Bob Dylan once said, “It is only natural to pattern yourself after someone. If I wanted to be a painter, I might think of Van Gogh. You cannot just copy someone. If you like someones work the important thing is to be exposed to everything that person has been exposed to.” He followed Woody Guthrie. I cannot agree more with his statement. Why does he think of Van Gogh? Because Vincent is the most famous one. Van Gogh painted alongside George Hendrik Breitner who lived from 12 September 1857 – 5 June 1923 and was only 66 years old when he died. This Wednesday I will give a lecture about his work and how it relates to my own. The lecture starts at 10 am in the Community College room 112. For more information call 941.361.6590, 4748 Beneva Road, Sarasota, FL 34233
My interest in Breitner started long time ago when I carried a postcard with me of the Girl with the Red Kimono. It is a small painting of a series of thirteen he made from a 16-year old girl in a kimono. One day I painted the Dreamweaver which measures 48 x 36 inches while the snow was gathering on the windowsill in Indianapolis. The original painting always triggered a longing in me but I did not pay much attention to the reason why until recently. The girl, Geesje Kwak died at 22 years old in South Africa from TBC. In photographs of her I could detect a sad serenity that might have predicted her premature death in a tropical setting. It is the feeling that resonated with me and inspired me to make more paintings reflecting our fragile nature.
My autobiography is called True Colors, Independently published on January 11, 2024 in English,135 pages. ISBN-13: 979-8875809200.
