Reaching for the stars

La Palma Observatory

Last May I made a short trip to the beautiful island of La Palma. This green and peaceful pearl in the Atlantic is home to the largest astronomical observatory in Europe. It took our rented Citroën Cactus half a tank of gas in first gear to get to the mountaintop where IAC's huge telescopes are silently witnessing the spectacle of outer space. So one does wonder how they managed to lift all those heavy and sensitive optical high-tech gadgets to the rim of the crater of Roque de los Muchachos.

Getting there, taking in the spectacular panoramas, I felt very satisfied and overwhelmed... It was one of these things on my bucket list: To see a huge astronomical facility on top of a mountain. Ever since early childhood, I've had a clear predilection for all things outer space, so to me this trip felt a bit like coming home. Especially because my 4 year old son was standing next to me, sharing the experience.

Also from early childhood on, all my artistic expressions have had some sort of 'cosmic' or 'outer space' aspect to them. And that is something I am still pursuing...

Especially at a place like that, on a mountain top from where Humanity watches the cosmos, one is reminded of the fundamental oneness or inseparability of all life and phenomena, and the magic of it all... And that is more and more the intentional core message of everything I create through music, painting, photography or what have you...

Let's create a wonderful, peaceful 2017 and carefully observe the infinite!

Deep Sea Patience

Deep Sea Patience, 50 x 50 cm acrylic on panel, © Olivier Hijmans 2009

"The risk of movement

Colors protect each other

Until that moment"

There was a time when I used to write a Haiku (or pseudo Haiku) with every new painting. This Painting dates back to 2009, a golden oldie indeed.

Titled 'Deep Sea Patience', this work reveals a scene that is both dynamic and tranquil at the same time. It is like a very specific puzzle that might drastically fall apart when one of its individual elements is removed.

Or, more anecdotally, you can imagine a slightly frightened fish in the upper center of the picture, trying to hide behind a colorful coral and other sea creatures. The art of camouflage and natural harmony at the same time. But what if it moves..?

To me, this painting combines a sense of peaceful harmony and colorful danger into one reality.

This painting is not for sale on Saatchiart, I might offer it as print on demand, though.

5

Dried Sea Urchin

There is something to the number 5. Apart from us having 5 fingers on each hand and 5 toes on each foot, the number 5 is mathematically very interesting. It features in both the prime number list and the Fibonacci sequence for example. Then there is the ancient notion of the "fifth element" or "quintessence"...

But the number 5 also quite often appears in nature. Look at the sea urchin for example. Or starfish. Or leaves. Or flowers... as is examined in an interesting article by Japanese mathematician Yutaka Nishiyama.

The above picture is of the inside of a dried sea urchin. Beautiful esthetics here. To me, the star shape evokes a sense of unsurpassed freedom, expansion and scope. The number 5 gives rise to near endless architectural possibilities or morphological varieties.

Very often, I find the number 5 appearing in my art as well... a piece of music consisting of 5 parts for example, or using 5 distinct classes of sonic material. And in technical terms, I usually describe my art (both the sonic and visual) as an interaction and unfolding of 5 core elements: Entities, Realms, Perspectives, Transformations and Resonances.

Last but not least, my son is 5 years old now, an age at which a child starts showing him or herself in very outspoken ways.. 

In other words: Gimme Five!

Saatchi Art

It's been a while since my last blog post..
But I am very happy to share with you that my painting 'Reach Out' has sold to a collector in Scotland, and that my work 'Desolate' was featured in a collection by Saatchi Art's chief curator Rebecca Wilson. I am very grateful.

It is a wonderful thing about this age to be able to share one's art online with so many people around the World.

You can check out my space on the Saatchi Art gallery here

I'll be back soon with more updates!

Mont Sainte Victoire

"Mont Sainte Victoire" 30 x 30 cm acrylic on canvas © Olivier Hijmans, 2015

Cézanne's famous series about Mont Sainte Victoire has been a great inspiration for me. Having attended many Buddhist summer courses over the years near the village of Trets, overlooking this beautiful mountain, I have formed a deep connection with this area. The specific herbal scent, the dry summer heat, the sounds from the valley, the ever changing color and lighting of the mountain... It really is a very special place. Cézanne knew that, and I also experienced it very much.

Though the mountains in this painting are not quite the shape of the actual Mt Sainte Victoire, this scene is an expression of the area and everything I experienced there, as projected from my heart and observation.

For sale on Saatchiart.com 

For Sale on Saatchi!

Now that spring has finally arrived, I'm very happy to announce that my paintings are now for sale on Saatchi art. Please check it out, enjoy, and watch the portfolio grow!

You can buy original works there, or order a print on demand on canvas or fine art paper.

Saatchi art is a very comprehensive site with tons of great art on it. It's a great pleasure taking some time to explore the unknown out there...