bits and pieces

For years I've been keeping these discarded concrete tiles with colourful patterns. 

The past days we've been re-using large concrete slabs, and mixed with small pieces of broken tiles they will make a nice outdoor area at my studio.

We're halfway ...

meanwhile in my studio...

... things aren't going the way I'd like.
I am missing a few pieces to finish a new work for the upcoming exhibition in October (info on the top right of the page), but things will work out pretty soon.
I'm somewhat distracted by a recent acquisition : a box full of discarded, broken, dirty toys.  If there is anything I just can't throw away it is old toys.  Symbolizing our early childhood, worn out toys tell a story.  They've been played with so often, by happy children and by the ones not so fortunate.  I want to capture and preserve the happy moments and the moments of consolation hidden under the dirt and the scratches.
Here's a sneak preview of what unexpectedly came out of the studio this afternoon...

meanwhile ... at home

A lot of work outside in the garden and barn ... but I need to go back into the studio...

Coffee or tea?

fun project

Not fixed yet, just looking in which order the parts look best.

Tricky thing, drilling through all the parts to get the cable through.  Broke one piece, luckily found a perfect replacement for it and made it even better.

 

Almost finished, still needs a base and a shade ... and light off course.

That's it I guess.  Eventually might change the shade into a white one, depends on where the light will stand.

meanwhile ... in my studio

Too busy to make decent posts right now as I have a deadline to catch and finish what I started with this collection yesterday.  Things are evolving, but stuck on the very last detail.  That means I'll probably have a sleepless night trying to work out another solution.

This - hopefully finished - project is for the UPCYCLE-Festival  (click) this weekend.  Will post the - hopefully finished - piece soon.

The Vienna story is to be continued the next days when I get some time to sort the salvaged pictures.

meanwhile in my studio

Too busy in the studio to post the beautiful things I've seen lately.
Making new work for upcoming events.
One of the events is the Upcycle Festival 6th of June 2010 in a small town called Wakkerzeel, Belgium.
more info on the Facebook page of the festival.
and on www.artcezar.be

Pictures will follow in due time.

meanwhile in my studio ...

... I'm getting in the Wood Mood

Work in progress.

After the plastic period with the latest Good Mood Lights last year and the stacked ceramic sculptures Honderdwater last winter it is time for a wood period. So I'm covered in saw and sanding dust, and have a soft carpet of shavings on the floor of my studio.

Still in the trial and error phase, many ideas in my head that need some time to become reality.

the studio during the open days

It took me weeks to clear and clean the studio. These images show a rare view, I almost don't recognize it myself.
I have new ideas in my mind, and once I'll start realising them, the studio will be upside down again. The Honderdwater columns will be covered and the Good Mood Lights will be removed and stored to keep everything away from saw- and sanding dust.

Next year, the studio will - hopefully - look completely different with new works. I'm still brooding.

The first part of the studio is the part where the rough work is done - sawing, drilling, sanding ... the dirty work.

The second part of the studio is used to put works together, to 'assemblage' and 'mix the media'

table is set to welcome the visitors during the tour, so this is not the usual set-up

We regularly have our breakfast here when the weather is nice, but just too cold to sit outside. The light is just gorgeous here.


The third part of the studio is intended to show my finished works, but is in general just as messy as the other parts once I get to work again.

getting ready

We've been away for about a week. The pictures of the open studio days are posted with some delay. But here they come, and more the next days.

My man preparing the parking space for the visitors. We were allowed to use the meadow from our kind neighbour.

The stoneman for Anita at the end of our driveway.

Tables and chairs in the courtyard for the brave bikers that come all this way. Only on the picture did I see there is a link between the chairs and my work on the wall.

View on the courtyard from the studio. Weather looks promising but it turned out te be cold the first day and rainy the second.

Door to the studio.

please come in ....

Open Studio days

this weekend

April 25 & 26

from 10h00 until 18h00

Open Studio days

Bloed-ernstig of stapel-gek, ingetogen of uitbundig, sober of speels ... licht, hout, ijzer, steen, spiegel, textiel, plastiek, keramiek, pigmenten ... stapelen, verbouwen, combineren, ontwerpen, creëren, ... assemblages met een eigen visie.

not finished with the setup of my works, likely to change until the weekend -this is a view of one of the many corners of my studio. There is much more to see than this, don't have time to make decent pictures. Still very busy with clearing the mess (look at the next pictures, that is how it was just a few days ago) and cleaning the sawdust from every nook and cranny.

40 studios of artists in various disciplines are open for the public
all the info on :
www.Kunstroute-leuven.be

Hope to see many enthusiastic visitors and I wish everyone a fascinating tour and all the participating artists a successful weekend.

meanwhile in my studio ...

Finally started this work that will be part of a project in the Open Studio tour in 2 months.
I have been thinking and rethinking it for weeks now. It needs to be finished before sunday, but will only be revealed in a month ... if I manage to get it right. This is so different from my other work that unexpected surprises still might spoil the result.

meanwhile in my studio

Still working on new stacked ceramic sculptures.

At the end of April - if all goes well - I will have Open Studio Days, so I'm not revealing too much right now.

blurred vision

Very busy now making new work. Working on a series I won't reveal just now. Only a few hints and sneak previews with blurred pictures every now and then.

reflection in black

my studio reflected in wet black paint

I think some of these might work as real paintings

and a self portrait

it does make me look slimmer, the wrinkles though are going the other direction