“When I walk into my atelier in the morning, I turn on the lights and my computer and I get to work. I’m not an artist who makes ten sketches first. My studies are in the photos I take of the subject.
Serge always chooses a shade of brown for his substrate. “White is too white for me, too frightening. I prefer to work from the dark. I make my sketch and colour it in on the coloured substrate. I mix all my colours myself using red, yellow and blue. The subtle gradations really bring a painting to life. Caucasian skin is not only pink; you’d end up with PlayMobil.”
Cutting panels
“I only ever work on one painting at a time. While the paint is drying between layers, I have to wait, sometimes up to two days. Sometimes I try to start something else in the meantime, but I can’t. My mind is still on the unfinished painting. The only thing I can do is cut MDF panels for my next work, so that’s what I do.” The panels need to be cut to very precise dimensions. “Not so small that it becomes insignificant, but not so big that it is ungainly.”
Sniffing paint
Interested in seeing Serge’s work in real life? His work is on display in galleries throughout the Netherlands, including Galerie Posthuys, Artacasa and GrachtenGalerie. He also exhibits his work regularly. You are also welcome to visit his atelier in Apeldoorn. Please make an appointment and Serge will make time for coffee.
Photos of the atelier
