Creating Arendsdorp – 17-05-24

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A Challenge Really

This graphite pencil drawing ‘Arendsdorp – 17-05-24’ an attempt to capture intertwining foliage. In my art statement to ‘Japanese Garden 1 (2014)’ I already mentioned Camille Pissarro. In my eyes he was one of the best in capturing these transitions. Not easy though. That’s why this sketch, however small it is, took me quite some time. Strange how this goes. A previous drawing ‘Mariahoeve – 03-05-24’ almost seem to draw itself but this one didn’t. Albeit it was a lot of fun searching for a good result. The trick is to capture a fairly bit part of all tonal nuances in the foliage. That is, without turning it into one big rubble pile.

Abstraction & Art

In abstraction lies art and this also counts for this one I guess. Working in monochrome there’s a lack in colour that would normally set off forms clearly. Yet another obstacle in avoiding aforementioned rubble pile. The solution was to exaggerate tonal differences a bit. Even though my hatched strokes style is perfect for depicting landscapes, a lack of tonality can kill it all. All in all a great experiment and challenge. Totally different from my last one, called ‘Beek – 09-05-24’. But that is how it goes. Often I vary and that’s much against better judgment of so-called art experts such as coaches and gallery owners. They want to to have only artists showing a distinct style. That makes it all the more fun because I don’t follow rules, even though I was a lawyer once.

Arendsdorp

The actual spot is a great little estate not far from where I live. It’s tucked away in the Benoordenhout district, here in The Hague. Not a place that you happen to stumble upon by chance. It’s a park like there are so many others around here. Some meadows, groups of trees and a few canals. Locals walk the dog there. However, when sunlight backlight trees then you got me going. Actually it’s the same park as depicted by me as ‘Park Hoog Oostduin – 14-09-22’. That’s situated more to the right of where you look at in the drawing. It’s the same park nonetheless.

Pitt Graphite Matt pencil (Faber-Castell, 14B) drawing on Winsor & Newton paper (10.5 x 14.8 x 0.1 cm)
Artist: Corné Akkers