There is a place that almost no one can simply visit.
— Voorhout
No public path. No sign by the road. Not somewhere you might happen to pass and think: let’s see what is going on here. You have to know it exists. And you have to be invited.
That is where our outdoor studio is.
The chickens were already living there
By now, the chickens belong to this place just as much as the trees, the water, the grass and everything that scratches around, grows, falls over or begins again.
They walk past while I work. They peck at the soil, interfere with everything and show absolutely no interest in a painting or artwork unless it is edible.
I like that. They immediately make the place less solemn. A great deal can happen in a studio, but taking yourself too seriously does not last long here.
What I see when I look up
Today, I filmed the view from my outdoor studio.
Not only the part that looks beautiful on camera, but also the movement in between. The greenery that refuses to grow neatly. The light that keeps changing. Water, air, branches, grass and the small shifts you only begin to notice when you stay in the same place for a while.
It is not a backdrop to my work. Sometimes I work, and sometimes I mostly look. The difference is smaller than it sounds. And that is new for me. AI-generated texts often talk endlessly about “slowing down”, but here it simply happens by itself.
A Different Kind of Studio
We call it our secret place because, quite literally, it is. This garden and outdoor studio are not freely accessible. Only we come here, along with the people we deliberately invite.
Not everything has to remain permanently open. Not every space needs to be shared or explained. Perhaps that is exactly why I can work so well here.
My table in the ‘boshut’ is full of studies and experiments. There is process everywhere. The work does not have to prove itself yet. It feels completely different from my indoor studio. Things can begin here without immediately having to become something.
Over the coming period, I will share more images of this place and of the work that begins here.
This place is deeply connected to my work as an artist. It is small and wonderfully messy. The freedom and peace it gives Rob and me make it our own little Valhalla.
My indoor studio in Voorhout can be visited by appointment. More about studio visits →
