Sunday, November 22, 2015

Roost

"ROOST"
6x6 inch
oil on gessobord
NFS
 
This place is the best place in Houston, in my opinion. At first we went there because it was extremely close to our house but soon we found out that each staffmember could be our best friend and the menu totally changed regularly. How great to coincidentally have such a place opposite your street! I will miss it.
Whenever I see this painting, I am back there, so, it will stay with me.
 
This is the last painting I post from Texas..I am going to move back to the Netherlands next week and my paintings will be packed. I can open my shop when they arrive, which should be around the 12th of december.
In the meantime, I will paint whenever I have a free minute. I have loads of Texas ideas and I cannot wait to paint them. Also, I wonder what will inspire me most when I am back home.. My future paintings will be a mix of Texas, Holland and horses, probably :)


Monday, November 16, 2015

New shoes for the horse

"New shoes"
6x6 inch
oil on gessobord
-sold-
This painting I made from a picture made on the dude ranch in Bandera, Texas. The farrier was working in a shady spot under a tree. The horse seemed happy. The background needed a few adjustments. There was an edge of high, dry grass in front of the bushes and trees but then the depth in the painting was gone. I made the trees more blurry and added dark underneath the trees and it was an instant improvement.

Wednesday, November 11, 2015

Yellow bag

"Yellow bag"
6x6 inch
oil on gessobord
 
 SOLD
 
A table in the sun in Houston, this is a lunchplace close to where I live. Finally the weather cools down and I am able to make terrace pictures. I paint the most interesting things in my studio at home. I like the bright sun in this one and the reflections in the window.
 
This is how this painting looks framed.
I have been making a few paintings lately that didn't turn out all that well in my opinion. Let's call them "studies". It is good for practice, I know, and I want to only post the paintings I am proud of but I get SO frustrated and depressed after wiping out 3 paintings. And then, when this painting worked out so well (2nd attempt..) I am sooo happy! This is a special one for me, got me back in my good mood.


Wednesday, November 4, 2015

Horse with red halter

"Horse with the red halter"
6x6 inch
oil on gessobord
 


I started this painting wanting to make it monochrome, but using more and more colors along the way. I ended up with raw umber, burnt sienna, ultramarine, phtalo blue, permanent madder deep and a little cad yellow (and white). So pretty much my whole normal palette. It was still too colorless, something was missing. So now the horse has a red halter.


Saturday, October 31, 2015

"River Oaks theatre"
6x6 inch
oil on gessobord
SOLD
 
 
A scene from Houston, this is a very old, cozy theatre in River Oaks. By night it is the eyecatcher of the street.
I like to paint nocturnals. For me it works best to paint from a blurry picture so I don't get into the details too much. If I make the picture I really try to remember how the darks look, I try to make a mental picture and try to decide what the most attractive part is.
I like the reflective lights, those few strokes on the cars have a lot of impact.



Friday, October 30, 2015



"Outside dinner"
6x6 inch
oil on gessobord
$55
 
This is rice village in Houston. In the evening the lights make it so attractive, it is great to paint.


I talked about the floater frames before and how the gessobord-tiles look great in it. This is an example of this:



Monday, October 26, 2015


"Time for a wine"
5x7 inch
oil on gessobord
 
SOLD
 
 
Inspiration comes from everywhere, even from daily things. I particular liked how the wine made a light red spot in the shadow of the glass on the table.



Tuesday, October 20, 2015

 
"Dutch klomp"
6x6 inch
oil on gessobord
$55
 
 
Typical Dutch, although nobody uses them, only farmers. The wooden clogg protects your toes if you are working with horses and cows. And it gives a nice "clogg, clogg" sound if you walk on them. And fun to paint too :)


Monday, October 19, 2015

 
"Dinnerplace"
6x6 inch
oil on gessobord
SOLD
 
Rice village in Houston looks so cosy when it gets dark. It has the atmosphere of a small village indeed.

I let myself go with the colors, I loved to paint the lights, keeping tonal value in mind. It turned out a bit abstractlike, that is because my right hand is in a cast for a few weeks (nothing serious). I tried painting with left but the lines, and actually all the brushstrokes, get all wobbly. I didn't like that at all so now, without being able to bend my wrist, I manage to paint. And I learn to paint with less details, it's a win-win :)

Saturday, October 17, 2015


"Getting the dust out"
6x6 inch 
oil on gessobord
SOLD

A painting again inspired by my trip to a ranch in Texas. I will go back there next week, I will shoot reference pictures like crazy! Also, I will make some plein air, if I have time between all the ridin' :)

Thursday, October 15, 2015


"Yellow car"
5x7 inch
oil on gessobord

Parked in the shade, next to the fence of a house, this yellow car looked so peaceful. I love the color yellow and I loved the way the light just sneaked close to the car.

I started painting on gessobords again, I like the way I can move the paint around on the hard surface. It comes in phases, tomorrow I might prefer canvas again :).
I recently found out the best way to frame them is in a floater frame. There is a bit of space between the painting and the frame, so you don't lose any surface of your painting. It seems to float in the frame which makes it look really great on the wall. You glue the painting (just at the edges on the back side) onto the center of the frame or you can use double sided tape.
You can order these frames online. For example at frankenframes.com (select frames- floater frames - add dimensions at the right. Size 5x7 inch is $16).

Wednesday, October 14, 2015


"Waiting for a ride"
2x  6x6 inch
oil on stretched canvas
$85

They don't seem so eager but once saddled, those horses are ready to go. These two little paintings are based on a picture I took on a ranch in the hill country in Texas.

This painting is a triptych so it exists of 2 separate little paintings of 6x6 inch (15x15 cm). 

Thursday, September 24, 2015


"Nikki"
6x6 inch
oil on panel
SOLD

​I made this painting for the weekly challenge on www.dailypaintworks.com "the odd shaped shadow challenge". This idea popped up in my mind immediately and my sweet dog is my most eager model.

Tuesday, September 22, 2015


Texas house
oil on canvas
8x10 inch
SOLD

A typical house in the Heights in Houston. I made the reference picture before the summer. It was a grey day, with a bit of sun sometimes, typically Texas, it could change in an instant. I like to paint the strong light and shadow on sunny days but in grey weather the colors matter more because the contrast is gone. Good practice and it turned out the way I wanted!

Saturday, September 19, 2015


"Small kid, big dog"
oil on canvas
8x8 inch
SOLD

This cropped image caught my eye in the big picture. The feet were almost the same size :-)

Monday, September 14, 2015


"Towards the light"
Oil on canvas
8x8 inch
$65

This is Terschelling, one of the Dutch islands in the North. Such a small island, yet such emptyness and the feeling of being in the middle of nowhere. The beauty of a small country. I love it.

Clouds are great to paint. To keep the colors crisp I have to paint in at least 2 layers. I don't often paint landscapes but the light in this one was so amazing. I might do more.

Saturday, September 12, 2015


"Gettin' the cows"
8x8 inch
oil on canvas
$65

On a Texas ranch again, this is a combination of a few pictures and some imagination.
I adapted the background a bit to create depth - blue in the mountains and a more detailed foreground with contrasting colors (the complementary red and green). The cowboy dude also turned slowly into a different person. 
Painting from pictures is never a replica, that's what makes every painting so unique!


Of course, like always, I was stuck at some point in this one. It was quite in the beginning, I was trying different backgrounds. My daughter said: "Why do you always use the same colors, why not green or blue, that's nice".
Alright...let's try that. 
While I painted, I quickly explained some things to her (before she walked away again): "You have to be quick, to keep the looseness, see, "flats, flats", different strokes here at the foreground, some color maybe, see, some red spices it up".
Turns out this prevents me from overworking an area - I could just talk to an imaginary student next time I get stuck...

Tuesday, September 8, 2015


"House with a face"
8x10 inch
Oil on canvas
SOLD

I pass this house often and I can't help but think it sees me and even smiles. There is really a red, plastic chair at that place, like it sticks out its tongue. I wouldn't be surprised if, when I turn around, it will pull funny faces at me.

The blue fire hydrant was a painting on itself and also a great item for the foreground. For this painting I really only had to crop to this view, I didn't had to adjust anything.
And again... just around the corner.

Thursday, September 3, 2015


"Gonna keep this bag"
8x10 inch (20x25 cm)
Oil on stretched canvas
$75

I love to use this A&F bag until it tears. This way it will stay forever :-)

I have been working a long time at this one. In my head I had it clear and easy, but when I decide on background etc while I am painting, it doesn't turn out the way I had imagined...Also, I didn't want to take the time to think first and make color sketches...

I made shops in the background but it took the focus off the bag completely. Also the background was too light. I had to think: "What do I want to capture in this painting, what makes me want to paint this?" That was the bag. It had to stand out but shouldn't be on it's own.
So, a few layers later, I like it.  I'm glad I didn't throw it out at the "I'm-stuck-climax" point. It is an extreme mood lifter if it works out in the end!

Monday, August 31, 2015


"Beach ride"
8x10 inch (20x25 cm)
Oil on stretched canvas
$75

There is no better way to get fresh air at the beach than this,, 
This is Galveston beach, Texas. Standing on a porch, a bit above the beach, I quickly captured the moment with loose brushstrokes and lots of paint. This is the way I like to do it, it is a great, expressive way and you don't get stuck on the details. 

"The Rotte of Rotterdam"
8x10 inch (20x25 cm)
Oil on canvas
$75

Again, one from my trip back to Holland. Just a step outside of the city, a 2 minute walk from my house and the busy citylife, you find this. Typical Dutch, just beautiful. The longer I am away, the more amazed I am by the many different scenes in this little country (Holland fits 16 times in the state of Texas alone...)

This painting was made in Rotterdam. The river is called 'de Rotte'.
I notice I make a lot of paintings from just around the corner of my house, wherever I live :-)

Saturday, August 29, 2015


"Sun and drinks in Rotterdam"
8x8 inch (20x20 cm)
Oil on stretched canvas

$65

I'm back home from being away - or am I away from being back home? I'm not sure but a change of place gives new inspiration. 
I did this painting from a scene I passed in Rotterdam city, my city where it feels most like home. The sun comes out and no one wants to miss out, enjoy the warmth quickly because, like in Texas, weather can change in an instant. Except that in Holland it's rarely hot and if it is, it feels super special and everyone is happy. I feel that again when I see this painting, I wonder if others do too...

Tuesday, July 28, 2015


"I found a cat"
8x10 inch (20x25 cm)
oil on stretched canvas
$75


At a ranch in Texas. It was a funny sight to see this girl drag the huge cat around. She found it somewhere and the cat was happy and relaxed, just hanging there. 

Thursday, July 23, 2015


Waiting for mail
8x10 inch (20x25 cm)
oil on stretched canvas

This painting is SOLD

These mailboxes I found om my trip to the hill country, Texas. They were standing so patiently in the heat, leaning towards eachother.
I found the one with the Texas flag at another house. In my painting I replaced one of the mailboxes with the Texas one. It makes it just more colorful and I like, because I live here, to add a bit of Texas to a painting.
I struggled a bit to keep the background out of focus, there are a few layers of paint on this canvas, but the more texture the better. I am happy with the finished result! It makes my day when that happens, my mood depends on this...



Coffee stop
6x6 inch
oil on gessoboard
$55


People in the city inspire me to paint- sometimes it's girlfriends shopping, sometimes it's a dogwalker who is a lookalike of his or her dog, sometimes it's a tattooed bikerider on his way somewhere, locking his bike to get a Starbucks coffee.

Sunday, July 19, 2015






The Majestic Metro
8x10 inch
oil on stretched canvas
$75

You can buy this in my etsy shop www.etsy.com/shop/DalessiArt

Click the link to go to this painting in my shop:

The Majestic Metro is a historic event venue in downtown Houston. The famous graffiti wall is sneaking through the tree.

The graffiti wall disappeared slowly behind the tree whilst painting. I didn't realize this until I looked at the pictures I took from steps in my painting process. I sometimes do this to check afterwards if I overworked a painting and where I should have stopped. I learn for next time.

These are the steps (sorry for the poor quality, but it's just to give an impression):

 First a rough sketch for the right composition and perspective.
 I quickly block in the canvas with color (I slightly toned the canvas so it's not bright white anymore, otherwise the colors you use will be easily too light).


Adding details where I found it necessary. I wanted to capture the sunshine.
I always like people in my paintings, it gives more life and dimension to it.

The end result. I maybe should have made the tree a little less leafy...

Thursday, July 16, 2015


Camouflaged squirrel
8x8 inch
oil on stretched canvas
$65

Buy this on:

Squirrels you see everywhere here in the city. They look cute, cheeky and come fairly close for a good picture.
This one sat so still, it was like it tried to change its color like a chameleon. Which kind of worked, he chose a good tree and a spot in the shade.

Tuesday, July 14, 2015


Texas pickup truck
8x10 inch
oil on canvas
$75
SOLD

The lone star state, the Texas flag on a pickup truck- this is real Texas, I love it!

Sunday, July 12, 2015



Red umbrella's
oil on stretched canvas
8x8 inch
This painting is SOLD

The atmosphere of this terrace attracted me to paint this. The people feeling relaxed, late afternoon, nice temperature outside, having a beer. The umbrella's were green, but I liked them better red so they would contrast nicely with the green surrounding.
Behind the people you can vaguely see the wall with black and white art. 

Saturday, July 11, 2015



Starbucks on the corner
8x8 inch (20x20 cm)
oil on canvas
$ 65

SOLD

This Starbucks cityscape I painted from pictures I took. I feel I get better with the daily painting, this one catches the atmosphere and colors well!
Lots of Starbucks's (Starbuckses?) in my neighbourhood, this is my favorite one. In the distance you can see the buildings of downtown Houston.
I try to keep my painting loose, it gets better but doesn't come naturally to me. I have to push myself to use the biggest brush possible and only the small one for last detailing.

Sunday, June 28, 2015


"Grazing with mum"
Oil on stretched canvas, 8x10 inch
SOLD

I love to paint longhorns since I live in Texas. If you see a longhorn, you think Texas. Well, at least I do. They are around to see and touch when the rodeo is in town in februari each year. You can also see them grazing if you drive just out of the city.

Because I am painting daily now (thanks to Carol Marine's book "daily painting", she has been a huge inspiration for me), I feel more confident to paint loose and bold. I use bigger brushes and found out that blocking in the background can be done with a lot of color variation to make it more interesting instantly from the start. Greg Nelson describes this technique in his book "60 minutes to better painting", I learned a lot from this book. I love the quickness in his paintings and how he describes it so very well.

I usually tone the canvas with a wiped out layer of burned sienna and block the darks with a darker layer of burned sienna. I wipe out the lights where necessary and I can better create the dark & light values after that.
Now I tried to block in with different tones. Burned sienna for the head, add ultramarine for the shadowparts underneath the belly and burned umber in the neck of the calf.
It helps me not to see an animal but just colortones (in the context of: paint what you see, not what you think you see).
Interesting...

Friday, June 26, 2015


"The house with the flag"

8x8 inch
oil on stretched canvas
This painting is SOLD

I walk around in the streets where I live and I see so many houses that I want to paint. This house was there, in the middle of the green trees and the townhouses. The flag cought the sunlight. Let's say this is house 1 in my house-series. I really enjoyed making it.

Tuesday, June 23, 2015

Portrait of Nikki


"Portrait of Nikki"
Oil on gessobord, 6 x 6 inches
NFS

This is my Chion, the cutest dog in the world!
I painted this from a picture because she is too young to sit still for longer than a second.
This painting is not for sale.

If you want to see my available paintings, you can go to:
www.etsy.com/shop/DalessiArt



Monday, June 22, 2015


"American schoolbus"
8x8 inch
Painted in oil on stretched canvas (around 3/4 inch thick frame)
This painting is SOLD

The yellow American schoolbusses are lined up at the schoolground. I like the yellow although painting bright yellow busses is harder than I thought. For shadows I used orange, blue and green versions of yellow.

Sunday, June 21, 2015

Starting my blog

"With mum"

This painting is 8x10 inch
Painted in oil on stretched canvas (3/4 inch thick)
$75
You can buy it on: www.etsy.com/shop/DalessiArt

I will start my blog with horses. I've  been drawing them since my obsession for them started as a child, and I love to paint them. Painted many, and will continue to do so.
Within the safety of this subject, I feel free to try new things. I always stay realistic though. With this painting I like how the effect of the use of complementary colors worked out. The purple in the background sets a nice contrast with the yellowish horses. I wish the process of all paintings went this smooth.