 2;
Gypsum and Oil on panel;
About 20 by 19 inches;

Saturday, December 11 · 2:00pm - 5:00pm

Location: Atelier Erik R. Hagen
Parkweg 9A

Join me as I prepare for new artwork in 2011. Out with the old inventory to make room for the new

Blue

2010-11-11T02:34:00.000-08:00

Oil on linen
100x120 cm. (About 3 by 4 feet)

Blue was painted outdoors a few months ago: I have a backlog of paintings to post to this site!

Invitation to a gallery opening, November 7

2010-10-22T07:22:00.000-07:00

Sunday, November 7 · 3:00pm - 6:00pm

The Gallery Upstairs

Herenstraat 18B

Rijswijk, Netherlands

As you can see, I've been busy working on this gigantic painting, and getting ready for an opening in November. Please come, and share this invite with your friends! If you are in the states, hopefully someday the show will swing through your hometown. For my Dutch friends, I hope to see you there.

The name of the Exhibit is "Exploring Beauty." Women from Europe and America share stories of self-love and body image in a photo and painting exhibition, beginning 7 November, at The Gallery Upstairs in Rijswijk. The exhibition will be opened by the Mayor of Rijswijk, Burgemeester Ineke van der Wel at 3:00, and there will be live music (soprano Liat Alkan Heymann and her colleague Silvia da Silva will sing a capella). The exhibit is a part of the national Kunstweek, 6-16 November 2010. There will be selections from the Antwerp show as well as new images. You'll also see some familiar faces who volunteered for the project.

The exhibit runs from November 6 through 25, and is open Wednesdays, Thursdays, Fridays and Sundays from 1:00 to 5:00, and on Saturdays from noon until 4:00. For further information, please visit www.exploringbeauty.org. Also feel free to pass along this invite. See you there, Erik

Red Head, Green Eye, Purple Hat

2010-09-23T06:04:00.000-07:00

92x62 cm (about 3 by 2 feet)

Oil on Canvas

I've painted this canvas over and over; you can see the many layers in it. I finished this painting about a month ago, in time for the open studio. Keep tuned, there will be another open studio in December!

North Sea, stormy winter morning

2010-09-06T07:22:00.000-07:00

Oil on canvas
80 x 60 cm

This painting was done in the studio, and is based on a smaller oil painting sketch done out in the cold, windy, and rainy winter morning. In the original setting, the temperature was a little above freezing, the wind was about 50 or so mph, and the rain and sand blew off the beach into my eyes and pallet. You can still feel the sand in the original painting. Sometimes, it really is more pleasant to paint indoors.

Green and red fields

2010-08-30T03:02:00.000-07:00

This is a bigger painting, about 70 by 90 centimeters.

Thanks to all who came out to the open atelier on Saturday!

Olive Grove and hills, Tuscany mid July

2010-08-20T09:06:00.000-07:00

Green and yellow fields

2010-07-20T00:00:00.000-07:00

Green and Yellow fields, Oil and gypsum on linen. 120x100 cm. (About 4 by 3 feet)

Mark Rothko made big, simple paintings, usually two rectangles floating in a field of color. While this piece does not directly refer to Rothko's paintings, I consider it to be inspired by his work. Rothko has given me the conceptual freedom, almost a sort of permission, to explore texture and color in oil paint. If he can get away with painting big rectangles, then I am allowed to paint anything. Regardless of whether my spouse likes the finished result.

The following is an excerpt from my website:

My abstract paintings are an exploration of the oil paint as material, and are informed by my study of ceramics. Every action leaves a mark on the canvas, as with clay. I enjoy making these physical painting, especially the big ones. I usually work on them while they lie flat on the ground. I built up the canvas with layers of paint using brushes and pallete knives, and take away paint using different sized scrapers, pallete knives, rags, and anything that comes to hand. When you look closely, you can see the layers upon layers of paint and can begin seeing which layers were placed first. Geologists, skilled at deciphering the sequence of geologic events in a cross sectional map of folded strata and fault lines, seem to enjoy these paintings.

Orchard near San Gimignano in July, Mid-day

2010-07-12T04:41:00.000-07:00

This is a larger painting, about 2 by 3 feet (70 x 90 cm). It is inspired by my painting trip to Italy last year and was made in my studio. It is based on photographs and from oil paintings made in the field.

I've recently posted some of my available inventory in an online gallery, see http://www.yessy.com/erikrhagen/

Tatiana, portrait in oil

2010-06-29T02:46:00.000-07:00

I've been working on this portrait for a few months. I just finished last week, when Tatiana came to the studio for a sitting so that I could work a little bit more on her face. It is my biggest painting to date. The challenge was in getting the texture and feel of difficult materials like fur, hair, silk, jewels, flowers, fabric, etc.

This painting was made to recognize the contribution of Tatiana to the Exploring Beauty project. She is shown here next to the painting, where it hung at the exhibition in Antwerp. Tatiana was the first model for the project, and so I wanted to recognize her courage for stepping forward. The painting was made in secret and was a complete surprise!

Below is Tatiana's interview, which was exhibited with the portrait at the exhibition:

I think all my life shows on my face. And I’m very proud of that. Pictures attract me when I see soul; I guess what the woman did with her life. Was she happy in life? You can see it on a face immediately. I’m more satisfied with myself at 56, because I’m more beautiful than when I was younger. I have life behind me. Youth is the gift of nature, but age is the work of art.

I’m proud to be in this project, not only to show worth, but also to show women they will be more proud and free after the exhibition, not upset about wrinkles on the face. Together, as a group of women, I believe we can make a difference.

God gave me body, but it was really tough work to preserve myself to this age! So far I’ve lived a happy life, and I’m very happy and healthy. What is very important is that, yes, I’m in love! That’s what I wish every woman, to love and to be in love. Because it is like some special glow. That’s what beauty is, when a woman glows.

I was the first model and it makes me happy! Maybe I show women not to be afraid, to go for it. If you don’t try, you don’t live. In Russia there is a saying: “If you don’t take a risk you will never drink champagne.” So together we will go to Antwerp and drink champagne!

Otwin portrait

2010-06-15T05:51:00.000-07:00

This is a quick sketch in charcoal, about 20 minutes or so. I really enjoy working with this model, he has such strong features. Fortunately, since I am the model coordinator, I get to choose the models.

Otwin

2010-05-29T23:17:00.000-07:00

Two more sketches at the IAC. Great model.

30 minute sketch

2010-05-11T23:38:00.000-07:00

I like this longer drawing from the same night.

a series of five minute sketches

2010-05-11T23:35:00.000-07:00

These figures represent three five-minute sketches. As usual, I find that the best and freshest drawings are those done very quickly.

It's best not to be too attached to the drawing, or you will be afraid of wrecking it by going too far. Paradoxically, that fear can also ruin a drawing. If you are too timid, the drawing shows it.

Djoa

2010-04-29T00:17:00.000-07:00

The first drawing is a quick sketch done at the International Art Club of The Hague, perhaps 15 or 20 minutes. The second drawing is a more finished drawing of about 30 minutes.

These should have been posted last week, as last week's 'work of the week,' but I didn't have time to post the image. I'm madly preparing for the opening in Antwerp in just a few weeks time, May 29. I am working on a large painting for the opening in Antwerp, also a portrait. I will share this portrait withy you here on May 29, to coincide with the opening and the official unveiling of the portrait. I can't wait to share it with you all!

Li, charcoal sketches

2010-04-28T23:55:00.000-07:00

The setting: the International Art Club The Hague, life portrait drawing class. My friend Li was the model for the day. (The advantage of being the coordinator for the class is that I get to pick the models.)

I labored over the first two drawings of 25 minutes each. Then, we did a quick ten minute sketch, the first image shown here. I didn't have time to overthink it. For me, the result somehow captures something of the character of the model, the warmth of the spring day, and the setting of a sleepy, too-warm classroom.

The second drawing is one of the more finished 25 minute drawings. The hair, which was transformed from a boring wallpaper into something more alive and interesting is entirely to the credit of my portrait mentor, Pien Hazenburg.

Portrait in charcoal

2010-04-18T08:07:00.000-07:00

We had a great model at the IAC. Her face has such character! This is about a 20 minute pose or so.

Tina

2010-04-01T07:17:00.000-07:00

This week's model at the International Art Club of The Hague was loads of fun. Drawing in charcoal from life is one of life's great pleasures. This is a sketch of about 20 minutes.

Li

2010-03-26T00:43:00.001-07:00

I couldn't choose which of these two images to use for the work of the week. The second captures Li's likeness well, but the first has a richness in depth that comes from the 3/4 profile and the variation in tone. But the first is subtle, and does more with less.

Portraits are going well this week. Charcoal is a wonderful medium.

Tanya, portrait in black and white for the Beauty Project

2010-03-20T07:22:00.000-07:00

The last weeks have been very busy. I am getting ready for the Beauty Project show in Antwerp on May 29. I am taking photos of volunteer models, working on the book, doing interviews, and trying to get it all together in order to self publish the book in time for the opening. The media coverage has been great, with numerous event calendars picking up the show. There is a radio interview this week or next, and a feature magazine article about the project coming up in (A)Way magazine, published out of Belgium. The name of the book will be Exploring Beauty: we are who we are, and here find the beauty that lies therein. The website is www.exploringbeauty.org.

This picture of Tanya is amazing. I think it shows an amazing confidence. Her belief in the mission of the project comes through in this photo. Keep checking the website to see more models and their interviews.

Charcoal sketch, Il Sun

2010-03-12T07:13:00.000-08:00

This was a very quick sketch, 15 minutes. Sometimes, the quicker the better.

Portrait sketch in charcoal, from a live model at the International Art Club

2010-03-03T09:36:00.000-08:00

This was a about a 20 minute sketch. I enjoyed making it, and felt good about how it captured the model's likeness.

Word Cloud

2010-02-23T01:57:00.000-08:00

This work of the week is a word cloud, created in Wordle and based on 15 interviews of women for the Beauty Project. (A word cloud makes the size of the word a function of its frequency. The more the word is used, the bigger it is.)

For the Beauty Project, I interview each model about why she is volunteering, how she sees her body, and her conceptions of beauty. I then pair the interviews with photographs of the models in order to expand the understanding of what is beautiful. It's been a fun project. The website continues to evolve and grow.

The Beauty Project

2010-02-12T07:33:00.001-08:00

Linda, the model photographed here, is one of the 15 model volunteers so far for "The Beauty Project."

The Beauty Project explores and expands the notion of beauty in the photographs and words of volunteer models. Each model is interviewed about why she is volunteering, about how she sees her body, and her conceptions of beauty. The model’s image is paired with her interview. The project will be presented as a show in Antwerp on May 29.

The mission statement: We believe that beauty is not always thin and beauty is not always young. In the Beauty Project, women are invited to explore their thoughts about the nature of beauty. The pairing of their ideas and images expands the definition of what is beautiful. The Beauty Project shows images of real women of all ages and body types. It pairs photographs of real women with the words of the models, and hopes that these images and ideas can make a difference in expanding the understanding of what is beautiful. We are who we are, and here we find the beauty that lies therein.We believe that beauty is not always thin and beauty is not always young. In the Beauty Project, women are invited to explore their thoughts about the nature of beauty. The pairing of their ideas and images expands the definition of what is beautiful. ">

The website for the project was launched yesterday. (See www.thebeautyprojectart.com ) There you can read Linda's interview and learn some fascinating insights about Dutch attitudes towards health and beauty.

Life drawing, Bart

2010-02-05T03:51:00.000-08:00

Charcoal on paper
About 2 by 3 feet

Life drawing with charcoal is one of life's great joys. Bart, the model, is a pro and knows how to make interesting poses. Here, he looks a little down, but that's just the pose.

The folks at the International Art Club are part of my art posse. We whoop it up every other Tuesday night from 7:30 to 10:00. Come down and join the fun!

Winter landscape

2010-01-26T00:34:00.000-08:00

Oil on linen
120x100 cm (about 3.9 by 3.3 feet)

Inspirations were the winter colors here in the Hague, the Irish landscape to the south of Dublin, the Dutch painter Tom Schulten, and the abstract expressionist painter Nicolas de Staël (1914 –1955).

Henny

2010-01-21T05:33:00.001-08:00

Charcoal on paper
about 36 by 24 inches

This is a quick drawing of 30 minutes. You can see the model falling half-asleep, somehow capturing the atmosphere in the IAC club during the live model session. I like the relatively straight line from lower left to top right of the composition.

Long winter shadows, frozen lake, The Hague

2010-01-15T03:07:00.000-08:00

Oil on Linen
30x40 cm (about 12x16 inches)

You can see pictures of the process of making the painting from yesterday's blog entry.(http://hagenoffindenhaag.blogspot.com/) It was painted from life. It is beautiful painting in the snow, I've always wanted to do this.

Green and yellow structure #1

2010-01-09T04:23:00.000-08:00

Oil on canvas
100 x 120 cm (3.3 x 4.0 ft)

This is a former work of the week that I decided to revisit. (The original work is at http://erik-hagen.blogspot.com/2009/09/pink-structure-with-yellow-bits.html .) I like the color scheme of the revised, current painting better. I still have not decided on a final title. But I did enjoy creating this fantasy world populated by small people. Details of the painting are shown below.

PittyPat and TippyToe

2009-12-23T06:50:00.000-08:00

Oil on Linen
30x40 cm

My mother grew up reading a children's book about PittyPat and Tippytoe. This is her favorite image from that book. If you are thinking, "Christmas present," you've guessed right.

Blue and Orange fields

2009-12-23T06:36:00.000-08:00

Oil on Cotton
40x60 cm

Morning under the tree

2009-12-23T06:22:00.000-08:00

Oil on Linen
120 x 95 centimeter

I get a Christmas-morning feeling from this painting, something about being a kid and enjoying the colors and presents under the tree. Festive!

Four Square #4

2009-12-23T06:20:00.000-08:00

Oil on Linen
95x75 centimeter

A festive time of year, and a festive painting for you. Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah, Happy Holidays, and Happy New Year to all.

Li

2009-12-08T01:57:00.000-08:00

Photograph.
Part of the 'Beauty Project'

I have been busy on a photo series for the "Beauty Project." You can see more pictures by clicking on "Beauty Project" from www.potamoi.com. The main idea of the project is to promote non-standard beauty ideals, with real women of all ages and body types. There will be a show in Antwerp, followed by a live jazz jam session on May 29, 2010, so save the date!

Owtin

2009-11-27T04:36:00.000-08:00

Charcoal on paper, about 2 by 3 feet.

This was a 30 minute stand. It's pure fun to draw from such a powerful model.

Petra

2009-11-20T08:01:00.000-08:00

Charcoal on paper
about 2 by 3 feet.

This was a short stand, about 10 minutes. Petra, the model, was so much fun to sketch. It was hard to choose which drawing would be the work of the week (you can see the other drawings at http://hagenoffindenhaag.blogspot.com/). The entire class was inspired. Portraits are fun.

Peggy

2009-11-13T01:27:00.000-08:00

Charcoal on paper
about 2 by 3 feet.

This image is a sketch from a live model at the International Art Club of The Hague. The stand was about a half hour. The challenge here was trying to capture the model's wild tangle of blond hair. You can also see a quick sketch of the model's mouth and nose on the upper left side of the drawing, where I worked out some of the details.

Owtin portrait

2009-11-06T02:29:00.000-08:00

Charcoal on paper
about 60 by 100 cm

This is a 25 minute sketch of Owtin, from a portrait class I'm taking at the International Art Club of the Hague. This sketch has the benefit of input from Pien Hazenburg, the docent. What I learned from this portrait class is that the tiniest details matter in a portrait, or the whole thing falls apart. In this portrait, the lessons have gelled and finally everything clicks- at least for this class.

You've got to use gesture (no problem for me) and be bold (again, no problem there) but you've also got to really focus on the exact line placement in every part of the drawing - not just get it close (for me, this has always been the problem with portraits). So, the lesson learned is this: when most everything is blocked in, step back from the drawing, compare by observing closely, and make minute adjustments, and the whole thing just might come together.

I had to choose which of the four portraits to use for the work of the week, but the whole series was fun, and you can see it on my blog (http://hagenoffindenhaag.blogspot.com/)

Chateau Cardinal Villemaurine

2009-10-24T07:45:00.000-07:00

Photograph, wine cellar, St. Emilion.

These wines were bottled in 1978.

Invitation, two new openings

2009-10-08T05:43:00.000-07:00

Greetings all,

You are invited to two new openings, October 17th and November 1. Details are below.

The October 17th opening is a group show for new members of the Voorschoten Kunstkring (artist's cooperative in Voorschoten). I will not be there, but Tamara will be there to represent me. I am including all of the Italian paintings from my trip to Tuscany that I can't bear to part with. It's hard to let go!

The November 1 opening is a show of landscapes and seascapes made while out in the dunes near Scheveningen in the last year.

Nieuwe Loten
Voorschoten Kunstkring
Opening Saturday, October 17, 16:00 uur (4 p.m.)
In het (n the) Ambachts en Baljuwhuis
Voorstraat 12
2251 BN, Voorschoten
(boven/above restaurant Floris V)

Scheveningen landscapes by Erik Hagen

American Women's club
Wine and Cheese Art Gallery Reception
Sunday, November 1, 2-5 p.m.
Nieuwe Duinweg 25, 2587 AB
just off tram #9.

Hope to see you there!

Yellow flower

2009-10-08T05:42:00.000-07:00

Oil on Linen
24x30 cm (about 0.8 by 1.0 feet)

When it rains, I like to hole up in the studio. This painting is from one of those days.

I am teaching a friend how to oil paint, and we worked from the same still life. It is a good way to teach and we enjoyed ourselves a lot.

Fritz, nude study

2009-09-25T00:30:00.000-07:00

Ink on cotton paper
36 by 26 cm

Another day of drawing at the International Art Club. Fritz was the model again. I love this medium, but it is unforgiving of mistakes!

Fritz, portrait #3

2009-09-25T00:28:00.000-07:00

Ink on cotton paper
36 by 26 cm

Another 20 minute sketch. I think I caught his eyebrow best here.

Sorry not to have the option of leaving comments on the main web page anymore - I tried to make it easy to do, but eventually the spammers found it and so I had to shut it down. But you are always welcome to comment on the blog or by email. It is the interaction with you all, my audience, that sustains me as an artist!

Fritz, portrait #2

2009-09-25T00:24:00.000-07:00

Ink on cotton paper
36 by 26 cm

These were part of a series done at the International Art Club a couple of days ago. I couldn't decide which I liked best so I'm sharing a few of them. They are mostly 20 minute sketches.

Fritz, Ink portrait #1

2009-09-25T00:22:00.000-07:00

Ink on cotton paper
36 by 26 cm

I love working with ink on cotton paper. It helps me to paint what I see, now what I know.

Madame T.

2009-09-15T00:26:00.000-07:00

Photograph.

I am launching something called the "Beauty Project." This will be a series of photographs, possibly paintings, of women with different body types and all ages. I've been thinking of doing this project for a couple of years, and so am excited to be started now. I am looking for volunteers...

More information on my art homepage at www.potamoi.com.

Pink structure with yellow bits

2009-09-08T07:22:00.000-07:00

Oil on canvas
100 x 120 cm (3.3 x 4.0 ft)

This is a big painting, four feet wide. I'm still looking for a better titles, perhaps something whimsical. You can make a suggestion/comment on the web by clicking http://potamoi.com/comments.html.

An August morning at the beach, North Sea

2009-08-28T08:37:00.000-07:00

Please feel free to comment!

Oil on linen
40x50 (about 1.3 by 1.6 feet)

As promised, I am including a realistic painting this week... This was done onsite, on a beach near the town of Monster, the Netherlands. By the time I wrapped up this painting, the beach was getting really crowded. This is what it looked like around 10 in the morning.

Green field

2009-08-28T08:27:00.000-07:00

Oil on canvasboard, 24x30 cm. (about 0.8 by 1.0 feet)

I've spent a lot of time looking at the artist Niksic from Zagreb. Abstract paintings are really fun to do, but in my opinion are much harder than working from life. This is a small painting, just under 12 inches wide. This painting is about color and texture.

Pink abstraction

2009-08-28T08:22:00.000-07:00

Oil on canvas100 x 120 cm (3.3 x 4.0 ft)

This is a big painting, four feet wide.

Rothko loses his hanky

2009-08-20T04:39:00.000-07:00

Leave a comment at:
http://potamoi.com/comments.html

Oil, paper on linen
70 x 90 cm (about 2.3 by 3.0 feet)

Rothko gets religion

2009-08-20T04:37:00.000-07:00

Oil on linen
70 x 90 cm (about 2.3 x 3.0 feet)

Rothko catches on fire

2009-08-20T04:35:00.000-07:00

Oil on linen
40x50 cm (about 1.3 by 1.6 feet)
200 euro ($275)

Rothko paints outside of the lines

2009-08-20T04:33:00.000-07:00

Oil on linen
30x40 cm (about 1.0 x 1.3 feet)

North Sea, August afternoon

2009-08-13T10:08:00.000-07:00

Oil on linen, 24 x 30 cm ( appx. 0.8 by 1.0 feet)

This was painted on a beautiful afternoon in the dunes here in Holland near the Hague, overlooking the North Sea. It was a wonderful day to be outside.

Leave a comment on my homepage at http://potamoi.com/comments.html

Olive Grove midafternoon, July

2009-07-28T23:22:00.001-07:00

Oil on linen, 30x40 cm (1.0 x 1.3 feet), Artist's collection.

To me, the Tuscan paintings have been about capturing light effects. This painting was done in the full noon sun in the hottest part of the day, without shade in my favorite olive grove outside Monteriggione. The temperature was about 38 C or 100 Fahrenheit, but it was worth it. Can you feel the heat?

Olive Grove at Twilight, July #2

2009-07-28T23:14:00.000-07:00

Oil on linen, 24 x 30 cm ( appx. 0.8 by 1.0 feet)
Artist's collection

This is the last of several paintings done at twilight in an Italian olive grove just outside of Monteriggione. It was fabulous to be outside painting as the shadows lengthened into evening, serenaded by birdsong and cicada calls.

Monteriggione, approaching storm.

2009-07-28T23:09:00.000-07:00

Oil on linen, 70 x 100 cm (2.3 x 3.3 feet)
500 Euro ($695)

This bigger painting was made in the studio based on an oil painting made on site, plus a photo taken of this mad storm just before it arrived. The town of Monteriggione was already getting wet, my vantage point was way out in the fields where the sun was still shining.

Wheat field and approaching storm, Monteriggione

2009-07-14T05:28:00.000-07:00

Oil on linen, 60x30 cm (2.0 x 1.0 feett)
180 euro ($250)

This was started in the field, and finished in the studio. The storm that hit was among the most violent and impressive I've ever seen. Luckily I had enough warning to pack up and get my car off of the dirt road before the storm hit or I'd still be stuck there in the mud.

Olive Grove at Twilight, July

2009-07-14T00:46:00.000-07:00

Oil on linen24 x 30 cm ( appx. 0.8 by 1.0 feet)

There are only one or two paintings that I allow myself to keep, and this is one. At least for now. For me this painting captures the exact mood of this perfect summer evening in the olive grove, in a remote farm and up a dirt road. I can almost feel the late afternoon sun on my face and chest, and smell the sweet fragrance of drying wheat fields, flowers, and sun baked olive trees while listening to bridsong and buzzing cicadas. Truly a magical time and place.

Pepi's Vineyard

2009-07-14T00:30:00.000-07:00

An older post, but worth revisiting.

Oil on linen24 x 30 cm ( appx. 0.8 by 1.0 feet)

Early afternoon sun, view of San Gimignano

2009-07-06T12:09:00.001-07:00

Oil on linen
24 x 30 cm ( appx. 0.8 by 1.0 feet)
90 Euro ($125)

A lovely day, finally I found a shady place where I could work and enjoy this magnificent view.

Vineyards and a view of Monteriggione

2009-07-06T12:01:00.001-07:00

Oil on linen
30x40 cm (1.0 x 1.3 feet)
140 euro ($195)

This painting was executed in the searing hot sun, onsite at the little village of Monteriggione. I'm working every day outdoors painting for three weeks in Tuscany, and I am posting pictures of the experience to my blog every day, so please follow along for the ride!

Vineyard and olive field near San Gimignano

2009-06-28T09:22:00.000-07:00

Oil on linen
30x40 cm (about 1.0 x 1.3 feet)

Painted on location today, near the many-towered town of San Gimignano in Tuscany. The sun was intense and bright. The olive trees in the distance are set off by a vineyard in the near foreground.

Heart #2

2009-06-28T09:15:00.000-07:00

Oil on canvas
100 x 120 cm (3.3 x 4.0 ft)

I showed this painting in an intermediate phase when I called it Blue Fields . It is a fun color exercise, I was playing with student grade cadmium red and phthalo blue, plus white. There are no other colors in this painting.

Red, green, and blue tractor trailor

2009-06-28T01:09:00.000-07:00

Oil on canvas
40 x 60 cm

This is one of the paintings that came out of the painting festival in Noordwijk. I liked the colors in this tractor. Flower pickers working by hand were filling it with calla lillies.

Rothko springs a leak.

2009-06-28T01:04:00.000-07:00

Oil on board.
31 x 53 cm (about 12 by 21 inches)

This board has been through many iterations, some may remember it as a work of the week last year (Some call it Art, and Some call it Kraft). I like the texture and colors in this small painting. It is now finished, I will not paint over it again.

Blue and purple fields

2009-06-28T00:59:00.000-07:00

Oil on canvas
about 80x100 cm

This painting is about playing with paint and is about the texture and color of the painted surface. Every mark leaves a history, and there are layers and layers of painted surfaces on this canvas. It was lots of fun to make.

Heart

2009-06-20T10:13:00.001-07:00

Oil on canvas
92 x 60 cm (about 3.5 by 2.3 feet)

This is a canvas I just cannot leave alone. I've finished versions of it several times. I signed and posted it to work of the week in May 14-20, 2009, as "Wave #2" and also in December 7-13, 2008 as "Wave." It started life as a different composition that I painted over and can be seen online as work of the week in October 19-25, 2008 titled "Fire."

"Fire" was originally about the loss of my volunteer for youth little brother in a house fire. Maybe the evolution of "Fire" into something that resembles a scarred but vibrant heart is meaningful, going through a water phase metamorphosis. It certainly was not a conscious decision on my part. And in fact, this canvas did not evolve into a heart until the very last minute. A delivery person from the art supply store stepped on the second to last version of the finished painting, and I so I had to rework it. It sort of accidentally transformed into a heart shape. But now, I'm really and truly done with this canvas and promise never to ever, ever rework it again. I wish that I had all the prior versions of this canvas back because I think it would make a fabulous series. This painting makes me profoundly sad, but also reminds me of why and what it is to be alive. I suppose we all carry around heartache and joy accumulated from a lifetime of experience.

Details of "Heart" are posted below.

Blue fields

2009-06-02T08:30:00.001-07:00

Oil on canvas
100 x 120 cm (3.3 x 4.0 ft)

Working big again, and in layers. This painting is not finished, but I thought folksy might enjoy seeing it in an intermediate phase.

Red field

2009-06-02T08:21:00.001-07:00

Oil on linen
40 x 50 cm (about 1.3 x 1.6 feet)

I've been looking at the paintings of a Croation artist, Kresimira Niksica. Looking at his work has freed me up to do completely different things with paint on canvas.

The Quicker Picker Upper

2009-06-02T08:02:00.001-07:00

Oil and paper on linen
40 x 50 cm (about 1.3 x 1.6 ft)

There are paper towels worked into the paint on this canvas - my brother in law came up with a brilliant title for such a painting, "the quicker picker upper." (For those who don't know, this title is is an old advertising slogan for Bounty paper towels.)

Blue Spot

2009-06-02T07:52:00.001-07:00

Oil on linen
30 x 40 cm (about 1.0 x 1.3 ft)

More abstract today.

Wave, #2.

2009-05-28T07:46:00.000-07:00

Oil on Canvas.
92x60 cm. (appx. 3.0 x 2.0 feet)

This canvas has been reworked so many times that I have lost count. It was originally a "work of the week" from December of 2008, and before that it was a different painting about fire... for all the time I've spent on this canvas, perhaps it is time to stop.