More new additions to my Witty Art Book 'My Life In Limbo'

My Witty Artbook 'My Life In Limbo' is taking me into directions I did not expect at all. When I first started it, I thought it'd be merely a daily, personal reflection on my temporary homeless existence. But it is really turning out much more like an indepth investigation on what Witty Art really is about, where it derives from, where certain characters come from, as I once again have to admit to myself that this feeling of displacement is not new to me. It, somehow, has always been within me, but because of the way my whole life has been turned upside down, the feeling has been intensified immensily.

 

This may sound like an uneasy process, but really, it's not. Although confronting at times, it's mostly exciting and and makes me look at my own work in unexptected, surprising new ways. And I can see a lot of old, trusted Witty Art characters appear and reappear, and even a couple of new ones emerging.

In a way, you could say it has become much more a reflection by Witty Art Characters on their ''creator'', as they leave a range of mildy ironic or even wildly sarcastic comments on ''her'' life and the choices and decisions she makes. Their comments vary from well-meant advice to slightly affectionate mockery, though they often end up bickering amongst each other. On who was created first, for instance. Or whether they were created at all.

I suppose it's a bit of a battle between 'The Artist' and her 'Artwork', a theme I was already  visualising in a series of quirky selfportraits (selfies) called 'ARTificial Uprising' and which has now clearly become a main theme of my artbook 'Life In Limbo'.

If it's indeed a battle of some kind, it's not exactly clear, who really has the upper hand. I guess, time will tell - as it will all be documented in this latest art project of mine, which has, rapidly and irreversibly, has become one of my dearest. Because, it is indeed my life that is indeed in huge limbo, Witty Art is NOT.

Because, however displaced and disconnected I might be, I will always keep on creating my art. Simply, because I have to.

It's an urge. It's a life force. And I am priviliged to share it with you all. 

(And oh, while you at it, do feel free to read the first blog I wrote about 'My Life In Limbo' here) 

Selectie van Witty Art nog steeds te zien bij Ookami!

Nog altijd te bekijken: een selectie van Witty Art bij koffiebar Ookami / Heilige Rotterdamse Boontjes Koffie aan het Burgemeester Meineszplein 19, Rotterdam. Een bijzondere plek, waar ze niet alleen bijzondere, zelfgebrande koffie schenken maar koffie met een missie.

Lees daarover meer op hun website.

'My Life In Limbo': a Witty Art Book about My Life In Transition

Recently, my life has been up-rooted by a series of major changes. Perhaps the biggest one was me having to leave my house. Or, a bit less poetically: me having to sell my house. Or, because there is simply no sugarcoating this one: the bank sold my house. The clinical term being: forth closure.

It marked both the end of a time of great uncertainty and, however uncertain my immediate future is in terms of living conditions, I do feel free from the burden that that house had become. 

Yet at the same time, I do experience a feeling of loss, as it once was a place I'd called home and had provided a safe haven after an earlier restart in my life. It was the place that had witnessed the rebirth of Witty Art. Many, many drawings were created there.

But, in the back of my mind I'd always known that it was not to be my end station. I just never expected that when I'd leave, it would be like this.

Without going in too much detail, I now also find myself in the middle of what I can only describe as one seemingly neverending burocratic horrorstory. One big bunch of tangled, almost inextricable red tape, thanks to which I now am temporary homeless. Currently, I am living the life of a 21st century city nomad, living out of a suitcase (well, a couple, to be honest) and staying over at good and trusted friend's places and housesitting for those who are on holiday.

So, yes, the future is just as uncertain. But as old doors are being shut down, new ones open. There is a whole world out there, full of possibilities and adventures, for both myself and Witty Art. And one thing I can and will promise all of you out there, however hard, however difficult, however challenging, I won't back away. I will face it, walk towards it, perhaps run, triple over a few times, fall, fall again and fail over and over again while trying.

But I will NOT give up.

All I can say is: thank the Lords & Ladies for all the support I got from trusted, loyal friends and even from total strangers, who stepped up to help me unconditionally and without any form of judgement.

Because I've met quite some Judgementalists out there...now, they'd better watch out as there will be a Witty Art series dedicated to those people with their narrow minds and shallow opinions. And trust me, they won't look too good in it!

Anyway, as my life is in both Turmoil and Transition, perhaps one of my most personal series of drawings is starting to emerge. Or rather, the outlines for it. Sketches made with a simple fineliner, straight from the heart and the mind onto the blank paper of a simple sketchbook, an unexpected but special gift from someone I hold dear.

... and out came the drawings, thoughts, notes, sketches, words & images. And however personal, I decided to share them with friends, fans & followers of Witty Art. I will upload them on my Instagram almost daily and share them in an photo album on my Facebook page; and ofcourse, here, on my Witty Art Blog. 

So, here it is. My first Witty Art Book: 'My Life In Limbo'.

Well, to be honest, it's not the very first book, but the first one I am going to share with you all; and perhaps there might be more, who knows?

Consider it a very personal, if not intimate, diary of my journey for the coming time. And however personal, however intimate, I feel the need to share it with you.

I can only hope you'll appreciate it. 

'Of Wolf and Mice': a Tale of Evil and Lesser Evils

 
Back in January 2012, I worked on a live art performance in joint collaboration with actress/performer Margo van der Linde. She and I were asked to develop a gig for the first edition of art manifestation Winterwolven (Winterwolves), held at the venue WORM in Rotterdam. This gig witnessed the birth of one of my other alter ego;s (yes, other than Miss Witty), called Frau Doctor Katerina Wittenstein. The ebodiment of a crazy scientist obsessed with creating the perfect mix between a wolf and a mouse, the latter brought to life by my creative partner Margo. It all made for a succesfull live art performance, a combination of both theatre and visual art, of improvised acting as well as role playing.

WORM's escalator was transformed into Frau Dr.'s Wittenstein's laboratory, the scene of sinister and devious experiments with a whole bunch of innocent mice. This bascially meant the lift's walls were covered with blank sheets of white paper, on which I was continiously drawing scenes from life in this evil environment. Spectators were lured in the lift one by one and were witness to the bizarre relationship between the Doctor and her life-sized pet Mouse. A relationship that spiralled out of control as the performance developed, because, surprise, surprise, nothing is what it appears to be.

You see, the relationship between Frau Doctor and The Mouse is an interesting one, as the latter is not so innocent as one might expect. Far from it. This Mouse acts as an opportunist accomplice to Dr. Wittensteins malicous plans to turn poor unsuspecting rodents into merciless lupine killers. In fact, she might very well be the first result of one of the Dr's earlier experiments. One gone horridly wrong, because, Evil Genius or not, Frau Wittenstein does not always fully know where she's at with her very first creation. Because, it wouldn't be the first time in history, man's own artificial design turns against him...

Basically, it's classic story of struggle between evil; and a whole array of lesser evils and innocent individuals getting caught up in between. And, not surprisingly, what appears to be good does no good whatsoever; and what seems evil, might not be all that bad after all... 

These are the ingredients for a Witty Art Fairy Tale called 'Of Wolf And Mice' I have, in between all other things, been working on behind the scenes. It's far from finished, still in its early stages to be honest, but I felt an urge to share it with fans and followers of my work, as I find that once I do so, work starts to develop more rapidly. 

So, here are the first drafts, quick sketches made during the live art performance it all started with back in January 2012. I plan to post some newly made ones online soon!

ARTificial Uprising #10: or just a bad case of Artist Paranoia?

You can never be fully sure.. You can never feel fully safe... 

To be continued....

Pop Up Pin Up a la Witty : tribute to the great masters of Pin Up Art!

So, last Saturday was the last day of our series of Pop Up Exhibitions at the Entrepotbuilding, Rotterdam. It coincided with a North America themed festival, with lots of vintage cars and hot rods present, so I got inspired to draw Pin Ups.

Now, it's no that I am a great lover of the classic vintage and pin up era and I am a great admirer of the work of the great pin up artists such as Gil Elvgren. So, I decided to create a series dedicated to their work and the great pin ups of the forties and fiftties. All Witty Styled, ofcourse! 

The result so far: a series of graphite pencil sketches featuring a bunch of hybrid pin-ups, as one visitor described it: ''Seriously bad ass sexy and seriously bad ass sinister as well!''

Well, that's how I like Witty Art to be!

SOLD: Witty Art series 'Crawl On The Catwalk'

Created towards the end of 2014, it got showcased for the first time during this summer's Pop Up Expo at Entrepothaven Area, Rotterdam. And it found a new home straight away, as the whole series so far has been picked up by one and the same, very enthusiastic new owner.

My series 'Crawl On The Catwalk', for now consisted out of five drawings. They were inspired by a documentay about the French fashion house Lanvin and his extraordinary designer Alber Elbaz.