March 2014 - Ben Lustenhouwer

30 March 2014

A great guitarist, a big hitter

Will Sophie

A month ago Will Sophie was visiting us in Spain. I’ve told you about him before. He plays guitar on some of my recent videos. We are cousins. We come from the same social background. He got into music and I started painting. Two different people with different characters. But we had things in common: we both had a dream, and we shared the inability to survive in a nine-to-five job. I did that until my early twenties, and Will not much longer. The choice for individual independence in our milieu was not very obvious. Which does not mean that our parents were not proud of what we did and achieved. On the contrary. (Behind my back my father gathered my discarded drawings and if something appeared in print he secretly made a small collection). Will has made an impressive career for himself, and I think he belongs to the Top Ten Dutch guitarists. I’m proud that he gave me permission to use his music. It adds so much luster to my videos.
Check out also his video channel.

23 March 2014

Spring has started well.

The kitchen garden. The fava beans carry flowers already

After a dry winter this week spring began. And it started fantastic: yesterday it rained cats and dogs and that was more than welcome. We have yearned for months for some rain here. From memory it has never been this dry. But now the vegetable crops are washed crisp and clean. The fava beans already carry flowers and it is not long before we will see the first beans.

The Chinese delegation also visited Helma in her studio.

Last week we had a special visit. The Deputy Director of the China Millennium Monument/ World Art Museum in Beijing came to see us on her spanish tour of some artist studio´s. We agreed to see whether there are possibilities to run a number of portrait painting workshops in China. So, who knows…

16 March 2014

When are you famous?

Years ago I received a commission for a portrait that would be used in a publicity campaign for a home-decoration company in the Netherlands. Thanks to my agent we agreed to good terms and the financial settlement was very satisfactory. However, I did not know exactly what role the portrait of the owner of the company would play in the campaign. It soon turned out that the picture appeared in countless advertisements and even on the trucks of the company. I was surprised, when I once was back in the Netherlands, to find myself driving past my portrait on the highway. Then I asked myself: am I already a little famous?

9 March 2014

A commissioned portrait

In recent decades, almost exclusively I have been painting portraits on commission. Clients pay for the assignment, and that creates obligations for me, the artist. Principally, the portrait should have a perfect likeness. That’s fundamental, and rightly so. In addition, the painting must meet a number of criteria that has to do with the artist´s view. Firstly, of course one would depict the person in an flattering way. I once read somewhere : A portrait is not just painting a picture, it is the celebration of a person. That is what I am looking for. Regardless, the painting should be of good colour balance, chiaroscuro and composition. But all this, usually has nothing to do with the extent to which a portrait shows a detailed view. Sometimes I can also linger too much on details and I often think I should stop painting earlier. Seeing the portrait of this young lady again (that I made years ago) I remember I wondered if I should elaborate more some details. Now that I see it again, I still do not know. I like the overall unsharpness.

2 March 2014

A smiling portrait

Smiling portraits — I painted this young lady with a broad smile. For me a smiling portrait is not necessarily annoying.

May a portrait show a smile? The debate on this issue almost always gets bogged down in heated discussions with presumptuous, compelling arguments. Some pretend that a smile will eventually get bored and a timeless expression is preferred. Toothy smiles often appear static and smiles distort facial features, e. g. making the eyes smaller. Almost never you hear this, not insignificant, argument: Showing a smile betrays the use of photography. And many portraitists do not like to admit this. It may be clear, I find that it’s all nonsense. First, there is no argument against the use of photography and secondly a smiling portrait is not necessarily annoying. OK, one can have a clear preference that is fine. But let me say this again: Don´t make it a doctrine. The challenge is to make a good portrait, full of character. A painted portrait shall, reliably, report of the sitter and sometimes a smile is a part of the emotion displayed.

I notice that many beginning artists have trouble painting teeth properly. A word of advice: Never make individual teeth, paint a curved surface that turns away into the corners of the mouth.