One of my most trusted sources of inspiration: a walk in the park. Today it was even more special with the golden light accompanying the end of a balmy autumn day. The trees are getting old. After a recent storm a centuries-old beech almost fell apart and needed surgery.
Read more
Could it be that ‘it’ was in the air? That we walk around with themes that unconsciously develop in our head until they are ‘ripe’ to be triggered? This morning my eye was caught in the garden by extraordinary cobwebs in the dewy morning sunshine. They looked like solid…
Read moreToday I realised once more how any walk clears my head and how little one needs to feel fed. I went out with my faithful companion, the eye of my mobile phone, and before I knew it I had spent almost an hour just watching the bark of a few trees from close…
Read more‘The more diverse the life of the mind, the better the chances are that your inspiration will be protected’ writes Rainer Maria Rilke to Elisabeth Ephrussi in The Hare with the Amber Eyes. I think about this as I return from…
Read moreThe colour red, in stark contrast with last week’s grey-and-whites, has unexpectedly led me this week to an inspiring series of lectures by scientist Richard Feynman. It began with pictures of what looked like a flow of lava but appears to be a rare natural spring phenomenon…
Read moreWhat is the difference between a line – and certainly characters – drawn by hand and in print? How come that in the first case there is an unmistakable warmth which is hard to fake in print even if a collection of typeface imitates classical handwriting to perfection, specially adapted…
Read moreAt the Venice Biennale of 1995, the entire Danish pavilion was occupied by only one artist, John Olsen. The space was light in its Scandinavian simplicity, yet the exhibition felt like a dense, intimate world. During my visit I was the only visitor, which added to the intensity of the…
Read moreIn line with a previous blog post about tree houses and bird’s nests, this is what I found by chance this week: With its retractable staircase this is a hotel room, the ‘Bird’s Nest’, at Treehotel Harads…
Read moreOur points of interest are not always aligned with everybody else’s taste and we sometimes tend to hide our dreams for fear of negative comments and discouragement. Years may pass before we feel confident enough to truly express ourselves. It is important to recognise our dreams, if only to encourage…
Read moreI’ve had an interesting conversation with a physiotherapist about fractals, fractal dynamics to be precise. The word was entirely new to me, but it applies as much to his treatment approach as to nature in general. I am unable to reproduce his explanation other than as the…
Read moreOne of my favourite places for photography to do with iron is a bulk terminal situated near the Dutch coast. I’ve had the chance to be there in different seasons and to watch the unexpected amount of wildlife it harbours. It is especially impressive in the month of June when…
Read moreCrossing the road on my daily walk this morning, I noticed that the asphalt had been repaired in a surprisingly playful way and on such a scale that it could not be a coincidence. The intriguing designs created by the roadworkers reminded me of…
Read moreThere is a park not far from where we live, where I walk almost every day. It surrounds an elegant country house which has now become offices without losing too much of its charm, and the variety of trees it harbours shows the vision of the 19th century landscape architect…
Read more