News
This guys big sister...
saskia de rooy
Last week the big sister of this little guy went to Izmir, Turkey, where she will be listening to what the child psychiatrist and his clients are telling each other...She is to be put up in his office. #psychiatrist #listening #art #sculpture #mask #raku #Izmir #Turkey #portrait #upcycled #frame #ceramic
Finding a home
saskia de rooy
Last week work has found homes in the United States, Portugal, Denmark and the portrait of Lebanese singer Rima Khcheich left for Beirut, Lebanon. I am really happy my work finds its way around the world.
Rima Khcheich, Lebanese singer
Bear, there you go
saskia de rooy
My dear bear has found a home. Until now you had the chance to download his image and I do hope you took it (or take it asap at free)! You can still see it for a while in Herberg den Rooden Leeuw in Amerongen. Bye, bye, sweet guy.
Herberg den Rooden Leeuw.
saskia de rooy
April 14, 2018
Showing a work is always nice. My work is made to evoke new thoughts or memories or feelings. Like when you walk in a forest you gen get into depths of your cranium that are a little dusty and filled with cobwebs.. Beautiful long lost images might linger there, waiting to be ushered awake. New cross-links might be formed that might cast their light on old unsolved matters. This is what my sculptures do for me when they are formed in my hands and they might do just the same for people watching them. In Amerongen you can see some of my works in a restaurant, herberg Den Rooden Leeuw. The host makes you a lovely dinner, served in a beautiful room. To make your time even better they take care of good art hanging on the walls and in other spots. You'll find my work in places you might have art at home. On a shelf, in a cupboard, where you can also find some glasses. Next to the place the bread is cut. I like this a lot. Art is part of life, of a household, just like coats and shoes. Whenever you find a moment you can go on a journey with the work.
Man and horse
For sale!
saskia de rooy
Recently I made four skull shaped ocarina's. An ocarina is a clay flute. Clay flutes have been made for millennia and originate (as far as I know) from South America. They were made in all different kinds of forms and shapes and they trigger my imagination immensely. One of these four (the third from the left side) is in use by my dear husband Joost Lijbaart in his music, two others are for sale on this site. I hope you can enjoy them as I do.
Home
saskia de rooy
The little ant eater found a home in Iceland!
about (in)sight; a portrait project...
saskia de rooy
In a building-site trailer...
saskia de rooy
An enormus building trailer arrives at the campus center parkinglot on thursday. The guys that bring it over don't understand. They had it over there and now they want it over here...
We've been collecting all we need for the exhibition for a couple of days. All portraits, interviews, hooks, bits, the selfies that will be presented as cubes. Mirrors, chairs, tape. We've taken all this to the trailer and we've been marveling about the the amount of building-site energy this place has. Images of guys with construction specifications, floor plans and cracks in alternative places float by.
After some puzzeling and figuring we contrive a plan for the exhibition. All portraits, paintings as well as the sculptured masks get a provisory spot. The painted portriats are a little bigger, less in number and colorful are leading for now. We hang them first. Then all the sculpted portraits find their right spot (when making an exhibition you get works to reinforce one another). Underneath we level the texts.
Now the portraits have taken over, they're in charge. Great! The guys that fix the electricity for this pop up gallery have a lot of fun during their private preview of the exhibition. Yes, they'll come and yes, they'll bring friends!
Opening Monday 23rd of april, 4.30 until 6.30. If your in the opportunity please come!
For the first time in 20 years open studio!
saskia de rooy
Tomorrow and sunday you can visit my studio. Between 11 am and 6 pm you can see my workingspace and a lot of work, old and new. At some moment I will be doing two rakufirings, three on sunday. The address is Zuiderijdijk 36 f, it is the shack paralel to the road. There are a lot of other workshops open as well this weekend. Have fun!
Game
saskia de rooy
Right now I am making a little book about being a sculptor. Elve, my daughter, made an assignment that will be the text. I added a lot of works and a tiny text of my own and this will be a book for children and adults that are interested in art. With it I thought up a game. You can find the game here already.
Art game
For two or more players
You both choose one piece of art that you like and one that you don’t like. You can pick out something from this book or whatever artwork happens to be around. Then taking turns you tell each other your opinion of the artwork and why you choose this one. You start with the one you did not like. Is it made in a nice way? Does it make you angry or sad, happy or content? Can you laugh about it or does it make you sing? Does it have pretty colours? Are you able to tell the technique? Do you consider it impressive or really easy? And does that matter? Do the two of you always have the same opinion? Or do you sometimes like a sculpture the other person dislikes? Do you know why? Is that bad? Enjoy!
P.S. You will see it is possible to disagree and it doesn’t matter! It could also bring you new ideas. Isn’t that fun?
Living and dead stuff
saskia de rooy
For my aunt 60 years is not much. For a nice bowl sixty years is quite something but still not impressive. Not impressive in a way of value or worth. For my aunt 60 years is not an impressive number of years, even though she is very impressive, valuable and valued.
To be alive is so special, it brings the possibility to do things, make things, take action, move around, all kinds of possibilities dead things don't have. I can make a sculpture that will last hundreds of years. The sculpture can not make me though and I will not last for hundreds of years.
My sweet aunt will only be around for a little while. In a moment she won't be 'dead matter' even though she is dead. I will never remember her as a lifeless thing. I will remember her for her smile, her energy, her sparkling eyes, the love in her voice and the dreams she pursued. I will remember her by what made her heart beat.
The way we tend to measure our succes in life by the stuff we have gathered is actually really strange.
I cannot imagine my life without the living things around me. Without my beloved, without trees, without birds, without the cats that are nagging for food... Some lifeless things I definitely need. A house to live in, a computer to be connected to the world.
With death around the corner I've made a decision. I won't bother about things. I'll bother about life.
Without title (death) picture by Koos Baaij
Your portrait in two hours
saskia de rooy
I can start a portrait in varying ways. When someone is very limited in time I can make a start with it in half an hour, then I'll take pictures to work with those when continueing with it. When I think it is done, we'll make an appointment to check if it is done well. When we are both satisfied I'lll let the portrait dry to color and fire it.
If it is not possible for someone to be modeling I can work with pictures alone. This will take more time to get into this person's character and atmosphere and it is important there are enough and the right pictures. I can't tell how long this journey will take. In this case we will check if it is well done as well, before drying and coloring.
The latest possibility is to model for two hours. I'll finish the portrait in one time. These two hours are very intense, we are both totally concentrated and focused. We can talk and have fun but we are doing nothing else. After these two hours the portrait itself is done. Then it has to dry and be colored. I do need pictures for this. Then the portrait will be fired and glazed and fired and Raku fired if that is your wish. Drying and firing will take about 6 weeks. If you are in a hurry it can be done in a month.
Any way you like it, we will get to know each other in quite a special way.
Portrait of Frida Kahlo
Spring edition of the Carroll University magazine
saskia de rooy
Get an insight on the beginning of (in)sight; a portrait project and the (Un)Abiding Portrait.
Marketing for (starting) art brothers and sisters
saskia de rooy
Next week I'll be in the USA again. The next phase of '(in)sight; a portrait project' will take off. Students of Carroll University in Wisconsin will make portraits of people that turn Carroll into the beautiful Carroll it is, in various techniques. And I'll be teaching all I know about portraits.
Now students do not remain students forever. Many of the art students will be artists. Surely I want these inpired new artists to make a head start into artistry without having to fall in all kinds of traps and troubles. That is why I made the 'What you need in order to bloom'; three sheets filled with tips & tricks for artists.
For as an artist, your work is your domain. You decide on what to make and what this will look like. You choose the path you have to go. For marketing this unique work you might be as commercial as possible. What you offer, your unique works of art, is fine. The trick is to gather people that feel the same way about what you make and will offer you the opportunity and means to live and thrive and make your work.
The 'What you need in order to bloom' contains the resume of all I have learned about marketing in these past years. Every sentence stands for stories, to do things and targets. It is a start. For if you want to make it as an artist you have to make good art (inspired, exciting, interesting, touching, etc. ) and you sell it in the best possible manner. Good luck!
PS with the button you get to the complete 'What you need...'
Akwasi to the Olympics
saskia de rooy
I am so happy he did it!
Akwasi Frimpong has been living in the Netherlands without a permit for quite some time. Not knowing what would happen and being rejected had quite an impact on him, he couldn't really start what he wanted to do- sports, go for it- too many strings pulled him back. When the strings were gone they lingered in his head. The amazing thing with Akwasi is that he is very good at slaying his dragons and telling us about this. Never give up! Take your next step. Choose people around you that will inspire you and support you. And he is an exquisite example. The Olympic Dream has been around for a long time. He started out a sprinter. Due to an injury this didn't work out. Then bobsled followed. Did not work in the very last minute. Now he is the first Ghanese Athlete to take up a skeleton! Fantastic, amazing, well done, wow! Good luck, tyrant! Go for it in Pyongyang!
Porem Portrait in the making, photo by Joost van den Broek