An Eye spinning around his Orbit...

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Goodaboom, Thursday 8th February 2007



Late, and I feel exhausted! My eyes are especially tired, after having spent the day working on the portraits of my two Dutch kiddies. At least, I have tamed them now... Well, I hope I have! I have had them here for some weeks already, it´s enough now, I can´t bear them anymore! This always happens to me when i work for a long time on a portrait, the portraited person comes alive, and almost as though he or she were living with me. When one knows me, and how I defend my privacy, one can imagine how I hate these intruders at the end!

Tomorrow I´ll send the photos of the portraits to the clients in Holland, and if they think they really are their grand-children, I´ll send them back home on the first plane! As I told before, one of them was complicated for me and I needed much more time than I thought. I had particular problems with one eye, which persisted in being too low, wherever I placed it. I noticed it very late, as the portrait was almost finished. I saw that something was wrong, but I was not able to find the reason. I looked at all the lines the light and the shadow areas, I compared all dimensions of all the elements of building a face, and the space between –something which I normally never do, as I paint portraits without taking measurements.
I never had such a problem before in my career as portrait painter, and I can tell you: this eye which was spinning around his orbit drove me mad! Above all because by the end it seemed to draw the nose tip, the mouth edges and the earlobes into its star trek!

The danger in this case is when you start changing things, little by little. Things which have nothing to do with the problem, and soon you stand in front of a stranger on the paper. Each minimal change generally has a massive effect on the expression of a face: it is true in life, and it is true in a portrait.

In such moments I am asking myself if I should really go on with such a hard profession as portrait painter. But I know the answer already; I cannot stop! Portrait painting is simply fascinating, and the happiness I give my clients is priceless (but don´t misunderstand me: my portraits do have a price!)!
Anyway I´ll publish these two new portraits in Goodaboom very soon, for the ones amongst you who have followed me on my way of the cross!

Birds, Fishes & Inspector Morse!

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Art Studio, Wenesday 31th January 2007

Time is flying by on Planet Goodaboom!


It is always fascinating to experience the relativity of time. Fascinating especially for me, who has studied the deep interconnection of time and the laws of physics ruling our universe.
But even being a scientist loving the abstract beauty of physical laws, as a person I hate to be their slave, especially to the ones concerning time, and I´m really happy to see that Goodaboom seems not to obey any of the laws of physics... or even any law at all!
Except one of course: THE LAW OF LOVE!
By the way, yesterday I got the Spanish version of the Apple Valentines advertising campaign. They were clever enough to slightly change the „Love goes global“ (see my last article about Valentines) into
„Amor para todos“
which means.
„Love For Everybody“
And THIS is really nice!

Also: Time is flying...
I didnt do it on purpose but what a nice intro to my entry today. I am actually preparing a new exhibition for a local eye centre (is there a more appropriate place for a painter?!) and considering the success of the "Parrots Tree" in recent weeks, i decided to exhibit there some of my watercolours „Nomads of the Wind“, a series I painted 3 years ago and never exhibited in public.


My sister-in-law Isabelle. a painter too, living in Paris, introduced me to the birds. In the past we spent some wonderful holidays together, watching, photographing and sketching the birds, the most notable being in The Camargue (South of France) two years ago. We had rented a landhouse by a lake, and we spent hours watching the thousands of birds there. especially the flamingos- Later, I holidayed alone to observe other water birds, to the Bodensee in Switzerland, to „The Domes“ in East of France, a wonderful place of thousand lakes, and to the „Ebro Delta“ in Spain.
One day I may make a birds photo album for Goodaboom, as it was really something very special.




I found the process of watching the birds itself fascinating, but I think that the deepest pleasure consisted of researching at home afterwards in the reference books, trying to find the birds I had seen and of course secretly hoping there would be a rare specimen in amongst them. I remember that I had exactly the same pleasure as I was diving, many years ago, I loved to observe the fishes, trying to burn their characteristics into my memory and later, at home, trying to recall, and identify them in the books.

Kevin "mentioned in his diary one day: We treated ourselves for Christmas to the complete series of Inspector Morse (A wonderful character by the way, and I am tempted to make a portrait of him...).
His career was his life, and as he had to stop working, he had to find something else to keep his brain alive. And see: he chose birdwatching! Of course, the search for a rare bird could not maintain enough activity in his brain and he died... I really doubt it was due to his fondness for Pints of beer!

Technorati Profile

Valentines: Say it with Goodaboom!

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Art Studio, Friday 26th January 2007

So, Audrey has been immortalised and is flying right now in a big cardboard tube to Belgium. I hope she will survive the flight, the weather is awful here, and I guess all along the flight path to Belgium too.
My clients, her grand-parents, were enchanted with the portrait and I hope, Audrey will be too, as it is a gift for her birthday.
We used this portrait for our new feature:
"Goodaboom´s Valentines gift ideas"
created some days ago.

Unfortunately the competition is not sleeping. I just received an advertising mail from Apple:

„Love goes global: This Valentine´s Day, say it with an IPod nano Red“

Love goes global? What does it mean really? That we are entering an era of global love, meaning everyone loving everybody and viceversa? Has it escaped from the Marital home and gone on holiday? Or have we regressed to Haight-Astbury with flowers in our hair? I feel we should be told....
For myself, I think that it means nothing more than an alliteration globalisation fanaticist justifying his pay packet!
But to be honest: whatever it means, it sounds important, nano important and global I would say. But surely not quite as unique as love should be!

Anyway: we were faster than Apple! Nevertherless I guess, they will be more successful than we are, modestly growing Goodaboom as yet not quite so well-known as Apple, and certainly not the subject of lawsuits from The Beatles! Furthermore, the idea of giving a portrait, a flower painting or a personalised song for Valentines has still not pervaded the lovers minds. But no doubt, it will!
It´s just a question of trendsetting and Goodaboom is working hard at it:


(....and you´d better believe it!!!!)

Still captured within the rainbow...

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Art Studio, Saturday 20th January 2007


No time to write these last few days... I have been, and still am, very busy painting 3 portraits on commission and preparing exhibitions. Yes, the dream of freedom will long remain a dream, I guess. But to be fair: what a nice jail within the rainbow!
The last portrait commission I got this week confirms the tendency I´d already noticed recently. People begin to prefer portraits in „black&white“, as I call them. By that I mean portraits painted in white and one other colour, black, brown, sanguine, sepia, etc. (like the Tahitian girl).
That last client put clearly into words what others –including myself!- may just feel. She said:
„You make the portraits so well, it´s almost like photography... the black&white are more artistic, somehow....“
I am not sure it is a compliment, concerning the colour portraits... making them „too good“ might indeed be a kind of mistake. One might miss the artistic, personal interpretation.... but well, I won´t worry too much about it, it is always a matter of taste and many people love my colour portraits the way they are.

But personaly, I also prefer the others. I find them indeed more artistic and romantic (and I am a hopeless romantic!).
But in the meanwhile I appear to be developing a style a portrait which seems to keep the „artisticity“ (!) of the black&white without completely abandoning the colours.

A very young lady called „Fleur“ inspired me to such a portrait some weeks ago. I had been commissioned a painting in the technique of the Tahitian girl, but in the creation process I automatically started to put in some warmer colours. I felt that it was necessary to transmit the light and the warmth emanating from Fleur.
Finally it became a portrait in white and 3 tender colours. The result was beautiful, and the clients were very happy. All the people who saw the portrait loved it, and my last client ordered her grand-child in this style.

It is almost finished now, as it was very urgent, my clients are flying home in some days for the birthday of the grandchild.
The portrait is again in a different style. I couldn´t help it, I had to let my inspiration work with the model and the idea I had from her, basing on what the grandparents told me about the girl. I´ll show you this new portrait in one of my next entries... if you deserve it!

As Kevin told it in his last entry, he was gigging and mounting exhibitions near to Mojácar (Almeria/Spain) at the beginning of the week. Unfortunately I was not there myself, but I saw some photos of the „Sport for All“ exhibition by Rolys, in Vera/Las Bougainvillas, and I am very happy with how it looks. My paintings are hanging in a nice, big salmon/green room with a warm atmosphere and well-enhanced by the numerous spotlights. Thankyou again to Mark for allowing this exhibition!

Two heads are better than one!

www.goodaboom.com

Art Studio, Friday 12th January 2007


I was about to to call this entry „Slave to the Rhythm -3-“ but I didn´t want to risk sounding unthankful.
Yesterday I received a commission of two new portraits from proud Dutch grand-parents of their grand-children, two nice kiddies with „really red hair“, as the lady said, giggling (I altered the photo a little to preserve their anonymity...). Funny by the way: they came to my Studio with their own computer so we could choose the photos together, and the woman revealed herself to be a real computer buff, while her husband´s job was restricted to simply carrying the computer!. She even told me, that my Internet Security System was very bad and that people in the street could use my Internet at my cost... thank goodness it´s a standard charge!

Anyway... as always, as I asked them when they should be ready, they answered:
„Yesterday!“
Normally my clients are very impatient to see the result. In most cases it is the first time that they´ve ever ordered a portrait and they are quite excited. I have the impression that it makes them feel as though they are personally contributing to the World of Art. And in a certain sense it is true: without them the paintings wouldn´t exist. This is one of the reasons why I am so thankful for a commission: it allows me to create a new painting forcing me to push myself.
But at the same time, I feel a deep sense of responsibility. Of course I don´t want to ruin their expectations. nor simply create a good work of art. Above all I want my clients to find the soul within the portraits. A hard task, as all painters know who ´ve tried it themselves. The slightest change in a line or in a shadow can completely change the expression, and transform the person into a stranger. As a mathematician I would say:
„A wonderful example of the Chaos Theory!“

I had a nice conversation with a couple of compatriots on Sunday in the Street Gallery. They loved the portraits I was exhibiting that day. I told them that most of the time, I get portraits commissioned to give as gifts.

„Oh what a good idea! We never thought about that! Of course, it is a fantastic gift... what a pity that we didn´t meet you before Christmas!“

This is true. Most of the time people don´t think about giving the gift of a portrait. What a pity indeed! And not only from a business point of view: a good portrait is an everlasting gift, and the effect you achieve is simply wonderful!
I asked the Dutch couple, for example, if they wanted the two boys together on the same painting.
„Oh no, of course not! When they are grown-ups, and leave their parents house, they must each be able to take their own portrait, without ripping the painting down the middle!“
It is already the second time in this young year that I´ve heard that: apparently people who order a portrait think very far ahead!

Slave to the Rhythm - 1. La Folie des Grandeurs

www.goodaboom.com

Art Studio, Wednesday 3rd January 2007


First of all:
„Happy New Year to everybody reading these lines! And let me pass on to you the words of my friend Graham –currently springing from wall to wall in Australia...-:
„KEEP THE KULTURE!“

I spent the whole month of December painting on commission and working on the creation of www.goodaboom.com. I loved doing all these things, but it was hard work and I really missed my artistic freedom. I missed sitting in front of a blank sheet of white paper with a brush in hand and lots of beautiful colours on the palette, without any idea of what would come out, just following some unconscious inspiration. So I promised myself to start painting for ME right from day one of the new year, whatever happens
I had painted in 2006 new works in gouache, kind of abstract, and many people who saw them loved them. I was asked several times if I had paintings in that style in acrylics or oil, and above all on big canvas. The last time was on Sunday in the Street Gallery, an english man with a minimalist flat and a fear of frames. He was after bold colours and big frameless canvasses to avoid the possibility of clashes when redecorating. And no, as yet, I haven´t such big paintings..

As a result of these people insisting, my agent Kev Moore (looks more like a secret agent, doesn´t he? ) made pressure on me. I refused.
„Why?“
he asked, obviously determined not to let go of the bone.
„Well... I don´t feel like that... it is so dirty!“
I must tell you, that the way I paint, everything on and around me is full of colour, even if I am painting a miniature... so imagine when it´s a big one!
„But Miki, it´s normal... what do you expect, it´s painting!“
Quite funny to explain me what painting is ...
„We will see....“
I was thinking of my freedom, and I exactly knew I had lost it even before I´d recovered it.
He smiled, aware he´d won the skirmish.
„What will it be about?
„Don´t know... must be yellow!“
„Why yellow?“
„Well, I feel like yellow... and a Spanish woman told me that my colours, especially my yellows, make people happy!“
„This is indeed a good reason!“
Yesterday morning, first thing, I took the biggest canvas I had at home and started painting. I spent hours at it and at the end it seemed that the art work was everywhere except on the canvas: my atelier, my clothes, my german boots and my laces (see ) were covered with acrylics!
„Can I see it?“
asked Kevin, quite excited and impatient as he saw how artistic I looked myself..
„NO!!!!!“
If looks could kill... He didn´t insist. I think he mentioned it in his diary today...


I dont dare to show you the whole work, but this detail view to the left is quite nice, I guess.... unfortunately it represents about 1% of the whole surface! If I could only apply the mathematical laws of fractals to it!

I often notice that tiny parts of paintings – and not only mine! – are much more beautiful that the whole paintings, a quite interesting but frustrating observation, believe me!
I must ask:
„Why the hell paint the rest?“
but I already know the answer... La Folie des Grandeurs!

Ho Ho Ho. Christmas!

www.goodaboom.com

Art Studio, Sunday 24th december 2006


This is Freya, „my“ Christmas Baby this year. Not quite a normal baby as it didn´t need 9 months to create it, and not quite „mine“, really, as I never met the father... nor the baby actually! But in fact each child that I paint becomes my child somehow. I normally spend so much time with them, trying to understand their own, special innocence (and devilry!) behind the face. I even speak to them sometimes, above all when they begin pulling a naughty face - which they often do during the creation process! -
, telling them to go and play outside!
Christmas is normally a busy time for me as many people choose to give a child´s portrait as a gift. But well, to work hard once a year is not such a problem, is it?
I wish a Merry Christmas to all of the children I painted for this Christmas, to their parents, grandparents or friends who had the fantastic idea to order their portraits from me!
And of course I wish a Merry Christmas to each visitor of Goodaboom!

PS: No Street Gallery today, „el tiempo lo impide!“: it is blowing a gale on the beach and snowing on the mountains behind!