I don’t think much of art critics and I have serious doubts about the explanations provided for a particular painting or other work of art. What is written may say more about the writer’s state of mind, but even here the critic is often way off the mark. The average author or artist won’t lose any sleep over this. The older generation has already passed away, and newcomers know all too well that any publicity is better than none. After all, these days everything is a form of advertising. Advertising is important for the artist who wants to be seen or to make a living from their art; of course, there are also those who get by because they receive grants, but not because they sell so much or because their art is highly valued. Let’s say that the same applies to art as to any object that is auctioned or forms part of a house clearance sale out of financial necessity: it all depends on what someone is willing to pay for it.

It is certainly not the case that art created by unknown artists is bad, and conversely, that is certainly not the case either. The artist simply needs to come across someone with enough money in their pocket to bring whatever it may represent to the public’s attention and who is prepared to pay a hefty sum for it. To what extent the art object is actually valued is another matter. It might just as easily end up in the attic or the cellar. The person who simply pulls out their wallet and pays a hefty sum is certainly not enamoured with what they see, but already has another objective in mind.

Art should speak for itself and not be talked up; unfortunately, this is often the case, and human nature is such that people want to have what others have, or preferably to outdo others, even if it is something they do not find beautiful at all. Auctions, galleries and art dealers shrewdly capitalise on this. The average person does not visit the Louvre because they are so fond of art; if that were the case, they would dress better, have a better-furnished home and invest in art themselves, but because it is part of the culture and everyone goes there. Being able to join in the conversation with the group or outdo someone else is typical group behaviour.
Of course, an artist is happy when they can sell something, but they are happiest when their art speaks to someone and they know the piece will be cherished.

Some artists create quickly, others take a long time. This naturally also has to do with time and materials. Artists, just like writers, can experience a creative block and simply be unable to create anything for a while. Is that a bad thing? I don’t think so; at such times, we can look at what others are doing, seek inspiration, or simply keep practising basic techniques, or perhaps shift our focus to developing a new skill.

Over the past few weeks, I’ve regularly had conversations about why I choose a particular colour or why I draw or paint something specific.
Setting a goal for what you ultimately want to achieve or be able to do is a good idea, and I have one too. So everything I do, whether it’s slow or fast, whether I’m drawing or painting, is about achieving that one goal. And no, that isn’t becoming famous or rich, but being able to paint a particular thing. As far as painting is concerned, I’m not even sure at the moment which materials I want to use for this, so that’s another reason why I’m trying out different materials. That takes a lot of time too.

Every day I spend time looking at what others are doing and what techniques they use. I try out some of those techniques. A particular method has to suit you. It doesn’t have to be perfect when you’re trying it out, but it does have to be enjoyable and feasible. By feasible, I don’t mean the time invested in it, but rather the ability to get hold of the materials in question. Let’s be honest, the average artist doesn’t have a penny to their name. For most, this won’t matter much, because being an artist is a way of life and a conscious choice, even if family, friends and society are against it. For most, when they say at school that they want to become an artist, this is strongly discouraged by teachers. I personally find this a sad development. In schools in the Netherlands, art and craft are given very low priority, unlike when I was at school.

It has now been proven that people are creative, and that creativity has a relaxing and healing effect. It is no coincidence that drawing, painting and craft activities are also used in healthcare, with the elderly and in prisons.

What were you feeling or thinking when you created this painting, asked @almaguer

My answer: irritated, but that annoyance only came later, not when I started, because three running men have been painted on top of each other here to correct a miscalculation! And that created a background I hadn’t envisaged and white stripes to cover up even more mistakes. So no, I’m not painting poverty in the biting cold, nor a man running for his life; I’m not in a panic, I’m not running away from what’s coming, and I haven’t given away my last clothes either. I’m simply sitting in the semi-darkness with poor visibility, painting with limited resources, whilst the office chair suddenly refuses to stay still and keeps rolling, whilst I’m terribly thirsty and yet carry on painting because otherwise I can’t see a thing.

And for those wondering why I’m working with brown: it’s simply because I want to finish the old, cheap, very thin acrylic paint. At the moment, I only have dark brown, light brown, two shades of green and orange left. I think it’s a shame not to use this and let it sit around any longer. So no, I’m not in my brown, sepia or blue phase because of my mental state; I’m just using what I have (no waste), and the old stuff first. A plus is I can work with one colour and see the effect

To put it simply: my mind goes blank when I start and I just wing it, but not today. It’s just like when I write. My hands do the work, and I think that’s perfectly normal. If you have to sit for hours first trying to figure out what you’re going to draw or paint, it takes all the fun out of it.

_{19-3-2026
All pictures are mine.
Materials: acrylic paint (cheap, 8+ years old) brand unknown, Van Eijck brush #18 (no longer for sale since years), Bamboo paper (action.nl)}