Every now and then I get an invitation to participate in an exhibition with a special theme. I'm not always keen to participate, because of the obligation to create a special piece, often with a certain subject. I cherish the freedom to paint what I feel like.But the invite I got last week is an exception. The exhibition is titled 'Looking Back in Admiration'. Participants are supposed to make an hommage to an artist they admire. I immediately thought of Jacob van Ruysdael with his 'View of Haarlem'.
Ruysdael is a 17th century Dutch landscape painter and one of my all time favorites. Learned a lot from the guy, mostly how to create depth by alternating light and shadow. What I like about his Haarlem painting is the high 
viewpoint, it makes you feel you could step into the frame and wander around the landscape. I tried my hand at this type of painting more than once. The piece on the right is an example, a view of the island Vlieland, seen from the lighthouse.Working on some ideas at the moment. Made a small oil sketch on paper (18 x 24 cm). It's a view of the island Ameland. The horizon is at the same height as in Ruysdael's painting and the lighthouse is at exactly the same spot as Ruysdael's church. Gonna do some more of these sketches. In the end I want the painting to be real big, 120 x 160 cm maybe. The exhibition opens in April 2014 in the Møhlmann Museum (www.museummohlmann), a privately owned Dutch museum for realist art.
Now, if you're interested in owning the oil sketch, please send me an e-mail (info@janhendrikdolsma.nl) explaining why you're the one that should have it. The independant jury (with one member: me) will announce the winner in about a month.
