Paalhoofden, Pile heads, is a beautiful sketch by my great-grandfather. In the various sketchbooks I’ve come across dunes, beaches and other landscapes. This sketch was nestled in between a series of dune and beach scenes. A nice addition to “Heritage of the coast”! This series is a mix of his sketches and my childhood memories. I still remember that we were always warned about the currents that arose between the pile heads.

In the course “Discover your own style” by Marieke Kamperman I experimented with a lot of different techniques and styles. I also decided to try out some new things with my semi-pouring style: The “yoghurt style”. I use this style to bring my great-grandfather’s sketches to life. The technique, in which I manipulate the paint by blowing the paint with a straw, and a little help from a palette knife, is very versatile. This painting may seem a bit simpler than Bij meerpaal VII. The technical challenge here was more in creating a beautiful horizon in a reasonably straight line. My father assures me that the horizon at sea is never completely straight. The eye does find it aesthetically pleasing if it is. The other challenge I had set for myself was to try to portray the changing flow of the water between the pile heads.

Pile heads and other paintings of the series can be seen in Utrecht throughout April