It is wise to look at my photo stream using the ALBUMS. This means: order according to subject.

And there are texts to my pics and also to the albums. Important for some pictures, especially for the illustrations, strips.

And it can be nice to read the valuable comments I got. From several members of Flickr.

I also made galleries and favorites - enjoying the work of other Flickr. members. You can enjoy these here too.

  

Eva Maria 2010's photos on Flickriver A LINK TO MY FLICKR RIVER---an other possibility to see my stream.

   

About my background.

I have worked mostly as flex docent history/art history. VWO. HBO. Retired now. (Born 1949).

I do not give lessons anymore - it was heavy work during many years that took a lot of my time and energy. Flex work for schools is like that. Always a lot of new administration, books, lessons, examinations to be made quickly, many new students, each year. Although it is nice to be a docent and can give pleasure and it is interesting to have experience with many school types, school cultures - they are often so surprisingly different - I think flex work is for (history) docents in the long run exhausting. And flex teachers - only a bit knowing their students or the school - is this good for the young students? But it has become a growing trend in my country: flex work for docents. For other professionals too: flexwork and free lance work, a complex situation now for about one third of the working people. And hard to avoid. Allthough..teachers nowadays..there is a shortage now..for the young do not want to become teacher in such a situation..so it can be expected condition will be made better. In my time there were too many teachers wanting a job. It is all economy..too much ..or not enough.

 

I also had other jobs. Especially the work, during a short period, for the historical Museum Amsterdam and the museum of modern art in Amsterdam, the Stedelijk Museum, I enjoyed. The historical museum .. people worked there..often born in Amsterdam..with real knowledge and love for the old town and the progressive culture of the sixties. During the period I worked there, they were building up with enthusiasm this museum in a great new complex. Trying to give more insight in the culture of this town. Starting educative projects. So many new ideas. And humor. A historical museum a dull place? No. With Bob Haak as a democratic director they created this place, it became a great spot to be in Amsterdam. It was a fine experience for me to work together with these gifted and idealistic people.

 

I also make drawings, illustrations, strips. Columns. Still working as a freelancer.

 

I combined a university study in art history and history (my family insisted that I did an universitary study and not - as I wished - only during the daytime an academy of art) with some years of professional training at art academies in the evenings, the Rietveld academy and the Rijks academy in Amsterdam. How I enjoyed these quiet evenings of drawing and painting! Not easy to combine with my university study and my work as a docent, of course, five evenings a week this study on an academy of art. After leaving the Rijksacademy because I found a job as a docent, I followed courses, for instance a very pleasant course: drawing strips, with Winston Delano Harms at the Volksuniversiteit. I also did later model drawing and portraits in several clubs. Because I often had only restricted time and place I decided to use mainly simple techniques, for instance no oil paint, etching etc. I have some practical knowledge of all those techniques and I know how much time it would take to learn to use them in a good and professional manner.

  

Around 2000 after my early pension I did again model drawing at a drawing club and joined their local groupexhibitions.

In 2002/2003 as an older person I went again to the art academy, now in Rotterdam (Willem de Kooning) for an orientation course, making drawings there. And did elsewhere a short course for illustration. This was very pleasant and I loved the professional attitude. So fine to be back in this quiet, serious and playful atmosphere of experiment and research. In a quiet studio.

 

Long ago I had a small solo exhibition of lead pencil drawings in Amsterdam: in Museum Ons Lieve Heer op Solder. Later I joined some group exhibitions. And I made in commission cards for birth, marriage and parties. I also made postcards: for Christmas, vacations and other occasions. I published some illustrations and stories in magazines. And corrected texts for others. This was freelance work. I combined this with my work as a teacher.

 

I like to hear/make music, sing, play flute and did - with pleasure - professional courses for the musical education of children and made with pleasure some very simple and mostly comic songs for kids with illustrations. A few of them I placed here.

  

I never use photos as a base for drawings.

For me it is seldom an aim to make drawings in a photographic way, naturalistic or according to existing classical academical rules.

At this age I look back at many unfinished sketches and stories, also some art historical texts, concepts, I made in earlier days. As a busy teacher I had seldom time to finish them. Now as a pensionado I hope to have more time for this.

I discovered it takes so much time and concentration to finish sketches and concepts! And quiet surroundings!

After a movement to a rent house in a 55+ complex in the old centre of the provincial city where I live now I was often confronted with unpleasant asocial situations. Like small criminality and stalkers in my neighborhood. And a failing police and renter. Refusing to listen to the signals of people. I did not know the existence of such situations - so extreme - is allowed in my "well organised" and rich country. But in this city where I live now they are considered as "normal". There is a lot of small criminality and use of drugs/alcoholics in this small town. It is not easy to find an other renthouse and move to my own birthcity again. I was used to a life in the capital Amsterdam in civilised parts. So these situations are for me not "normal". They should not be called so. I am rather angry ..so much of my last years and the time lost ..I wished to do my work ..but I was forced here to spend so much time to juridical and social affairs..To defend other people and myself against stalkers in the neighborhood..stalkers ..dangerous confused people wanting to harm aged, innocent people they hardly know. I learned a lot about these affairs and perhaps my juridical protest is a help for others? It is a shame this happens and is allowed here in this town. Does no one know or care? In such a rich country with laws. People do not know enough about this. Something of this new experience in this city can be seen in my Flickr.site. And sure: also a lot of better experiences! The main reason I keep my site anonymous are these asocial stalkers in my unsafe neighborhood.

Because I try to finish now old work and also make some new work there is a mixture of old and new work in my stream.

In my Flickr. site: also some not yet finished stories and historical research for archives. Also part of a start for a short biography about the artist Erna Landweer. I did research for this and collected information, had mail contact with her family and friends and should love to finish her biography - as I promised them - and place an article about her on Wikipedia. I am very sorry I could not finish this work because I was forced to write so many mails to my lawyer. in confrontation with the circumstances of the place where I live. But some resistance against asocial and unlawful situations can be needed and forced upon persons. I knew Erna during years.

  

The first part of my life I lived in the popular capital Amsterdam and in Amstelveen in civilized, modern and rather safe neighborhoods. I followed there pleasant schools. As a young child of 9/12 I was allowed to follow courses on the "Werkschuit" a new and experimental centre for children, where they were encouraged to keep "free expression" in drawing . Following the ideas of for instance the artist movement Cobra. Later I lived on a modern student campus. A privilege, I realise now. These were good and protected places for work and study (and pleasures). The slums in Amsterdam I hardly knew. Only some rumors about them. There was seldom reason to visit these slums. Only during some short jobs during schoolvacations and later as a teacher sometimes I saw glimpses of the difficult life in these slums. At forty I moved to a small provincial town. Parts are rather poor and there is a heavy chemical industry near part of the houses and there are scandals about (during years hidden) pollution in that area. People living there are advised not to eat the fruit and greens from their garden. The drinking water contains forbidden chemicals here in this whole area. Was discovered some years ago. So there are people here that buy bottles with water from elsewhere. Authorities here say these chemicals in the water are not really harmful, only forbidden by law. Some of the most neglected and lawless slums - some of these are suburbs - of the country are - during long years - a big part of this city - and called: no go areas. I also saw there schools that did not have the qualities I was used to as a youngster. Poor kids..dull...no festivities, excursions, music and often unqualified teachers..to give them a chance that culture has to offer. There are better schools too in this area, of course.

In this town is a high rate of small criminality. There is no student life, there are no institutes for high education, there is hardly a critical press: for - as I heard - they do often not dare here to be critical. It is of course not a popular city according to the statistics. The population is diminishing, most other cities in my country are growing. Although this small city has also qualities. Some fine old architecture is not broken down in the centre - nice for turism - and there are some places for art and recreational green areas and parts with good new or renovated old houses. But It is a pity these big, neglected slums are also created . It is a mentality to find this normal..I do distrust. What is normal? There is some discussion about these situations in my country. I know in other countries this also does exist and can be worse ..according to the media.

So..this is not at all a quiet, peaceful provincial town like some old friends from Amsterdam think. Like I thought before I started to live here. Sure: the traffic is not so hectic as in Amsterdam. And there are far less turists and no students in the old centre, of course. So the centre of this town is less crowded. I know the complaints about life in the old centre of Amsterdam: too full, too crowded. And gentrification. Too much turism. like in other important capitals in other countries. But the capital Amsterdam .. parts of that town are far more interesting and less criminal.

  

Text in my stream is often kept simple, especially the English text. Not perfect, I know. My English is limited.

 

I enjoy looking at Flickr. It has been a real discovery to find all those pictures here! I am thankful for all the interesting pictures and stories I can find this way. Seeing all this I liked to share some of my own pictures and stories.

  

My work is on purchase.

  

As an professional art historian I also offer freelance some assistance: for redaction work, biographies, art historical research, excursions, websites and expositions for people who want to show their work.

  

2014 I started to place some very short Dutch texts and illustrations here:

www.lettertempel.nl/profiel.asp?uname=evamaria