ArtWanted.com - Olga van Dijk

TREES (Triptych) by Olga van Dijk

Thu, 19 Nov 2009 05:06:43 MST

An intimate and joyful dialogue between t(h)ree works.

Stand tall and mighty
reach the sky and kiss the sun
I believe in you
HAIKU by Gloria Buono

HOW I DID IT:
This is a colorful triptych, made of B & W trees on small canvas boards.

A year ago I bought an old book (1947) "Vincent van Gogh Paintings and Drawings" (Phaiden Press) for $1.- only
It has lots of B & W monochrome plates on awesome thick paper.
I knew immediately I would use it some day in a collage.

This week I cut out all the trees I could find and re-arranged them on 3 really small canvas boards.
That sounds easier than it was: it took me quite a while!
Then I also designed some trees of my own of shredded 'leftover' paper.

I painted first the background in my favorite colors.
After gluing my 'trees' with Matte Medium (Liquitex) on the boards I painted over some to get rid of visible cuts and to add some shades.

And here is my recycled van Gogh.
I think he would be proud of me!
My husband LOVES them: They're proudly hanging in our bedroom each in a simple black wooden frame!

Used colors:
GOLDEN: Pyrrole Orange, Pyrrole Red, Pyrrole Red Light, Quinacridone Magenta
LIQUITEX:Cadmium red light.,Vivid Red Orange, Alizarin Crimson Hue Permanent, Cadmium Red deep Hue, Mars Black, Titanium White.

Sailing Home by Olga van Dijk

Tue, 17 Nov 2009 07:16:24 MST

"Olga, you never cease to amaze with your mastery in composition and form.
This is such a bold and exciting work, full of energy and life!"
Olga Savvidis

" It's like looking thru the porthole of a raging fire and the survivors are sailing away.
Wow, so intense. Beautiful handling of color!!!!
LouAnn Knight

Happy to announce that this painting is featured in the redbuble art group "NAUTICAL"
(An artist group for anything Nautical Ships, Dockyards, Boats and Navigation.)
November 19, 2009

Veterans Day by Olga van Dijk

Thu, 12 Nov 2009 07:57:29 MST

Yesterday was Veterans Day.
Veterans Day is an annual American holiday honoring military veterans
(Usually observed on November 11. )

"We shall never forget..."

On the 4th of July I gave this small collage painting to my neighbor, who is a retired navy officer.

What I like of this small collage is that it's hard to see what's glued and what's painted.

In this collage painting I only used the national colors.
The American flag is covering the whole collage.

On the right hand side there's the word: "LIVE"
A watch is taken apart.
It jumps up high, with the glass as a magnifier showing the word: "America".

The clock represents TIME: the soldier from birth to old age.

The clock represents also 'time moving forward and marching onward'

The silver and gold in this collage sparkle like a solar system with milllions of tiny points of bright light, stretching out into infinity....
It represents time as duration: a beginning and an end.

__________

Copyright Olga van Dijk 2009©
All rights reserved.
Unauthorized copying or use of image is prohibited.
This is another OLGartsProduction©2009

Let Me Wipe My Tears So I Can Help with Yours by Olga van Dijk

Tue, 10 Nov 2009 12:50:54 MST

(Unfortunately I can't capture the vibrant colors of this oil mixed medium in this photo)

I painted this oil collage abstract after my wonderful Mother-in-Law died in September.

I added a cheese cloth for texture with Gesso.
It's wrapped around the left side of the painting (which is an inch deep).
The right green bar has a couple of green, red, golden rectangles of car paint chips, which represent the tears. .

This painting was exhibited in the "Grief Awarenes Show" which I organized at the Academy of Lifelong Learning, as part of the Grief Awareness Week in the State of Delaware .

"This is such a commanding, dynamic work,
which emanates a lot of warmth
and positive and inspiring energy.
Magnificent work, Olga!"
(Olga Savvidis)
____________

Copyright Olga van Dijk 2009©
All rights reserved.
Unauthorized copying or use of image is prohibited.
This is another OLGartsProduction©2009

My Mother's Wooden Shoes by Olga van Dijk

Fri, 06 Nov 2009 04:21:13 MST

These are my Mom's wooden shoes.
They are 75 years old.

This picture touches my heart knowing my mom wore them as a little girl.
The colors of this picture enhance that feeling.
My daughter matted and framed this picture and it's hanging in her house in America.

These clogs are hanging on the fence of my Mom's House Boat in Holland.
(I probably will paint them)
My Mom' lives in a rural part of Holland, where people used to wear wooden shoes when I was a kid.
At Grandma's (Oma) my children (now 24, 26) wore clogs too.
I have a row of different sizes wooden shoes next to my American door, all worn by my kids in Holland.
They kept your feet dry and warm while walking on the clay soil.
Good old times.

Here is a Youtube video how clogs are made in the Netherlands:
This hand craft can't be done commercially and that's why it's slowly dying out.

I lost you, my child by Olga van Dijk

Tue, 03 Nov 2009 06:18:59 MST

Coping with the Heartache of a Miscarriage.
With this powerful image of an embryo still inside the womb,
I tried to capture the heartbreak some of us have had.
The round shape of the drumhead
even more emphasizes the 'protection' of the womb.

Second picture:
Working on my latest paintings in my new studio.

Many parents are surprised by the emotions they feel after a miscarriage.
They often feel shock and disbelief.
Life seems unreal for a time.
They express depression, anger (directed at themselves, their mates, a doctor, God, or even life in general), guilt, irritability, lack of interest in normal activities, sadness.
Many experience irregularities in sleeping or eating.
For a while some feel anger or sadness in the presence of babies or pregnant women.

There is really no answer to the question why.
There are certain specific medical problems we know of that cause miscarriages and stillbirths.
In many cases, especially in the first few months, we attribute the fault to some kind of chromosomal abnormality in the fetus.
Those that occur later in the pregnancy when the baby appears normal are often attributed to some maternal factor, such as uterine abnormalities.
But in the vast majority of cases, there is no obvious reason.

I will not leave you comfortless. &
Peace I leave with you,
my peace I give unto you:
not as the world giveth, give I unto you.
Let not your heart be troubled,
neither let it be afraid.
(John 14:18, 27.)

------------------

Unfinished Thought by Olga van Dijk

Sat, 31 Oct 2009 07:28:20 MST

I found an old unfinished painting on a canvas board and finished it with car paint chips.
A bizarre, thought provoking and a hunting subject for sure.

Part of the exhibit "Grief Awareness" at the Academy of Lifelong Learning
(University of Delaware, Wilmington Campus)

Feeling Blue© by Olga van Dijk

Thu, 29 Oct 2009 10:43:14 MST

"Simplicity is Beauty"

I love the saturation of the blues...
and that compelling illusion
by modulating my palette
through gradations of light and darks
in these beautiful blue tones.
Brand?
Golden of course....
This Diptych definitely is a minimal design
Minimalism is stressing the idea of reducing a work of art to the minimum number of colors, values, shapes, lines and textures.
No attempt is made to represent or symbolize any other object or experience.

I finished this Diptych Acrylic on canvas with a workable gloss medium varnish, which gives both of these canvases an oil paint feeling.
This diptych will be exhibit (with many more of my pieces) at:
--The Academy of Lifelong Learning (University of DE)
November 2-6 "Grief Awareness Exhibit" with numerous other artists.
--In Newark's (DE) Grief Awareness Festival, Sunday November 8, 2009

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 30, 2009
Humbled...
"That Grief Awareness Exhibit developed into a huge thing at the Academy!
Many artist were very reluctant, but in the end I'm very grateful so many artists will participate next week.
WOW... I'm humbled by your participation and your awesome work!! "
( a very proud Art Teacher)
Copyright Olga van Dijk 2009©
Unauthorized copying or use of images is prohibited.

SHELTER© (ACEO) by Olga van Dijk

Tue, 27 Oct 2009 10:20:03 MST

When you are an artist, you are a healer.

"Healing from grief is not the process of forgetting,
it is the process of remembering with less pain and more joy."
GRIEF AWARENESS WEEK November 1-7, 2009
in the 1st State of Delaware
As part of the "Grief Awareness Festival"
Art Instructor Olga van Dijk (Moi)
invited all Artists and Students of the Academy of Lifelong learning
(University of Delaware, Wilmington Campus)
to participate in a very special art show
NOVEMBER 2-6, Expressing Grief through Art .
Art can help you express emotions that are very hard to put into words.
These forms of nonverbal communication are often more natural ways
to express thoughts and feelings that are difficult to discuss,
particularly when it comes to issues surrounding grief and loss.
I really wish all my students benefit by creating.
It is such a liberating way to look at the creative arts.
You'll be surprised how good it feels, once you get started.
Just remember...
The goal is not to make great art,
but to express yourself greatly.
Subjects of Grief
dont necessarily have to cover death.
Losses are not just the deaths of loved ones, friends, and acquaintances.
Elderly also experience loss and grief with their diminished ability to do things.
It can cause them to lose a sense of purpose.
There is also the loss of their homes, possessions, health, and vocations,
not to mention their independence.
OTHER SUBJECTS COULD BE::
Grief about your children, who cant get a long with each other/with you.
Shredded family ties.
Inclining Health
Pet loss and grief: coping with the pain
Moving
Immigrants Grief
Mental Health Disabilities
Loss of a job
Sadness behind your eyes
Broken Heart
Miscarriage
_______
Governor Jack Markell has proclaimed November 1-7 as
Grief Awareness Week in the First State of Delaware:
He will sign a proclamation in Dover on Wednesday October 28, to designate
the first week of November as Grief Awareness Week.
I hope you will visit the website of the
(click on) Grief Awareness Consortium (GAC)
to learn more.
Approximately 45 organizations statewide are part of the GAC.
The signature event will be on Sunday afternoon, Nov 8, in Newark (DE):
Expressing Grief
- A Festival of Healing through the Arts.
Please attend and make others aware of this opportunity for children and adults.
________
Copyright Olga van Dijk 2008©
Unauthorized copying or use of images is prohibited.
With thanks to Lee Anderson PhD

TEARS IN HEAVEN by Olga van Dijk

Fri, 09 Oct 2009 04:57:45 MST

"Love knows not its own depth until the hour of separation"
Gibran Khalil

In reality the car paint chips reflect more...
DuPont uses this large piece as an example
how to creatively use their car paint.
How cool is that?!?
As somebody of Dupont said:
" I saw this piece live today - it is lovely!
Great reflection (no pun intended) of how to use the color chips
in larger numbers and with many colors."
-------
For music please click on:
TEARS IN HEAVEN
Would you know my name
If I saw you in heaven
Will it be the same
If I saw you in heaven
I must be strong, and carry on
Cause I know I don't belong
Here in heaven
Would you hold my hand
If I saw you in heaven
Would you help me stand
If I saw you in heaven
I'll find my way, through night and day
Cause I know I just can't stay
Here in heaven
Time can bring you down
Time can bend your knee
Time can break your heart
Have you begging please
Begging please
Beyond the door
There's peace I'm sure.
And I know there'll be no more...
Tears in heaven
Would you know my name
If I saw you in heaven
Will it be the same
If I saw you in heaven
I must be strong, and carry on
Cause I know I don't belong
Here in heaven
Cause I know I don't belong
Here in heaven.
Eric Clapton
-------

Copyright Olga van Dijk 2009©
All rights reserved.
Unauthorized copying or use of image is prohibited.
This is another OLGartsProduction©2009

Blog Entry - June 02, 2009

Tue, 02 Jun 2009 05:26:49 MST

Watch this beautiful video of
NELLY VAN NIEUWEN HUIJZEN's series Masquerade:

Blog Entry - May 12, 2009

Tue, 12 May 2009 07:34:23 MST

In September '09 there will be a juried "Drum Head Art Exhibit" @ the University of Delaware (Academy of LifeLong Learning, Wilmington Campus.)
I'm honored to announce that Alice B. Hupfel (Board of directors of the Delaware Center for the Contemporary Arts, the DCCA) agreed to be the juror for this show.
The show encompasses artwork in all mediums on a drum head.
Ribbons are awarded for First Place, for "Best in Show," Second, Third and Honorable Mention artwork.
The show will be open to the public from September 21 through September 25, 2009.
What a bout the theme: "BEAT IT!"
I also will notify the local newspaper and TV channel WHYY.
Even Art Instructors of teh Academy are infected with the "Drum Head Bug" and participate in this challenge.
FOR MORE INFO PLEASE CHECK OUT
(click on:) MY WEBSITE

Blog Entry - May 02, 2009

Sat, 02 May 2009 14:26:56 MST

May my artwork bring you peace and joy as it has for me!

Blog Entry - April 22, 2009

Wed, 22 Apr 2009 14:38:29 MST
SOLO ART SHOW
"FACES, SPACES & INNER SPACES"
The Lorelton's Gallery
(01 april 2009 - 30 april 2009)
98 acrylics, oils, watercolors, mixed media and collage paintings
2200 W. Fourth Street
Wilmington DE, USA
Phone: 302 -573.3580
(Around the corner where our VP JOE BIDEN lives!)
Open: Every Day 8 am-8 pm
OPENING RECEPTION: Saturday April 4, 2-5 pm

Blog Entry - December 10, 2008

Wed, 10 Dec 2008 05:19:26 MST

Exhibit for all Art Instructors of
the Academy for Lifelong Learning
(University of Delaware, Wilmington Campus)
All Instructors of the Art Department of the Academy
have 1 piece on display to show their expertise and to promote the classes they're teaching.
Library of the UNIVERSITY OF DELAWARE (Wilmington Campus)
(01 December 2008 - 12 December 2008)
Pennsylvania Ave, Wilmington
Wilmington DE, USA (302) 573-4417

Blog Entry - December 01, 2008

Mon, 01 Dec 2008 04:39:21 MST

November 17 2008 - December 10, 2008
New Garden Township Art Show and Sales
Opening Reception with Refreshments: Friday, November 14, 6:30 to 8:00 pm.
Proceeds to benefit New Garden Parks and Recreation
See the Art Ladies at Work, Wednesdays 10:00 am to 3:00 pm anytime.
New Garden Township
Monday through Friday: 10.00 am - 4.00 pm
http://www.newgarden.org/
299 Starr Road
Landenberg, USA
Tel: 610-972-7194

Blog Entry - October 11, 2008

Sat, 11 Oct 2008 15:07:03 MST

My BOB MARLEY painting was accepted for the Annual DCCA Fundraiser of
the Delaware Center for the Contemporary Art

Auction: Friday October 24, 2008, 7-11 pm.
You can see and bid on my painting as of October 1-24, 2008 at:
200 South Madison Street
Wilminghton DE 19801
Tel: 302 656.6466
Hours:
Tue, Thu, Fri, Sat: 10 - 5
Wed & Sun: 12 - 5
(closed Mondays)

Blog Entry - September 28, 2008

Sun, 28 Sep 2008 07:16:17 MST
This is the Dutch version of the PEIXEIRAS
edited by Minerva Bloom, which I translated.
Peixeiras is a Galician term for Fisherwomen.
This challenge was posted at Peixeiras - by Artist Armando Salas,
to honor the Peixeiras from his region of Galicia in Spain.
Many artists from around the world answered his challenge.
This is the first leg of the participants.

Spanish Translation: Peixeiras es un término Galicio que en Español significa: Peceras ó mujeres vendedoras de pezcados. Este video es el resultado de un reto artístico propuesto por el Artista de Ferrol, España- Armando Salas en la comunidad internacional de: Peixeiras
Varios artistas de diferentes países han participado en esta primera etapa. La segunda etapa se publicará en un corto periodo.
Gracias por su visita!

Blog Entry - September 28, 2008

Sun, 28 Sep 2008 07:12:30 MST

This is the ENGLISH version of the PEIXEIRAS

Blog Entry - September 20, 2008

Sat, 20 Sep 2008 05:47:47 MST

GROUP EXHIBIT of the
New Garden Art Association
I'M HONORED THAT 11 OF MY ART WORKS ARE EXCEPTED FOR THIS SHOW!
Jenner's Pond Artist Show
(07 September 2008 - 05 November 2008)
Open every day, also on Sunday's 10 - 21.00
http://www.jennerspond.org/
100 Sycamore Drive, West Grove, Pennsylvania, USA
610-869-6801