Clingendael | Canals in Violet and Green – 2026-08-04

Epigonal Violets and Greens

This pastel pencil drawing ‘Clingendael | Canals in Violet and Green’ shows my love for modernist color combinations. Just two artists that come to mind: Leo Gestel and Jo Koster. Last year saw a solo exhibition of her in Museum Gouda. Quite some landscape oils in which she used this speficic colour combination. I wonder where she got it from, but it seems everybody was into new, modernist colour schemes at that time. Leo Gestel too and I think that he, as a typical epigone, might have looked at Monet’s paintings quite well. His colors in his Mallorca series are brilliant and full of violets and greens. Time to make my mark and discover what more beauty can be drawn from this Ami sketching paper. After all, this is only my second one in color on this paper, after my last drawing of Culemborg.

Clingendael | Just around The Corner

The artistic motif is one I kept in my to-do folder for a long time. There are so many pictures I took that I took a raincheck on. However, this one came to mind because the lighting is great and the colors reminded me of Leo’s and Jo’s paintings. The scenery is close by and situated in estate ‘Clingendael’, just under two miles from my home. Depicted in quite a lot of drawings throughout the years, such as the one with the manor in it. Not sure, but I can’t remember I did one in color and I thought it was about time. The actual spot is situated on the tank wall, overlooking the canals below. Not this time of year really because the trees are not in leaf. However, this enabled me to show more structures and details in the back, because of the absence of foliage.

Bolder Pastel Strokes

The color scheme I quite restricted because I learnt from the last pastel pencil drawing. The green grass and yellow lighting were warm enough, especially on this orange-brownish paper. Hence the assertive violets and blues. The work has taken on a neo‑impressionistic quality, defined by intensified, non‑naturalistic hues. Though the treatment of light remains unmistakably impressionist. I’m increasingly drawn to this style, which complements my move toward bolder pastel strokes.

Technical Details

Pastel pencil drawing on Ami Sketching paper (‘KBB’) – 29.7 x 21 cm

Artist: Corné Akkers

Sales info: info@corneakkers.com

Video: