Door to My Future

Today I went back to the market, but it was closed entirely. Close by, I thought to stopin to say hello to my friend Giulia at Henxs shop, but she was not in. I walked the street for a short while before coming across the Rembrandt Huis. I had been meaning to visit for some time now and this was the perfect opportunity. I paid 12 euros and declined the talking phone earpiece tour thing. It seemed I was the only one who wanted to walk without a gadget to their ear. Everyone else had one and the place was pretty packed. I found a few moments of solitude with the paintings which I cherished. A woman gave a great demonstration in making oil paints in Rembrandt's tradition. Afterward, I went to the top floor of the building where there was an exhibition of an artist from Amsterdam named Peter Vos. Through the course of his career, Vos illustrated many depictions of Metamorphosis as alluded to in greek literature. It was a sort of retrospective, as he had died in 2010 at the age of 75. The paintings were small but there was no shortage of them. I enjoyed most of the work very much. 

Afterward, I returned to a garbage pile which I had been keeping my eye on to pick up a door that had been thrown out the night prior. I stared at the door for a good 15 minutes after propping it against a wall. I was considering wether I could fit it in the house or not, and if I had the time and space to finish a painting of this scale. The answer to the space question is currently, no. I cannot fitt the painting into the spiral stairwell to bring it up to my studio. I sanded the door to prepare it for a coat of gesso, then stored it in the bottom-most section of our foyer. I will either have to dismiss the idea, or find a studio in Amsterdam in which to begin painting larger works. I would prefer to find a studio, and I believe I will focus attention towards leasing a space shortly. 

I spent the rest of the evening in the studio. It began to rain as the sun went down. I called Dunia and Anna to see what they were up to . They had gone to Antwerp with a friend for the day. They returned and we shared stories. Dunia bought some herbal jam from a Chinese market. We spread it across bread and it was a very interesting flavor. We made a joke out of topping or sandwiches with whipped cream, or as it is called here slagroom. (potentially my favorite Dutch word thus far). 

Dunia and Anna joined me in the studio while I worked. They read and talked and I was happy to have their company. I am making good progress on my paintings, and have started a few medium sized works in circular dimensions which are exciting.