As a child, when I was away from my dad, I used to wonder whether or not he had a moustache. He shaved it off so frequently, I couldn't keep track.

This is a clip from the French movie "Le Grand Restaurant", where Louis de Funès is having fun with a mysterious moustache:



For more Corner Views, please visit Jane (or actually Theresa, or was it Cate?)

I am formally trained as a translator. Highbrow (medical/technical) translation used to be a fun challenge, but somewhere along the line it kind of lost its appeal. It was all brains and no heart.

Also, I grew tired of living in fear. Our whole system is based on fear. Fear of lack of money, lack of appreciation, lack of control.

And so, economical crisis or not, I've decided to concentrate more on writing and painting. Fulltime till the end of this year, and after that... we'll see.

But for now, I am floating on air.

Last week, Top1 created the skeletal guard below from leftover mortar for Top3s play shed. I guess his shed is now definitely off-limits for princessy creatures like Top4 ;-)

On a Saturday evening, I found this request from Top3 on my pillow: "Tomorrow I want to use my allowance to buy Lego. Write your answer below."

My reply: "No, because the stores are closed on Sunday!"

This is the technique we used for the first header of this blog. Put a paper circle on a turntable and pour in some paint for an artsy result. Satisfaction guaranteed!

Children love this, it's very relaxing. There probably are store-bought devices that do the same - this one was constructed by Top1.

I was a rather solemn child. Only when Top3 and Top4 entered my world I began to realise humor should be the chief ingredient of all children:

Last Sunday Top3, Top4 and I hopped on our bikes and went to the local "beach" for a fun photo shoot with Mr Penguin, a giant stuffed animal I made for Top3s second birthday many moons ago.



Interestingly, a penguin poem washed ashore as well:

would that I were
a penguin by day
an officer by evening
and a gentleman by night

breaking free from murky
waters this might be my
to-do list for the day:
dust off my tuxedo
dent out my top hat
drop a few sooty words
trying with all my might
to tie the freakin’ bow just so

by evening the faltering sky
ought to have forced me
to step it up a bit:
chart my course
check my coverts
chafe at the elusiveness
of placatory krill and
shuddering fish alike

when at long last night
crunches my feathers
the quest must bottom out:
alternatives disposed
assets sent out to play
amber alerts withdrawn
as my rookery receives
the “all is calm all is well”

I believe some of the upper half is actually Top3s work, but Top1 added the lower half and well, where would we be without our bottom?

Top3 is working on various projects. Warhammer is always at the back of his mind. (Top1 and Top3 are currently creating a lava scenery with rippling vulcanos and horrid obstacles), but there is of course also the ongoing GoGo Crazy Bones saga.

Not sure what lot will fall to the poor army guy in this shot...

The other day, I found a dead moth in my studio. I didn't want to get rid of it, because I quite appreciate the beauty in death. I guess it's a matter of putting things into perspective.

Mine has shifted from this:




to this:

I guess the fact that the giant wears earmuffs means he himself doesn't want to be distracted by the enticing music from his radio.

I inked Top4s drawing in and helped with mixing the colours to her precise instructions. I also helped with the background as she grew tired after a few hours in the studio.

Added note: Top4 just informed me that the giant is trying to listen peacefully to the music on his radio, but the gnawing of the ant people annoys him.

Oh art, how many ways are there to interprete thee?

(Not used all at once of course!)

"Cool, I can use this in for my Warhammer table top game!"

True to his Big Passion, this was the first thought Top3 had when one of his incisors came out.

He's almost sorry the tooth fairy traded it for a lousy 50 cts...

Drilling slots for ventilation of a damp brick wall, Top1 discovered that although the exterior wall of the adjacent living room is a whole-brick wall, this wall right here isn't. It's a half-brick wall, so the holes were a bit too deep...

This stuff is now on its way to a workshop Top1 and his colleagues are hosting for secondary school students.

Let's hope they'll enjoy studying medieval fighting techniques!

Top4 just started her second year in kindergarten. She loves to draw and is eager to learn how to read.

What better way to combine these two than asking her for her impression of the primer (Aap Noot Mies) which was used in Dutch schools for many decades?

Below is an impression of her art work!

The one on the left is used to extinguish thirst...)

Stuffing her bunny in the closet and dancing on the table - That girl was wild!