I'm one half of the duo, The Uke Box together with Marko van der Horst. I sing, play the Ukulele, have gotten pretty handy at the Singing Saw, and i'm a bad ass on the Washtub Bass : ). We perform internationally, host 'The Ukulele Jamboree' in Rotterdam and are the founders of 'The Big Damn Ukulele Band'
Music is also the greatest inspiration for my other art & craft passions such as Cigarbox Instrument Construction, Graphic Design, Painting and All-Round Tinkering.
This blog is my little showroom where i display my work and present various projects with personal items of interest thrown in between. I hope you enjoy your visit. If you like what you are reading, seeing and/or hearing here and are interested in employing my talents or just have something to share, i would love to hear from you.
There is a ukulele festival coming up on the 8th, 9th and 10th of October which i think is going to be really special. It will be held in Worthing, West Sussex, UK. I've never been there but it looks like a gorgeous seaside town.
Oh, and The Uke Box will be performing there as well! We'll also be giving a beginners workshop and will have our 'Jumping Flea Market' set up. We are very honored to be included in such an amazing group of artists and are really looking forward to it. Hope to see you there!
for a little camping trip in the Veluwe. Just Marko and i, two ukes, a couple pair of overalls and an old canvas tent. Oh, and NO laptop! Later, Sweet Potat'rs...
You ukulele players out there just adore sharing your love of the ukulele with others. And rightfully so, being such an easy instrument to pick up and one to which you can dedicate a lifetime learning and, most importantly, enjoying the hell out of it! I designed this t-shirt which makes it easy to teach others the 3 basic chords C, F & G7 and get folks ukulele-ing! The t-Shirts are good quality 'Fruit of the Loom's' and come in Small, Medium, Large and X-tra Large. Place your order here!
but Holland lost the final of the World Cup. Although, if you would have seen Amsterdam today you would have never believed it. The team was carried through the canals by boat and it was absolute madness. You know, I've never been fond of the color Orange but since this tournament i've kind of grown fond it. And just to ed this story on a positive note, look what i found when i googled 'orange'... A Hohner Compadre Accordion. Isn't it a beautiful design? A modern twist on a traditional form, lovely.
The Dutch have made it to the finals of the World Cup and OH MY what a PARTY. Everything is Orange and folks done lost their minds. Why Orange since the Dutch flag is Red, White and Blue?
Oranje (Orange) is the color of the Dutch Royal Family. The lineage of the current dynasty -- the House of Oranje-Nassau -- dates back to Willem van Oranje (William of Orange). But while the color orange has royal roots in the Netherlands, today it symbolizes a broader pride in the country and in being Dutch.
The final is Sunday which will be played against either Spain or..... Germany. Whoaaaaaa. (The Dutch have just a teeny tiny little bit of animosity towards the Germans. You see, they beat them in the final in '74 and there's the..., uh, war. Oh damn, did i mention the war?) Anyway, it's just a game right? Oh my.
On the lighter side, here's a fun musical twist, The Dutch National Anthem. Grab your orange ukulele and play along!
From the December Issue of Modern Mechanix, 1933
This article actually suggests rounding up cats in the neighborhood with different pitches and then goes further to provide a diagram which tells you which tails to twist to play 'Home Sweet Home'. There is even a photograph of folks attempting to do this. WHA'?!!! Good Grief, call Animal Wellfare, the crazy cat lady is starting a kitty orchestra! Click on the images and ZOOM!
Source: Modern Mechanix
The term Outsider Art was coined by art critic Roger Cardinal in 1972 as an English synonym for Art Brut (which literally translates as "Raw Art" or "Rough Art"), a label created by French artist Jean Dubuffet to describe art created outside the boundaries of official culture; Dubuffet focused particularly on art by insane asylum inmates.
While Dubuffet's term is quite specific, the English term "Outsider Art" is often applied more broadly, to include certain self-taught or Naïve art makers who were never institutionalized. Typically, those labeled as Outsider Artists have little or no contact with the institutions of the mainstream art world; in many cases, their work is discovered only after their deaths. Much Outsider Art illustrates extreme mental states, unconventional ideas, or elaborate fantasy worlds.
Fishes For Atticus
Click with your mouse to feed them...they're very hungry!
“When I am in a painting, I'm not aware of what I'm doing. It is only after a sort of 'get acquainted' period that I see what I have been about. I have no fears about making changes, destroying the image, etc, because the painting has a life of its own. I try to let it come through. It is only when I lose contact with the painting that the result is a mess. Otherwise there is pure harmony, an easy give and take, and the painting comes out well.”
click & paint...click again to paint with a new color! Oh, and don't forget to chain smoke, drink heavily and fly into a rage while your doing it. Otherwise, it doesn't count!