On the way to the Sugar House

I'm battling the icy cold temperature of my studio in snow boots and a ski jumper while adapting to the new circumstances which have resulted in an involuntary Vipassana.  As you may already know, I recently established a second painting studio in the 16th century  'Suyker Huis', once upon a time Antwerp's largest sugar refinery. Smack dab between the Royal Academy of Fine arts and the Literary Museum in the old city center, this gem was frequented by nobility and well known painters...so they say.

Here in my Antwerp studio I'm experimenting with environmentally friendlier oil paints from Cobra which are mixed with water.  The consistency is somewhat different. Comparing these paints with standard oils would be like comparing almond flavored rice milk with full cream.  Both are yummy however I prefer rice milk on a daily basis.  So who knows this may be just my thing.  I like the faster drying time and i'm curious to see if the pigments maintain their brilliance over time.  So far so good.   In the meantime, thanks to Paulo and Stefan I had a carbon filter installed in the Winterthur studio which filters the solvents produced by the quick drying painting mediums I use.
Left: Studio in Antwerp, Right: Carbon Filter in Winterthur

Diary excerpt 31. January, 2012
Facing the back of the train she sees the landscape disappear into the horizon in front of her.  She  contemplates time as it seems to fade into the snow dusted farmland and rolling hills. Facing the front of the train she's bombarded with images that her eyes try to grasp within nanoseconds. She notices that her head leads her body forward at approximately 15 degrees while examining her reflection in a shop window.  Travelling in a train allows this difference of 15 degrees to equalize itself.

Her train takes her to the solitude of a sixteenth century sugar factory haunted by whispers of lovers and duels, where she will work through the night uninterrupted and focused.