From the owner: So ART Gallery Amsterdam is a gallery since 1975 and specialises in Fine Modern Contemporary Art…read moreand Master Prints in a wide variety from 1900 to the present! We would be delighted to guide you through our collection. We are located in the heart of Amsterdam at the Spiegel/Museum Quarter with all the best antique shops and galleries, near the Rijks and all the major Museums. You are welcome at: So ART Gallery, specialist in Fine Modern and Contemporary Art and specialist in Master Prints at Nieuwe Spiegelstraat 58, Amsterdam.

Small adorable gallery in the heart of Utrecht that now goes by the name of Galerie Niek Waterblok,…read morenot Galerie 10. We recently had the honour of being invited here for the opening of a joint exposition between three artists, each with their own happy medium. The current artists are a landscape photographer, a cityscape painter and the multimedia artist who invit ed us: Berry. In case that seems weird to you, Berry is a perfectly normal Dutch name for men. ;) As a gallery I'm not really sure what the place offers, I believe it's simply a place for artists to rent and display their art at so this review is about the current exposition. I'll start with Mark who paints cityscapes and modernistic "portraits". I'm not a fan of his portraits, they're neither abstract nor realistic and this is something that always bothers me in art, it gives me a feeling of "I'm an artist, but I have no message, no perspective on my subject" and that could very well just be me of course but still it's quite bothersome. As for his cityscapes, they work for me. Subtle colours, often dark and mostly reminiscent of winter. Quite invigorating for a winter loving person like me so a lot of love there! Then Heleen, the landscape photographer: excellent eye! She has some beautiful blown up negatives of a pinhole photography project on the coast of Brittany in France and two series of another beach day which I found very emotive. Stunning work, but sadly out of my price range. And then of course Berry who paints, draws and edits away daily on his iPhone. Mountainscapes seem to be his thing when it comes to painting and drawing with the occasional forest where you have the perspective of looking up at reasonably abstracted trees. His use of colours in the paintings seems to really depend on his moods, some being quite lively in colour and others being a bit more dreary with his drawings always being made with grey pencil, coal or black fineliner as a sturdy and dependable guide through his mind. Then once you reach his prints: wow. This is where you truly see how constantly active his artistic mind really is. Over a hundred prints edited from photographs taken of everyday people, each one different, some binded by a common theme or element and some being completely individual. In my mind a great reflection of everyday life with the opportunity of finding at least one print that stands out and speaks to you. The wall of prints is impressive, completely full of life and if I were rich I would have bought the entire collection for my new living room but for now I'm perfectly content with my lively red head in her blue dress. Now I would like to remind you that art is of course very personal and evokes completely different responses in every single person so I encourage you to see this exposition soon and see how it makes you feel. In my opinion there's enough diversity between these three artists to find something that speaks to your emotions and memories, so come, appreciate and if you see something you love, take it home.

wow, what a journey! firstly, i flew some 10501.2km!…read moresecondly, i walked some 0.7km(yes, unfortunately i didn't bring my bicycle) thirdly, i climbed SOME flights of stairs to the top of the building. finally, i arrived but only to find my journey just beginning! atelier molenpad is gezellig! the oft overuse adjective that i've come to be acquainted with during my short stay. but gezellig is a word that encompasses the heart of dutch culture. and cosy or inviting is also exactly how you will feel, right here. it somehow reminded me of an overturned ark. being trapped yet liberated. a journey into the unknown. daniella is genuinely friendly and accommodating. a mentor that will guide you in your journey, finely balancing to allow you the space to grow and discover. with her, it's never about the physical end product. with her, it's about letting it flow without thinking what end result you want to achieve. your true intuitive self expression. the end result might well turn out like the mess i created but hey only when i die, will you then know, the true value of my masterpiece, right?:) so why not a 5 star review? hmmmm you made me dirty my 5 finger tips and i hate getting hands dirty?!:) but seriously, if i'm not some 10501.2km away, i would definitely, constantly be embarking on one journey or another in this ark!

If you a searching for your inner artist and want to bring creativity and painting into your daily…read morelife then Atelier Molenpad is certainly the right choice for you. Located in a lovely Amsterdam building high in the attic, that is were the atelier is hidden away. It looks like it has been there for ages and well, it has, almost 40 years this place is used for painting. I did a workshop here about a week ago and it was very inspiring and also a lot of fun. Your teacher, host and guide on your creative journey is the lovely Daniella and she sure does a great job. I highly recommend having a look at Molenpad's courses because I am sure most people will love this place.

Having taken public transportation to the Kröller-Müller Museum in April, I would recommend renting…read morea car if you're traveling in a group from Amsterdam as it's definitely worth it! In the meantime, my adventure on a train, two buses, and getting dropped at the outside gate and then using a free white bike to get to the actual museum was a unique adventure I will certainly never forget! I admittedly headed to the museum purely for the Van Gogh collection, but wound up enjoying a number of rooms of other Impressionists' works (some I'd heard of before and some that were totally new to me.) The museum staff was friendly - if extremely diligent about enforcing their no backpack policy (don't worry they have a cloak room.) If you've been to Amsterdam, already experienced the Van Gogh museum, and consider yourself a fan this is the perfect place to visit your second time around. The collection is lovely, with some pieces that just drip that amazing Van Gogh texture. (Also, an important Odelin Redon painting is tucked around the back in there!) If your trip is set in stone you absolutely MUST book your pass to the museum in advance. Whether you're driving or taking public transport, this will get you access into Hoge Veluwe park without having to stop - either by car, or by getting kicked off the bus at the park gate and having to walk/bike the rest of the way! If you are going to brave the public transportation system a bit of advice: Make sure you tap through the current turnstiles getting to your train so you have an active trip while on the train so the conductors can scan your pass and move on.

One of my very favorites in the world!…read more This museum has everything, and the location is tops. For being outside of Amsterdam, I mean. The food is expensive, of course, but the coffee is good and affordable with the typical apple pie serving. The collection, amassed by Mrs. Kröller-Müller (German descent and quite an interesting lady), constantly changes and it updates with various angles of experiencing art for your personal challenges and artistic/art-appreciation growth. Mrs. Kröller-Müller enjoyed the tutelage of one of the premier art experts during the twentieth century, and with her (unlimited) budget she developed quite a taste for the expressionist and impressionist era paintings. She favored Bart van der Lek, whom she even used as a private painter in their home, also located within the park. Outside, a wonderful garden exhibit with statues and art pieces, including a staircase (to the heavens ;o) which you are not allowed to climb (bad accident occurred a long time ago), where your children can lose their sense of play and run around, even within the Jardin ceramic garden (a stark, black & white enormous above ground piece that is world-famous, but I have misplaced the name in my brain at the moment; I promise to update once I think of it), and where you can enjoy the trees and flowers Holland enjoys growing in its great soil and weather conditions. Because it is located inside a national park (not funded by the Dutch government but with memberships, and private & corporate donations), that is huuuuuuge (for Dutch standards) because Mr. Kröller loved to hunt big animals (and he copied the King, of course), it is such a lovely place to visit. Besides that, this museum houses the largest (!) collection of Van Gogh outside of the Van Gogh museum in Amsterdam. I am such a lucky person to live near...