Remembering s'Hertogenbosch

I've been in a phase lately of "houses". I find this phase a happy one and honestly I'm relieved because pieces of previous work were intense. I don't know how others work at art per say but for me it's like my creative well is a Cooper Mini stuffed with 5 gazillion clowns. I just open the door and whatever clown is next, well, he/she steps out! And some of them have been very scary looking.

Up until about a month ago, I was experiencing truly terrible angst over what I felt was an increase in violent natural disasters. Then the mandala's came out. Giant, round beasts on black handmade paper depicting ruination. Then suddenly I was in what I can best describe as a "Mayan" phase. Primitive, basic and DEFINITELY brooding! Several of the pieces I didn't even photograph because honestly, I just felt awful looking at them. After these pieces were completed, I felt drained and empty. The best way I can describe that phase is to tell you that I felt like Rosemary giving birth in Rosemary's Baby.

Remembering s'Hertogenbosch by Denyse Dar

So imagine my relief when I started painting happier things! Lately, my obsession with architecture and my travel background has amalgamated into a series of houses - some of the homes. The experience of giving birth to them has been pleasant and left me feeling hopeful that I have more to give. Yesterday, I finished "Remembering s'Hertogenbosch" which was the town where I lived in the Netherlands. It is my impression of the tall dutch buildings along the cobblestone streets where I spent my days shopping and walking. I put in Piet's, which was the local grocer on the corner of our street, but in reality his store looked nothing like this. I would like to paint the town common and perhaps even the real Piet's with the small petting zoo but I have a strange feeling that a clown from Paris wants to be the next one out of the mini. ;)