Each year for the past 4 years I have guided Group 8 students to paint their own musical decor from sketch to completion in about 1 week. It's always great fun, and such rewarding work that it's one of the main reasons I decided to go into teaching. This year's script was called "Betoeterd".

Last summer, I could not resist helping out with this great project! I was invited by local artists Marij Nielen and Sandra Westgeest to help put a couple insects designed by students from the Catharijnepoort school to be painted on a building looking over the Cremertuin, a local community garden.

3rd annual Art Bike Parade at the Schimmelpleinfest. Thanks all for coming out & especially to the ABP team for organizing, and congratulations to this year's winners: Rainbowbike, Silverfish & Strawberrybike! Honorable mentions went to: DragonRocket, Art Car & PostAirplane. 

This past winter I was contacted by some neighbors who gave me the delightful challenge of depicting the Utrecht skyline as seen from the Vleutenseweg. They wanted to mark the passage of time together in their beautiful home as well as supplement their burgeoning art collection. I took the opportunity to show the current relationship of (our) neighborhood and it's proximity to the city while the nearby Central Station area is undergoing a dramatic, decades-long transformation. As such, the scenery is constantly changing as the developments come ever closer to our collective doorsteps. I was careful to show the train line and tram, characteristic buildings & a few subtle cultural and political statements that the viewer can spend time considering their interconnected complexities, and will hopefully continue to enjoy looking back on such points of contention after time has worked it's magic to soften all the rough edges. Many thanks to Marielle and Ferjan, with a wish to you of many years of viewing pleasure to come

at Schimmelplein Festival 2016, Utrecht.
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This year we formed a real working team, brought out some amazing new trophies, to be re-used every year. we are also making organisational notes to streamline the process for future parades. Big thanks and congratulations for a successful parade to the organizing team: Bethany Bartran, Okke de Koninck & Sandra Westgeest, and much appreciated additional support from The Schimmelplein Beheergroep, Marieke Eelman, Eemke Koppelman and Saskia Kluit!

Designed & drew up the set for the Group 8 school musical. I made a plan & guided the students (and parents!) to paint it themselves. 

"Kunst in de Klas" day brings artists in the classroom for one day to work with a group of students towards a previously discussed project. I teamed up with with costume maker & designer extraordinaire Doriene Van der Wijst to make a "Living Diorama" with a class of 11-year-olds. The idea was to make an life size diorama where the kids could act out their own self-written play. Needless to say, everyone had a great time, and we congratulated ourselves on a job well done!

photo credit: C) Bob Karhof