Jaap Oudes was born in 1926 as the only son of Dirk Oudes and Ali de Boer. From an early age on, he was stimulated by his father to take up drawing. "You needn't go to art school to learn it", senior is supposed to have said. As a self-educated man Jaap kept drawing all his life, nearly always with pencil and coloured pencil. For al long time he was a member of the art society "Doorwerken" in Alkmaar.
Jaap Oudes, The mill of Jaan and Floor Pauw on the Molenkade, Oudorp. The West Frisians are celebrating, and arrive in the well-known punts, around 1950-`60, pastel, 65x50 cm.
Jaap Oudes, Interior of a Limburg farm, 1953.
Jaap Oudes, Wedding procession in Schellinkhout, the region of apples end pears. The wedding procession walks from the town hall to the church, 1953, pencil, 50x66 cm. | | Unlike Dirk Oudes, who mixed the influences from well-known painters from the history of art with his own realm of imagination, Jaap Oudes mainly looked at examples from folk art. The stories of Felix Timmermans and other Flemish narrators inspired him. From 1954 onward, Jaap also enjoyed visiting towns and villages in Flanders. As a matter of course he followed the footsteps of Brueghel. The world that he drew was nostalgic, childish verging on the surrealistic, and festive. Fairs, popular festivals and the circus are his favourite subjects, often situated in recognizable, picturesque sites in Noord-Holland and Flanders.
Jaap Oudes, West Frisians making music in a small corner near the Broek- en Waterland church, 1954, pencil, 50x66 cm.
Jaap Oudes, the Brussels bird-fair, 1965, coloured pencil, 68x98 cm.
Jaap Oudes, Sunderklaezen Ameland, 1976, coloured pencil?, 27.5x34 cm. |
