Free Art Works
Landscape paintings
One of the common threads in my painted work is the landscape. It all started around 1986, when I looked for places outside the city limits of Amsterdam, on the banks of the Amstel River. I drew and painted scenes of rivers, farms and cornfields. It was wonderful to be outside, enjoying the sun, and not being in the hustle and bustle of the city...
After moving to Scheemda in 1995, I continued to do so, even though the landscape had a completely different character. I was inspired by the vastness of Groningen's landscape. I didn't just paint 'en plein air', on the spot, as they say. I also started painting landscapes in my studio from photos, drawings and my memory. I started playing with what I had seen and creating scenic abstractions. Here in Portugal I intend to do the same!
Sander Kletter, October 2023
Model drawings
Shortly before going to art school in 1982, I had already started attending a figure drawing course in Bloemendaal for amateurs. Classes were taught by enthusiastic artist Bart Holt. Although I didn't create any quality, I was especially captivated by his enthusiasm and love for the profession.
During my time at the academy, figure drawing was a basic subject, because you have to make decisions about form and composition in a short time and because there is simply no better training for hand-eye coordination. Captivated by figure drawing, I also drew regularly in the Van Gogh Museum's Saturday figure drawing studio at that time.
In 1992, I voluntarily repeated my academic training, drawing three to five times a week in the famous figure drawing studio of artist Anton Assies (God rest his soul) in Amsterdam. I continued drawing in his studio for three years. These were my golden years, in the pleasant atmosphere of his eccentric studio, and nurtured by the friendship of other participating artists, here I really learned the tricks of figure drawing. From that moment on, for the first time, precious stones regularly left my hands...
Sander Kletter, October 2023
Painted Portraits
In my youth I made portraits of my father, mother, brother and sisters, myself and the family cat Annetje. At art school, portrait drawing, like figure drawing, was a basic subject, which I was thoroughly taught in an old-fashioned academic way. After my time at the academy (1982-1986) I continued to paint portraits of artists I knew, artists from art history I admired, my friends, my wife and myself.
At one point there was a first request from people I didn't know, asking if I wanted to portray them. On the occasion of a wedding, in memory of the deceased and for other reasons, I started making commissioned portraits. I have drawn and painted portraits in every conceivable size and in every technique of children, couples, entire families, grandparents and pets. It turned out I was good at it. I remain fascinated by all the ins and outs of visually representing someone's appearance, but I also see it as a challenge to portray the inner character of the person portrayed...
Sander Kletter, October 2023
Series Besoin d'Amour
Painting the landscape and drawing from a model is wonderful, but I can best express my rich imagination and my egg in a series of works, which at a certain point I began to call 'Besoin d'Amour'. I worked on this between 1990 and 2005. It remains to be seen, but perhaps I will pick up the thread of this series in Portugal. For more detailed information about this series, click here.
Sander Kletter, October 2023