Happy to announce that my painting of ‘Adam’ has been through the first selection for the Almenara Art Prize 2023.

1^st round:

Almenara Art Prize 2023 Online exhibition

Dates: 1^st August – 31^st October 2023

link to The Almenara Collection

link to online exhibition

“The Almenara Art Prize is an international online painting competition that offers more than $22000 in cash awards and other prizes. Categories include Figurative, Portrait, Drawing, Landscape, Plein Air Painting and Still Life.

Almenara is a non-profit initiative to promote artists and an online and social media platform to connect artists, art lovers, collectors, galleries, and other prominent people around the art world. We organize events and art contests and collaborate with art schools, art organizations and clubs. We also promote artists, their works, and exhibitions. “

Thanks to Adam, who inspired me with his gaze and the bunch of hair that swirls down on his face.

Special thanks to my partner Franco for all his support and advice.

Thanks to the jury: B. Eric Rhoads, Suzie Baker, Christine Drewyer, Peter Trippi, Bryan Mark Taylor, Dan Thompson, John Dalton, John Pototschnik, Gabriela Gonzalez Dellosso, Joe Paquet, and Emilie C. Dietrich.

During the London Art Biennale my painting of ‘Adam, portrait of a boy’ won the Chianciano Museum Award. 

With 24 other artists out of the 400 selected exhibited artists, I’ll get the opportunity to take part in the Chianciano Art Biennale 2024.

2023 Prize Winners

“Chianciano Art Museum Award:

25 artists to be selected for group show at the Chianciano Art Museum and in the Clancianum Art Galleries that surround the 12th Century Piazza of Chianciano Terme, Tuscany, Italy. The show will be part of the Chianciano Biennale 2024.

The Chianciano Art Museum hosts a series of collections ranging from Neolithic and Asiatic to Contemporary art. There are approximately a thousand works on display. 25 artists will be selected from the London Art Biennale for an exhibition that will take place in the summer of 2024. A museum exhibition is the perfect way to advance an artist’s career.“

Thanks to Adam, who inspired me with his gaze and the bunch of hair that swirls down on his face.

Special thanks to my partner Franco for all his support and advice.

During the weekend of 1^st and 2^nd of July artists Loes Verbeek and Bastiaen Vries will organize an OPEN ATELIER, displaying a selection of their works.

Join us for two days of inspiration and love for art.

Loes: sculptures in bronze, ceramics, and model drawings.

Bastiaen: portrait drawings and oil paintings.

The atelier will be open to the public on:

Saturday 1^st and Sunday 2^nd July

from 11 AM to 17 PM.

Location:

Ruysdaelkade 63 sous

AMSTERDAM

In ‘de Pijp’ … around the corner of the Rijksmuseum.

For more information please contact info@bastiaen.art

So thrilled and proud that my painting of ‘Adam, portrait of a boy’ has been selected for the London Art Biennale 2023.

“The 6^th edition of the London Art Biennale presents over 350 talented artists from all around the world, emerging and established, in a celebration of contemporary art.

The focus is on painting, works on paper, sculpture, applied arts and digital art, professionally curated to give the viewers and collectors a stimulating yet coherent experience. The London Art Biennale is a museum level award exhibition curated by the International Confederation of Art Critics, the Chianciano Art Museum and Gagliardi Gallery.”

Dates: 27th – 30th July 2023. Free entrance.

Location: Chelsea Old Town Hall, King’s Road, London, UK

Thanks to Adam, who inspired me with his gaze and the bunch of hair that swirls down on his face.

Special thanks to my partner Franco for all his support and advice.

Visit website of London Art Biennale 2023

Please contact me for portraits in commission.

Painting portraits inspires me because human faces are so distinct, and there is a whole world to read in them: strength, pain, joy, love and much more.

I describe my style as ‘Human Realism’. Expressive portraits with a soul. I aim to catch the person’s soul and try to convey in the portrait both the strength and the vulnerability, capturing their ‘being’, and eternalizing the person. I want the viewer to perceive real people, real characters.

When the portrait comes to life something magical happens, something that gives me the feeling that the person in the painting is looking back at me; almost having a silent conversation with me. In that very moment I feel I have come to the essence.

I prefer to work in oil paint on Belgium linen canvas. Like many of the ‘old masters’, I first apply a background in ochre, and set the contour with the pencil. Then I start the portrait in ‘imprimatura’ namely using earth tones, which will allow light falling onto the painting to reflect through the paint layers. Then I proceed applying colours, layer upon layer, with transparent paint strokes from dark to light to reach real expressions. My colour palette is very small and focused; I mix all colours into different values. I also use glazing as a technique to get even more depth in the work.

So happy and proud that my portrait of Adam has been short listed by the British Royal Society of Portrait Painters for the Annual Exhibition 2023 at Mall Galeries in London.

Thanks to the judges! The final round will be in Mall Galeries London in March.

Special thanks to my partner Franco for all his support and advice.

Thanks to Adam, who inspired me with his gaze and the bunch of hair that swirls down on his face. Mesmerized by the firmness of the line of light from the cheekbone left to the forehead.

The Royal Society of Portrait Painters was founded in 1891 by the leading portrait painters of the day. Being dissatisfied with the selection policies of the Royal Academy for its annual exhibition in London, they formed a new body to be concerned solely with portrait painting.

2023 Annual Exhibition 4 – 14 May at Mall Galleries, London SW1.

Celebrating the best in contemporary portraiture. A major showcase for some 200 recent portraits it is the largest contemporary portrait exhibition in the UK. It is formed by a cohort of work by distinguished members alongside works by non-member artists who have successfully competed to be included in the show. Unlike other shows, the works are entirely selected by portrait painters. The exhibition aims to include the best of a wide variety of styles in painted and drawn media. Many prizes are awarded via the Annual Exhibition.

My painting titled ‘Adam’ came in the Top 10 of the contest ‘Painting of the Year’ organised by De Kunst Collega’s B.V.

Around 600 paintings were submitted from all over the world.

‘Adam’ painting with the other winners have been exhibited during the ‘Art Eindhoven Fair’ beginning of February 2023.

The professional jury was composed by:

• Edwin Becker – conservator and head of exhibition of ‘Van Gogh Museum’, Amsterdam
• Ralph Keuning – art historian and former director of Museum ‘de Fundatie’, Zwolle
• Loes Botman – artist and writer for art magazines
• Raoul Locht – chairman of ‘Stichting Kunstweek’ and director of ‘De Kunst Collega’s b.v.’

Here below the jury review:

“This is another fine one, from a bunch of hair that takes up the entire top of the painting, a face swirl down. The hair is convincingly painted with just enough light and dark. And out of all that dark tangle there emerges an almost transparent skin. The movement of brush strokes go with the shape and that gives the work so much extra dimension. Very beautiful all those glazed lines. The soft tones working with each other. Almost tactile is the skin. The attention goes not to the eyes but to the mouth. Supported by the deep blue at the bottom of the work. The skin is enveloped by that blue. The line light from the cheekbone left to the forehead gives the work firmness. This is Mastery!”

About ‘Painting of the Year’:

Painting of the Year is an annual competition, organized by De Kunst Collega’s B.V. The goal is not to determine what is the best painting in the world since that is very subjective and subject to many variables, but only to establish annually what is the most appreciated painting amongst all the contemporary paintings that participate. Furthermore, the contest wants:

a. to increase the appreciation for painting in general.

b. to increase the (name) awareness of the participating painters.

c. to create the largest possible (online) overview of contemporary paintings.

Click for recap of TV- show

Finally, I can show my portrait painting from Rob Kemps!

Glad and honored that he chose my painting!

It was an extraordinary experience to participate in TV program ‘Stars on Canvas’ and to portray Rob, a special and loving person.

Özcan Akyol bring to light different layers of Rob’s character with probing questions.

It was fun with my fellow artists Willeke Timmer and Bob Jonkers!

Special thanks to my partner Franco Tirletti for all his support and advice

Thanks to Rob Kemps and the team of the program, Özcan, Jan, Ingrid, Michelle, Maurice, Marco, and many others! Thanks to OmroepMax who made the program possible this year.

Rob Kemps, 2002, “il y a dans ses cheveux un peu d’éternité” (J. Brel)

by Bastiaen Vries

Oil paint, linen canvas, 50x60cm

*Rob Kemps, entertainer, winner Slimste Mens 2020, program maker together with Matthijs van Nieuwkerk van Chansons! and Chansons !!, singer and performer of Snollebollekes, host of ‘Ik hou van Holland’.

Onthulling schilderij Rob Kemps

Eindelijk kan ik mijn portretschilderij van Rob Kemps laten zien!

Blij en vereerd dat hij mijn schilderij heeft gekozen!

Bijzondere ervaring om mee te doen aan TV programma ‘Sterren op het Doek’ en Rob te portreteren, een bijzonder en liefdevol mens.

Özcan Akyol weet met indringende vragen verschillende lagen van Rob en de kunstenaars te belichten.

Het was gezellig met mijn medekunstenaars Willeke Timmer en Bob Jonkers!

Speciale dank aan mijn partner Franco Tirletti voor al zijn steun en adviezen.

Bedankt Rob Kemps en het team van het programma, Özcan, Jan, Ingrid, Michelle, Maurice, Marco en nog vele anderen! Aan OmroepMax die ook dit jaar het programma mogelijk maakt.

https://nl.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rob_Kemps

Bastiaen portrays Rob Kemps on Dutch National TV

NPO2 Saturday 26 November 20.30.

When I have been invited by the producers of ‘Sterren op het Doek’ where artists portray Dutch celebrities, I haven’t hesitated for a moment.

In the stadium Gelredome in Arnhem, I and two other artists, Willeke Timmer and Bob Jonkers, made sketches and photos of the famous entertainer, presenter, and singer Rob Kemps.

Özcan Akyol, interviewer of the TV program, managed through his inquisitive questions to get closer to Rob’s essence profounder than the person we knew from previous TV appearances. This gave me the feeling of acquiring more insight into Rob’s soul: empathetic, intelligent, warm-hearted, passionate, and humorous.

A few weeks later, Özcan and Jan, the editor-in-chief, came to my (shared-) studio with a film crew for an interview and to shoot a moment of the work process.

In Rob’s portrait I tried to capture his character that I grasped during the interview session, both his more serious, caring side and his defiant and joyful side.

Looking for a timeless background, I also wanted to subtly add Rob’s passion for Jacques Brel into the painting. I have depicted this by painting clouds of the island ‘Hiva Oa’ where Brel lived his last years and where he was also buried.

The unveiling and final selection of the three paintings took place in the ‘Jonge Rembrandtzaal 2.8’ of the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam.

Don’t miss the broadcast and see which portrait Rob chooses and takes home.

Enjoy!

My thanks go to my partner Franco Tirletti for his support and good advice, Rob Kemps, Özcan Akyol, the MediaWater team, including Jan Kooyman, Maurice Ramaekers, Ingrid Koning, Michelle Bais, Marco Hogenboom, OmroepMax and the artists Willeke Timmer and Bob Jonkers.

Sterren op het Doek

Bastiaen portretteert Rob Kemps op TV

NPO2 Zaterdag 26 november 20.30u.

Toen ik werd uitgenodigd door de makers van Sterren op het Doek waar kunstenaars een bekende Nederlander portreteren, twijfelde ik geen moment.

In het Gelredome in Arnhem maakte ik en de twee andere kunstenaars, Willeke Timmer en Bob Jonkers, schetsen en foto’s van zanger en entertainer Rob Kemps.

De interviewer Özcan Akyol wist door indringende vragen dichter bij de essentie van Rob als persoon te komen dan we hem van TV kennen. Hierdoor kreeg ik het gevoel meer inzicht in de ziel van Rob te krijgen: empathisch, intelligent, hartelijk, gepassioneerd en humorvol.

Een paar weken later kwamen Özcan en Jan, de eindredacteur, met een filmploeg naar mijn (deel-)atelier voor een interview en om opnames te maken van het werkproces.

In het portret heb ik geprobeerd het karakter van Rob te vangen dat ik had waargenomen tijdens de eerste sessie, zowel de serieuzere, zorgzame als ook zijn uitdagende en vrolijke kant. Op zoek naar een tijdloze achtergrond wilde ik ook Rob’s passie voor Jacques Brel in een subtiele wijze in het schilderij toevoegen. Dit heb ik verbeeld door wolken te schilderen van het eiland ‘Hiva Oa’ waar Brel zijn laatste jaren woonde en waar hij ook is begraven.

De onthulling en de uiteindelijke keuze van de drie schilderijen was in de ‘Jonge Rembrandtzaal 2.8’ van het Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam.

Mis de uitzending niet en zie welk portret Rob kiest én mee naar huis neemt.

Geniet van de uitzending!

Mijn dank gaat uit naar mijn partner Franco Tirletti voor zijn steun en goede adviezen, Rob Kemps, Özcan Akyol, het team van MediaWater, o.a. Jan Kooyman, Maurice Ramaekers, Ingrid Koning, Michelle Bais, Marco Hogenboom, OmroepMax en de kunstenaars Willeke Timmer en Bob Jonkers.