Still life with Belgian andives: my first oil paintings in 1997.

In 1997 in the class of Marc Maet I started as a first year student at KASK. After an introduction Marc announced: you can start now. I had almost nothing: some cheap paint, cardboard and a still life that was also going to be dinner.  During the afternoon I made two little paintings, after I finished the first I just started all over again.

 

I have a theory about how the first paintings made by an artist already contain the later style, at that time I was looking at these paintings and wondered what my later style would be. I assumed something with enlarged scale, a three part composition, light reflections... and what I didn't know yet: repetition. 

Robbie Snelders 40x30cm oil on canvas 2018

I'm working on a series about Robbie Snelders, and the series starts with a very gentle portrait, only soft edges and warm colours. This little portrait is about holding on to who you love and care for.  Not from photos or a live sitting model, I painted these from memory and this is how I would like to remember him.

Robbie Snelders - lemon yellow 40x30cm oil on canvas 2018 

The very difficult part of painting, for me, is to be accurate and give a precise shape, line or colour. 

Robbie Snelders Naples yellow 40x30cm oil on canvas 2018