1st April, 2000
When I woke up this morning I felt utterly wretched : I felt bereft, lost and hopeless.The weight of grief and anger that is accumulating on this second anniversary of my mother’s death grows daily. Somehow, I managed to get myself out of bed and into the day, out into the outside world. I made my way across town to the Children’s Farm in Collingwood . This is an oasis of nature on the river’s edge in this most urban inner-city suburb. As is my custom I sat in meditation for a while, then wandered round looking for something to draw. Eventually I found a neglected looking rosebush growing in a corner of the herb garden. I sat down and focussed my attention on the chronic ache in my back, consciously taking my breath into the pain. As I did so, the luminous petals of the flower began to reveal themselves to me, as did the curving, writhing stems that held them. Each time I saw like this, I became intensely aware of the three dimensional forms in and surrounded by space. The exquisite curving shapes of leaf and stem seemed to evoke corresponding movements within me. I could see the sunlight stored in the greenness of the leaves even though the sky was grey and overcast. When I finally stopped drawing, everything around me looked vibrant with life. I saw that everything was dancing with life and I felt happy to be here and I felt happy to be able to witness it.
Anselm – this piece of writing, and the drawing, touches me deeply. I know that grievous anger. My own mother fled on an April morning, only a couple of years ago. In a mysterious way, I too find her in everything alive and beautiful, and what could be more so than one’s creativity? Thank you for posting this.
855/5000
My sincere congratulations on your work, Mr. Van Roods. The balance in your work is complete, with a compositional sense in all aspects, value, color, spatial harmony and above all your work has a synthesis, modernity and an undeniable poetic background. Your jobs would no doubt greatly impress a master like David Hockney by the masterful use of the best techniques of the old masters of figurative painting, and the best resources of abstract artists. My name is Nestor Plada. I am Uruguayan living in Spain where I have my studio and I am also Professor of Drawing and Painting.
Nestorplada.com
I have lived for many years in USA and retired now I live in Costa del Sol, Spain.
I greet you and again express congratulations on your work, which I discovered through Pinterest.
Nplada@hotmail.com
855/5000
My sincere congratulations on your work, Mr. van Rood. The balance in your work is complete, with a compositional sense in all aspects, value, color, spatial harmony and above all his work has a synthesis, modernity and an undeniable poetic background. Your work would no doubt greatly impress a master like David Hockney by the masterful use of the best techniques of the old masters of figurative painting, and the best resources of abstract painters. My name is Nestor Plada. I am Uruguayan living in Spain where I have my studio and I am also Professor of Drawing and Painting.
Nestorplada.com
I have lived for many years in USA and retired now I live in Costa del Sol, Spain.
I greet you and again express congratulations on your work, which I discovered through Pinterest.
Nplada@hotmail.com
Muchas gracias Nestor. Yo he crecido en Venezuela y por eso todavia hablo un poco Español.
I have ended up living in Melbourne, Australia after many years of travelling.
Thank you again for your kind words and all the best for 2017!
Anselm