TULIPS AND WINDMILLS VIKING RIVER CRUISE - SERIES #3

"I am not an adventurer by choice but by fate, and feeling nowhere so much myself a stranger as in my family and country." (Letter 459a). Van Gogh was indeed an adventurer and wanderer. Throughout the course of his short life, Van Gogh lived in more than twenty cities in four countries: The Netherlands, Great Britain, Belgium and France. - Vincent Van Gogh  ( 1886)

AMSTERDAM, HOLLAND - MARCH 27, 2014

"GOEDEMIDDAG"(Good Afternoon" In Dutch). Welcome To Our Afternoon Optional Tour! We Opted To Do The Van Gogh Museum, Which Was The Compelling Motivation For Me To Come Back To Amsterdam. During Our First Trip To  Amsterdam In 1987, We Only Visited  Rijksmuseum & Other Highlights. We Missed The Van Gogh Museum For Lack of Time. I Promised Myself That Someday, I Would Be Back. I Always Dream Of Doing This "Art Pilgrimage." And Happily The Time Finally Came. There Are Many Viking River Cruise Destinations To Choose From. But My Decision To Go For Holland And Belgium Had To Do With  Satisfying My Artistic Curiosity And Ambitious Cultural Life.  Visiting World-Renowned Art Museums Like The Van Gogh Museum Is An Ultimate Fulfillment Of A Long Art Dream.  Holland Hold A Special Place In My Heart Because  Van Gogh Was Born And Grew Up Here. His Many Masterpieces Are Collected And Displayed Around Holland.  He  Also Lived Among The Beautiful Landscapes, Waterscapes And Skyscapes Of Amsterdam.

For Me, Seeing The Van Gogh Museum For The First Time Was A Real Highlight Of Our River  Cruise. I'd Like To Share Our Incredible "Art Pilgrimage. " Even If You Don't Consider Yourself A Lover Of Art, It's Better To Have Some Cultural And Artistic Knowledge About Vincent Van Gogh. Vincent Would Become One Of The Most Well-known Artists In The World. His Paintings Have Become Easily Recognizable To Cultures Throughout The World. 

The Newly Renovated Van Gogh Museum. We Visited The Anniversary Exhibition Of "Van Gogh At Work. " It Showed How In Ten Years’ Time Van Gogh Developed Into A Unique Artist With An Impressive Oeuvre. Over 200 Works Of Art Provided Insight Into Van Gogh’s Way Of Working, Including  Paintings, Works On Paper, Letters And Personal Effects Of The Painter, Such As His Original Sketchbooks, Paint Tubes And Only Surviving Palette, From The Musée d’Orsay In Paris. (As An Artist And Admirer Of Van Gogh, I Was Misty-Eyed To See His Personal Easel And Palette. Unbelievable To be Able To See Them W/ My Eyes).

 

For This Sentimental Museum Visit, I Wore Yellow Outfit. Yellow Is Vincent's Favorite Color. If He's Alive Today, Surely He Would Be Smiling At My Yellow Hat, Yellow Scarf And Yellow Printed Jacket. This Photo Was Taken Near The Entrance Of The Van Gogh Museum. Inside, The Museum, Its Awesome. For An Artist Like Me, Museums Are Sanctuaries Filled With Great Masterpieces Of Human Artists Not Saints. Here, I Wished To Spend Precious Time Meditating On Great Works Of Arts Of Fellow Artists, Especially With Vincent. That's The Handsome Name He Signed His Million Dollar Paintings.

 

Once Inside The Museum, The Opportunity To Take Photos Was Limited. Here's Me, Standing Beside A Giant Reproduction Of Van Gogh's Famous Painting "The Sunflowers."

Posing With The Bright And Colorful Yellow "Sunflowers" By Van Gogh. It Was On Loan From The London Art Museum. This "Sunflower "Painting Was An Experimental Painting Using Analogous Color Schemes. Orange, Yellow-Orange, And Yellow Are An Example Of Analogous Colors. They Are Blended Nicely In The "Sunflowers," A Very Famous Painting By Vincent Van Gogh.
 

One Of the Most Notable Shoe Painting That Van Gogh Created Was "A Pair Of Shoes' (1886). One  Reason Why This Shoe Painting Fascinated Me Was, Its A Tangible Evidence That Van Gogh Was  A Well Traveled Artist. Many Artists Travel To Find Inspiration And Ideas For Their Art Works. A Change Of Scenery's Is Also Imperative To Create More Lasting Masterpieces. 

An Impressionistic And Colorful Self Portrait Painting By Van Gogh. Inside The Museum We Immersed Ourselves W/ Many Of Vincent Van Gogh's Masterpieces. Just Enjoying The Experience. Following The Journey Of This Iconic Artist Through His Work Was A Real Joy and Pleasure. Nothing Could Compared To The Thrills And Emotional Experiences Of Seeing Those Originals In Person. If You Let Them, These Paintings Would Speak To Your Heart And Soul. I Was In Awe Of The Masterpieces At The VG Museum. Truly "GEMS."

 

"The Bedroom" - Another Van Gogh Masterpiece That He Painted While Living In Arles, France. Many Of His Best-Known Art Works Was Done During The Last Two Years Of His Life. In Just Over A Decade, He Created More Than 2,100  Artworks, Consisting  Of   860   Oil

Paintings And More Than 1,300 Watercolors, Drawings, Sketches And Prints.

He Did Not Have The Fortune Of Being Recognized As A Talented Artist In His Time Like Fellow Dutch Artists, Rembrandt  And Vermeer And Others. Yet He Did Not Let Go Of His Desire And Dream To Be A Painter. He Kept Practicing And Put So Much Effort To His Art Works That Finally It Paid Off. He Didn't Live To See And Savour Success While Alive And His Life Was Not What You Would Define As "Happy." If He Quit Because He Was Not An Accomplished Artist At His Time, Contemporary Art Would Certainly Be Very Different From What We Know Today.

In 1990, A Vincent Van Gogh Oil Painting,  "Portrait Of Doctor Gachet" Was Sold And Auctioned For  An Astronomical Amount Of Money ($82.5 Million). This Great Painting Was Sold To A Japanese Buyer (Ryoi Saito).  I Am Sure Vincent Would Be Very Happy About That. He Only Sold One Oil painting When He Was Alive.  Who Wouldn't Like To Own An Original Van Gogh Oil Painting? Of Course, I Wanted One, But Couldn't Afford It. Ha! Ha!

I Am More Than Happy To Own Some Reproductions, Prints And Art Book Collections Of Van Gogh. Before Leaving The Museum, We Took A Coffee Break At The "Le Tambourine,"
Named After Van Gogh's Favorite Cafe At Arles, France.  Then It Was Time For Shopping For Souvenirs. Wowie! I Had Never Seen A Big Museum Shop Filled W/ All Kinds Of Van Gogh's Kinck- Knacks - Posters, Bags, T-Shirts, Cards, Books, Etc. Etc., Etc. Very Pricey In Euros. We Brought One Large Souvenir  Bag, Dozen Magnets W/ VG's Famous Paintings And A Whimsical Music Box. A Replica Of Van Gogh Bed. It Plays ""Starry Night. " I Tuned It On Here At  Home. It Reminded Me Vividly Of My Happy Personal Encouter W/ Vincent Many Art Works.    

This Colorful Photo of Mine, Was Taken Around The Corner From The Van Gogh Museum. What A Beautiful Color Combination! Blooming Pink Cherry Blossoms, Two Blue Bikes With Yellow Outfit. Ala Van Gogh's Complimentary Color Palette.

I Am A Contemporary Artist Like Vincent Van Gogh. Of All The Many Well-Knowned Impressionistic Artists, Van Gogh Captured My Interest And Imagination. He Influenced Strongly My Bright Colors And Abstract Style. At Present I Paint Reality W/ Abstract Colors. My Deep Gratitude To Vincent For His Great Influence On My Art Works.

 

Beautiful Cherry Blossoms Near the Van Gogh Museum. Van Gogh Loved Painting Flowers. These Blossoms Reminded Me Of His "Almond Blossom" Painting. 

 

My Hubby Among The Bloomies. My Deep Gratitude To Him Making This "Art Pilgrimage" Possible. He Knew My Artistic Dream....To See The Van Gogh Museum Someday.   He's Also My Wonderful Travel Partner. We "CLICK" Together.

                                Close-Up Of Cherry Blossoms.

Nearby, A Mini-Souvenir Tourist Shop Selling Reproductions Of Van Gogh's Paintings.  Posing Beside The Famous "Starry Night." 

Posing At This New Added Attraction - The Large  Letters Of "I  AMSTERDAM." Now A City Icon And Much Sought After Photo Opportunity. Its Located Behind The Rijksmuseum On Museumplein.

Rhod Posing Beside The BIG, RED Letter "I". Truly He's Fallen In Love W/ Amsterdam!"

 

My  Turn To Pose On The Bright And BIG RED "I" Letter.  "Yes, I Do Love Amsterdam!"

Amsterdam Is A High-End Cultural & Artistic City That's Easy To Love. Also, One Of The Most Picturesque And Historically Well-Preserved Cities We've Visited.

Here's Me, Posing At The Rijksmuseum. I Remembered Visiting This Museum And Seeing  Many Rembrandt Paintings.  Those Were Nostalgic Days Of Kodak Moments. Today, We Call It Pre-Digital Camera Days. Times Changed. Kodak & Polaroid Are No Longer Around. Welcome To The New World Of Goggles, Apples And IPhones. Most Of Our Photos Are Now From Our Digital Nikon Camera. Many things Will Not Be Here Forever. Amazingly, Art Will Continue To Flourish!

"Long after our monuments of brick and stone, vitriol, plastic and concrete have vanished, our words, our art, our legends and our myths will remain as a legacy."- (Harry J. Boyle)