Life, Parkinson and Everything

It has been a very long time since I have made a painting. In fact, I organized an exhibition about a year ago, just to ged rid of old work and also to avoid being confronted with the fact that I could not paint anymore. Parkinson of course being the partypooper in this story. What happened was that the exhibition was a huge succes and I found out that I could paint after all..again. The surgeon's team and the neurologist must have done a good job when they handled my DBS operation. So, back to work then. That may sound as if I now produce six paintings a day, but I work in a very low gear now. I've had surgery; I am not miraculously healed. There's a difference. Enough of that: let me take you through my process of making a painting. (NL:) Het is lang geleden dat ik een schilderij gemaakt heb. Het is zelfs zo dat ik ongeveer een jaar geleden een expositie heb georganiseerd om van oud werk af te komen en om te voorkomen dat ik geconfronteerd werd met het feit dat ik niet me...

  At the legs of the rapidly approaching colossus were large chunks of concrete out of which cut off electricity lines and drainpipes dangled. The concrete disappeared from view when the metal construction tilted forward. For a moment it showed a likeness with an uprooted ficus but as it grew closer it showed a greater similarity with an electricity pylon. 'But wait!' the universe would have thought if only she could. 'Those old-fashioned bolts and rivets, those welds and these arches that were not intended to be strictly functional, I know what it is! That simply is the Eiffel tower, simply...' '-in orbit with the planet Saturn,' somebody would have interrupted the universe, if only that person could and since that person would have to admit that this new location of the Eiffel tower was very odd indeed, he or she or it would keep his or her or its lips thightly shut. Fortunately, such a person simply can't exist and the full credit for all this nonsense wa...

Life, Parkinson and everything. But not necessarily in that order. Today I might surprise you with something I've been working on for quite a while. And I might surprise myself with the amount of work I still have to do.                                                                                       The Lost Earth.                                                                                             1: A radio. At just another pretty day in the universe t...

 Last sunday I had to go to the public toilet. I looked for the usual symbols of a puppet with a very stiff-looking skirt on and another one with pants on which were drawn with mathematical precision. None of that was anywhere to be found, though. Instead, there were symbols that gave you an indication of the devices you were likely to expect in the room. I noticed a symbol that seemed to represent an urinoir, and feeling an urgent need to use such a device, I went in there. It was a pleasantly empty room, with the promised devices hanging invitingly against the wall. With the satisfying feeling that I still could find my way in modern society, I took my proverbial leak, zipped away the fragile instrument and turned around to wash my hands, only to be confronted by  three mothers, fully equipped with huge bags and their offspring, clearly filled with an urgency that I had just got rid of. The ones looking less urgent had an alarming odour coming out of their diapers, though. '...

 HELLO WORLD! Please allow me to introduce myself, Mick Jagger moaned in sympathy for the devil. My intentions are less evil. I am, and always have been a creative person. I used to paint a lot, paintings and murals, until doctor Parkinson knocked on my door to tell me that my painting days might be over. I was 41 back then. I decided to start writing, something people around me apparantly have adviced me to do for ages. I am now 53 and some 3 years ago I had a DBS operation. DBS= Deep Brain Stimulation. So that comes down to brain surgery. It took some time, but besides writing, I paint, again! But the emphasis is on writing, for now. And since I am a huge fan of Douglas Adams, I named this blog after one of his books, with a small variation. Thank you for reading me, now and in the future. With kind regards, Spark. ( NL) HALLO WERELD! Sta me toe om mij voor te stellen, kreunde Mick Jagger in sympathy for the devil. Mijn intenties zijn minder kwaadaardig. Ik ben en was altijd al e...