In October 2019 I spent 3 weeks painting in the aquarium space of the Nature Centre on Ameland, a Dutch island. It was a dark space, with dark-grey walls and ceiling. A wooden platform on which people could sit to watch the sharks or a movie made your butt hurt after a while... Watch the movie and see how amazing the space now has become!

The movie first shows a short trailer, and then a 4 minutes movie. In the movie you see the process of how the project evolved. This movie was shown for an entire month, non-stop, in that very same space, on a new 5 meter large screen. So amazing to see myself on a big screen, and having people sit and watch it, and hear them being amazed about someone painting this all in 3 weeks time!

Every year in November the island Ameland celebrates a month of art. Artists from all over the world are invited to come and show their work. In 2016 I participated for the first time. There was a contest that I won. Artists were invited to create a design for the 55 meter high lighthouse. I fantasized about it for a while, and then sat myself behind the computer to start creating. I made two designs, and sent them to the island.

To my amazement I was selected as the winner. Unbelievable! I was going to paint a lighthouse!! I managed to make a plan on how to accomplish this, and a sponsor made the sure I got the right paint in the right colors for the job.

I had to finish the job in three weeks time. With the help of a cherrypicker and its operator I worked during daylight hours. The operator helped me all the way, handling the brushes himself as well. The project received a lot of attention and praise. The only thing was, that it wasn't meant to last...

The lighthouse is a monument, and a monument has a fixed appearance. This was a special, once in a lifetime occasion, and the painting lasted only for one winter. I knew it from the start, but still it was painful to see all that love and labour get removed again..

So, I was so delighted to receive an invitation to make a new painting, in the Nature Centre of Ameland! Again three weeks of painting on the island, with an amazing result, also because the center invested in a new beamer and projection screen, and in new seats for people to sit in.

Enjoy the movie I made, and if you like to invite me for a project as well, please send me an email. I'm more than happy to reply! More of my work can be found on my website: www.rachelsschilderingen.nl