Rabbits or parrots and a collection of old shards

For Brazilian artist Camila Sposati I am working on a very special project, making a reproduction of the image of a 16th century old shard she found while digging a hole in the ground for one of her installations, the Earth Anatomical Theater, in Bahia Brazil.
It is a 16th century shard of a Faience plate from Portugal with the image of a strange looking rabbit or, when you turn the shard, a strange looking parrot.....

Below two still lives with the 'rabbit and parrot' shard in the middle between Chinese shards (for comparison, with rabbits as well) and a shard of a Dutch early 17th century Majolica plate, all from my own archaeological shard collection. And flanked by a few of my own ceramic works.

Tuinen Mien Ruys

Mien Ruys was a famous Dutch garden designer. Her private experimental gardens are open for the public. I had the privilege to participate in a ceramic exhibition in October in these gardens in the village Dedemsvaart. 
Here are two photo's of my Dragon Emperor in the garden.

A shipping disaster (with sea monsters)

Because the fact that I have not posted anything on this blog since a few months ago, the next posts are to catch up (just before Christmas). Yes Yes there is never a good excuse, therefore a well-worn: I was a little busy with this and that.
For instance I am working on this large drawing. 
Following pictures are some details of the drawing work in progress.

Low profile in September

This September I am joining in two rather low profile exhibitions.
The first is a groupshow at the retirement home Veenhage in Noordorp near Den Haag.At Veenhage my ceramic sculptures ‘Fuping bird’ and ‘Drakenkeizer’ (Dragon Emperor), amongst others, are at the party.
http://beeldenindetuin.weebly.com

The second is a groupshow with fellow artists Ingrid Mol, Martin Horneman and Stefanie Ottens, called ‘Schoonheid en Sprookjes’ which means ‘Beauty and Fairytales’.
The location is quite special, the exhibition space is in the Great Barn of a classical Groninger farmhouse from 1650-1873. Although it is an old Barn, it has actually museum like dimensions. With wooden walls six meters high, a ceiling height of 10 meters, and free floor area of 25 meters by 6 meters.
There are many ‘fairytales’ being told in this exhibition, but ‘beauty’ is in the eyes of the beholder, so you have to see for yourself.
Bart Artbox is in the tiny village of Thesinge in the beautiful landscape surrounding the city of Groningen.
http://www.bartartbox.nl

Dragons, Dodos and monsters

As a teenager with an archaeological interest in ancient ceramics I had a special interest in this ceramics and glass magazine , 'Vormen uit Vuur'. I then found old episodes at the ' The Slegte ' second hand bookstore in Utrecht. Now my work is featured in the latest episode by The Hague Art historian Andrea A. Kroon.
 
http://www.vormenuitvuur.nl
 
Magazine about ceramics and glass , from archeological finds to contemporary artists.
 
The magazine was founded in 1952.
 
The Dutch Association of Friends of Ceramics and Glass (De Nederlandse Vereniging van Vrienden van Ceramiek en Glas).
 

Beyond Reality & After Bosch

A few of my paintings and (some new) drawings are in the exhibition ‘Beyond Reality & After Bosch’ at ‘Atelier Horneman’, Groningen The Netherlands
June 25th – August 27 2016

Detail on the picture below the invitation is from a drawing with the title 'From the bird book of Jahangir'.

The eye of the photographer

My recent blue and white garniture/kaststel (that I made in collaboration with Tineke van Gils) has been photographed by amazing photographer Kees Hageman.
He often works with ceramic artist Tineke and her work has been photographed with such beautiful light and depth that I was thrilled with joy when I heard that he was going to photograph these vases as well. And I am really happy with the result!