I'm immortalizing important objects in my life. When I was 19 years old I made an adventurous trip to Afghanistan. Along the way, in the pasar in Istanbul, I bought this so-called kelim. Its actual colors have faded, but for this color pencil drawing I've brightened them up!
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Just a new page in my big sketchbook. These names are of people who mysteriously disappeared at sea during the last 75 years and whose whereabouts remain unknown.  Many  disappeared while on voyages or traveling via aircraft. I thought it a worthy opportunity to pay attention to these sad cases.

Our family is the lucky owner of two of my grandfather's journals. He wrote these diaries aged 70. He's telling about his childhood in a small village in Flanders. He describes himself as a little rascal who, from time to time, got into mischief with his friends. He writes about his elementary school years and his time in high school. Then about his decision to become a teacher, but how these studies were interrupted by the whole family going to America to find prosperity. How they came back, probably because they missed their homeland. How the First World War began just after they came back and he had to become a soldier, more specifically a stretcher-bearer, in and near the trenches of Flander's fields. How he continued his studies in the trenches in very poor conditions by candlelight and among the rats. After the war, he met his future wife. He became head teacher, married and got 4 children. My mother was the third in a row. These two journals are a real treasure and they inspire me to maybe make a illustrated book with some of the texts. I started in my sketchbook with some ideas and I'll see what will come out! 

When you've just finished working on a big commission and your mind is empty,  you draw the daily stuff around you. For me these are the tools on my desk. I don't need sophisticated materials, just my fineliners and sketchbook.

I'm halfway through this sketchbook page and below you can see a slide show most of the drawings. I'm learning Spanish and this is a good way for me to remember words. I still have to fill the other side of the page. My intention is to use all these small drawings in a  new piece and to make a print of it.