International Dutch Open Street Painting Championship

This August marked the first annual International Dutch Open Street Painting Championship in Valkenburg, Holland. Valkenburg is a beautiful little town in the southern tip of Holland. Tourists love it because it is has a wonderful French influence and is one of the only places in Holland that has rolling hills. So, after years of street painting in Utrecht for cultural events and promotions I was excited to see more of the country and compete in an international competition. The event took place in and around the town center with artists from Holland, Germany, Italy, Belgium, and the U.S. Many of the artists I knew from other events around Europe so it was a wonderful reunion.

I designed a new painting for the competition and was very excited to be able to paint nudes. This is something I am usually not allowed to paint in American events as it is deemed 'inappropriate for all audiences'. So, any chance I get to paint with complete freedom is exciting for me. The only problem was that it rained almost the entire first day of the event forcing most artists to begin their drawings again late afternoon. This is what I had by evening on Saturday. My fiance, Remmie, helped with the background which made up for lost time.





Sunday was beautiful and sunny and everyone did a great job on their paintings. The competition was peoples choice so ballots were handed out and you could vote on your favorite painting. My painting, "Unconscious Rivals", won third prize in the 'Original Painting' category. I was awarded an International Dutch Open Limestone Medal, a Trophy, and a cash prize. All in all it was a great weekend and I was really happy with how the painting turned out. Hopefully I'll be able to make it back next year!