Art on the Square

wakeupkitty.pal (74)@wakucat - witnessin ᴀʀᴛ & ᴀʀᴛɪꜱᴛꜱ • 2 days ago (edited)

Every Saturday during the summer, the village organises an event. This Saturday’s theme is art. Apparently, there have traditionally been many artists living in the Arnhem and Oosterbeek area, and more and more people are getting creative. For some, it’s a hobby that’s got a bit out of hand and will eventually have to start bringing in some money, as not everyone gets their materials for free. Unlike last week, there are fewer stalls this time, but I went along to have a look anyway.

It’s always good to see people being creative – and no, not everything is perfect, but what you can certainly say is that these people have enough self-confidence to set up a stall.

One person who certainly stands out is a visual artist who works with wood, amongst other things, and who, ilike he said, also paints and writes. As he puts it himself: ‘Sometimes you can express something in a poem, and other times through painting.’ The couple say that their sons are creative (a baker and a metalworker) but haven’t read a single word of what their father ever wrote. The love of art doesn’t seem to be passing on to the next generation here. “There’s no point in leaving anything behind for your descendants,” he remarks, “try selling it is hard enough.”

A woman sews unique bags from leather. I ask her if I can take a photo. This is a hobby that’s got a bit out of hand; she doesn’t have a shop and hasn’t even been doing it for very long. I ask her if her hands hurt from the needle, but she assures me that’s not the case and calmly carries on sewing behind her stall, whilst her husband adds that every bag is unique (I do spot two owl bags, though).

The man in the photo below is certainly creative and, in my opinion, paints better than most of those present. He finds it difficult to speak, but is delighted by the interest shown by visitors who recognise scenes from Klarendal in Arnhem in his paintings. There’s a newspaper article on the stall, and I share the writer’s view. This man is much more than just the village idiot of Klarendal. I also find it remarkable that he uses new techniques. The saying ‘don’t judge a book by its cover’ certainly applies to this artist. And no, I didn’t take a free postcard just because I photographed his stall and his work.

There are also a few paintings on display in some shops by a colleague of my art teacher, and to be honest, I don’t find them particularly remarkable, whatever the local paper may say about them.

And yes, I went back since all of a sudden I remembered I forget to visit a few stalls.
There were more paintings and I studied the leaves of the trees most likely all done by cotton buds. It looked good but the total appearance didn't most likely because the rest was a different style of painting and the lack of layers made the painting "style" look worse.

Another stall showed iron sculptures of animals and three paintings hidden in a bag (I had to look, this would be something for above my dining table instead of a still life.

The next stall was from a painters and Instead her paper with workshops. As she approaches me I asked where the village is she lives. Turns out to be not too far away and she said: There's nothing there.

We spoke about her paintings, her many interests and skills and the fact there's a postcard of each painting she made.

"I just do something," she said, " I never followed any lessons."

We both smiled and she gifted me with a postcard of her very first painting.

"I will remember your name," she said as I left.
For sure we will meet again.