On TV with ‘Stars on the Screen’ with Hadewych Minis

I am very honored and happy that Hadewych Minis has chosen my painting to take home!

‘Stars on the canvas’ is a true classic on Dutch television. Dozens of fascinating well-known personalities have already been immortalized on the canvas and many talented artists preceded me. In 2019, the program came to the tube in a new format, this time with Özcan Akyol as the presenter. Fellow artists had given me a tip at the editors whereupon they asked me to participate in 2020. Unfortunately, I had a full agenda at the time. The Corona lock-downs gave me more time and I finally seized my chance to participate and portray the special and beautiful actress Hadewych Minis.

An unknown face
In the program, three artists are asked to paint a well-known Dutch person. At the end of the episode, the works are revealed and the ‘star’ gets to take one of the portraits home. The contestants don’t know who they will get for their easel. Hadewych was totally foreign to me but because of her open and relaxed personality I got to know her quickly. She is not only beautiful but also a very creative and strong woman. During the posing session, due to circumstances, I managed to capture Hadewych better in notes and quick pencil sketches than in paint. But during the photo opportunity, I was able to create beautiful images of my own of her, which allowed me to have a good painting process in my studio.

Movie Scene
I wanted to depict Hadewych, because of her acting background, more in a quiet scene than in a traditional posing position. I used the type of landscape, sky with stacking clouds and a dancing hilly cornfield, to emphasize her spontaneity and engagement. She stands firmly in the Limburg marl soil where her roots are, and she holds one of her favorite books (Bedtime Stories for Rebellious Girls) from which she reads to her children. By doing so, I wanted to symbolize her motherhood.

It is a fascinating experience as a painter and I enjoyed it very much.

Photo: Amy van Leiden