Hey you, I really have to tell you about my new art series - it's called ‘OH BOY’ and it's a really big step for me. In the past, I've painted men from time to time, mostly famous icons, actors and singers, often as commissions. But at the end of last year, I set myself the challenge of painting an all-male series, without any famous faces. I wanted the paintings to live from the subject and the technique and not from the celebrity of the person. Great idea, I thought. But it didn't work at all!
Painting itself was not the problem. Technically speaking, painting men is often easier than women because it's easier to create effects with the more striking faces and expressions. But identifying with the pictures - that was difficult. I stood there and thought: ‘That's just not me.’ Aha! The first big realisation! People have been asking me for years why I mostly paint women, and my answer has always been: ‘I don't know - it's just a feeling.’ And there I was, standing in my studio, trying to paint men and finally understanding why I always painted portraits of women: Because I am a woman and I identify with my ladies. Because I express my messages through them! Basically, I paint myself, even if it's never a self-portrait, I identify with femininity.
That's clear! I had to identify with my boys in the same way so that I could paint them as authentically and expressively as my ladies.
So I felt my ‘masculine side’, partly consciously, partly intuitively. And yes, I do have a masculine energy! I've been standing my ground for years, at least in the classic role model of being the sole carer for my three children. I repair the washing machine, lay tiles in the garden and build self-designed bunk beds. I can plug in a lamp and make sure that my children and I are protected.
Children and you have to be protected from all sorts of things: other children who annoy them, unfair teachers, unhealthy food, road traffic and people who don't mean them any good. So my main ‘male’ task is to protect them. And I also have to protect myself - especially my nerves ;-) I usually do this with a sense of humour.
Very good, so I had recognized my definition of masculinity. A masculinity, as it turned out, that doesn't need a man at all if you carry it within yourself as a woman. Today, I am able to protect myself and my children lovingly and caringly, and I am the funniest person I know (my sons don't find me soooo funny, rather "embarrassing" or as they say today "cringe", but I find myself incredibly funny).
Back to my humorous and protective boys. With this realization, things suddenly went smoothly, and I loooove my boys! I love them so much that I sometimes bring them home from the studio just to have their energy with me. When I look at them, I feel so safe, so validated, and simply comfortable. Of course, I will sell them, but I'd actually prefer to keep them. However, I want to share this energy with you, with people who carry loving protection with a wink and who like to have a "daily reminder" around them that they're doing wonderfully and are "safe" :-)
The OH BOY series will be available for purchase online starting in the fall of 2024, with the exact date yet to be announced. Sign up here for the waitlist to receive more information: