dom of utrecht

"dom of utrecht" screenprint, gold leaf on rives BFK paper 76 x 56 cm. 2011 edition of 5 artist's collection


"floor rubbing" oil stick, charcoal on transparent paper 76 x 56 cm. 2011 artist's collection


in the center of utrecht stands st. martin's cathedral built during the 13th century in the classic french gothic style. beautifully carved burial slabs make up a good part of the church's flooring. underneath these slabs lie the remains of various bishops and those wealthy enough to pay for such posterity. i was permitted to do some stone rubbings in order to create a print. in the 19th century the tombs were opened (as pictured above) and grafitti was discovered dating from 1609 which says that this marks the tomb of johan van den berch. i incorporated the grafitti into the overall composition of the print. the image of the shears probably marks the simple tombstone of the church's gardener.


"tomb of anthonis taets" mono-screenprint, gold leaf, oil stick on paper 65 x 50 cm. 2011 artist's collection

anthonis taets was the canon of the church and was awarded a magnificently carved floor stone as illustrated here on the right. i highlighted the detail from where i did a rubbing in order to create this work on paper, which makes it life-size.
the words coming from his mouth translates to: "he trampled the wealth of this century." don't think he'd be a popular guy in this day and age!

stencil paintings

"lion" acrylic, collage, woodcut, on canvas 25 x 20 cm. 2006 artist's collection


"divine" acrylic, collage, spray paint, on canvas 30 x 30 cm. 2006 artist's collection


"st. george" acrylic, collage, woodcut, on canvas 40 x 40 cm. 2006 artist's collection

stencil painting is a fun public art form and there are some clever examples in and around amsterdam. i wanted to play with the technique but i couldn't bring myself around to spray painting city property. it would just be my luck to get busted with a spray can! i tore off layers of posters from public spaces and made small paintings and adhered woodcut prints on japanese paper. got bored with it quickly but it was fun while it lasted. the italian artist mimmo rotella did it back in the '60's.

monoprints

"knowing and unknowing" 1, 2, & 3. india ink, chalk on creme rives BFK. each: 65 x 50 cm 2008 artist's collection

this is an experimental technique using a common garden hose, inking a carved stone and blasting it with water. as in a dream, words and images fade and only a trace element remains in your mind. yes, there are words here, but what do they say? i want to converse but there are ineffable barriers, i can feel but i cannot see and when i see, i cannot feel. the knowing and the unknowing.

super yacht industry

the latest feature published on orka fine arts in the march issue of super yacht industry.

a floating studio

"dusk from pierland island" watercolor on paper. image size: 10.5 x 24.5 cm 2009 artist's collection


"approaching storm" watercolor on paper. image size: 10 x 15 cm. 2008 artist's collection


"summer" watercolor on paper. 10. x 13 cm. 2006 artist's collection



catharina & i are involved in a 'menage a trois' and her name is georgina, our beloved 1939 bakdekcrusier. when we first laid eyes on her and stepped aboard, we were seduced by her elegant sweeping lines, her plumb bow, teak interior and headroom throughout. we restored her ourselves: 2 weeks of dirty back-breaking work but we loved every minute of it. she has become our studio on the water where i like to do small watercolors as pictured above. the perfect long weekend getaway and the official 'flagship' of orka fine arts.

the scream

"the scream" (self portrait) oil on canvas with lightbox and x-ray. 43 x 81 x 10 cm. 2005 artist's collection

for this piece I had myself x-rayed while screaming. poverty, corruption, injustice, CNN, NBC doling out a constant stream of fear and anxiety while we sit back, turn a knob for enough steaming hot water to fill a swimming pool while people are living on top of garbage heaps, while others live under corregated tin shacks while bankers are paying themselves obscene bonuses while kids are being sent away to die in the name of 'freedom' while corporate greed has us all by the throats, while poor people are given 25 years for misdemeanors while the planet dies beneath our feet while polar bears drown..................it all just makes me want to SCREAM.

redefining marine art

"lost at sea" acrylic, cement, spray paint on canvas 107 x 183 cm. 1986 private collection

marine art is not a subject tackled by many contemporary artists as a means of artistic expression as opposed to illustration. it was a theme i delved into in the 80's. as a story of human drama, man against the sea as the visual narrative, it makes for compelling subject matter if removed from the illustrative embrace of sentimental romanticism.

maps

"zealous" acrylic, pencil, ink, collage on paper 101 x 70 cm. 1992 artist's collection

there is something intrinsically beautiful about maps and i don't know an artist who is not drawn to them in some way. someone once said, "to a man of imagination, a map is a window to adventure." i can understand why antique maps are highly sought after by collectors. their simplicity of composition and color combination is what attracts the eye. over the years, i've based aspects of my work on them and continue to this day, as in the print titled, '4you' pictured below. to view some others, click on OLDER POSTS at the bottom of the page.

the martyr series 1990 - 1991

'the stoning of st. stephan' acrylic, oil, cement, gold-leafed box containing a rock on canvas 117 x 214 cm. 1990 artist's collection

stoning is the oldest form of capital punishment and is still in use today throughout parts of the middle east and africa. it is usually carried out by a local mob and most victims today are usually women accused of adultery. for the taliban, it is the preferred method of punishment for many crimes. it does not take much imagination to realize the horror.


'martyrdom of margaret clitherow' acrylic, cement, press type, gold-leafed box containing a brass weight on canvas (triptych) app. 61 x 140 cm. overall. collection: decordova museum, mass. usa

margaret clitherow was well respected in her community. in a fit of collective religious zeal, she was executed for a minor offense in york in 1586. she was stretched out on the ground, arms and legs tied to posts. a sharp rock was placed under her back and a heavy wooden door laid on top of her body. rocks and boulders were then thrown on top, slowly crushing her. the stone at her back forced her spine to snap. man's inhumanity to man knows no boundaries and its usually carried out in the name of god. go figure! while i was working on this series, in the back of my mind i was operating in a state of disbelief, that people are more than willing to kill one-another based on their spirituality ( or lack of ). makes me want to scream.

4you

"4 you" screenprint and watercolor on etched 3 mm. aluminum plate 65 x 50 cm. 2009

newest print for dutch superyacht builder heesen. custom frame (not pictured) created from the same wood used throughout the ship's interior. gift to the owner on behalf of heesen yachts.

the studio

for their annual yearbook, heesen yachts devoted several pages titled, "the making of a print" which documented the print process in the creation of 'jems2', a print on aluminum presented to the owner of the boat. the entire process was shot by dutch photographer, jan willem steenmeijer at the amsterdam grafisch atelier, which is where i do my print work. see also: art for the maritime industry under CATEGORIES.

drawing

no title. crayons on paper 1961 artist's collection

picasso once said, "I was an artist in my mother's womb." i guess i was too judging from the way i signed and dated this drawing. this is me in front of my house that had a big tree in front. i actually like the composition of this!
because of my incessant drawing, my parents took me to the 1964 world's fair in NY to see michelangelo's pieta in the vatican pavilion. it was my first 'art experience'. i clearly remember gliding past on a slow 'conveyor' belt, in awe, holding my mother's hand. "look tommy, he carved this from a single block of marble! look at the veins in his hands!" i knew from that moment i wanted to be an artist.