ART Habens Contemporary Art Review | Page 11

Johannes Boekhoudt ART Habens is a basis for my own interpretation. The process of the artwork should not continue alone, it should evolve as my interpretation and emotions blend with it. When I started to draw at a young age in the 1980s, I began to draw portraits of whomever was available and would also draw imaginary landscapes as my mind travelled to an age of horses and carrousels, possibly placing myself in the age of European Romanticism. I started to practice creation of images in my mind as I became more and more aware of the history of art masters. Naturally, I searched through pointillism, impressionism, abstract, abstract expressionism and others. Through this journey, you expose yourself to different ideas and techniques in search of your own means of expression. Finally, one day I started to draw brushstrokes while creating a painting and began to combine them to form crosses in recognition and thankfulness to God for my natural gift which had been repressed and rejected by others for so many years. Today, this technique has remained as my signature technique and style. However, I do not start with the technique, I start with an inspiration that forms a mental image and sometimes the idea is so big that it incites a series. In the elaboration of the work itself, the process of expanding on the original image is the methodology. Beyond this, I feel my specific methods are a secret that I will not reveal. 21 4 61 Special Issue