Who watched the television program last weekend Stars on the Canvas has looked, you already know. Robert van Beek from Emmen painted the winning portrait of Olcay Gulsen.
For Van Beek it was quite an experience that he will not soon forget. “Very fun, but also very exciting. Especially the first day of shooting, after that it was a party,” he says. But it wasn’t easy, says the brand new winner. “You also have to perform and that made it exciting. And in addition, there is a camera close to you. Then you have to act as if you are used to that.”
The portrait now hangs in the house of Olcay Gulsen’s mother. Despite the tension, Van Beek is very satisfied with the end result. “You have the feeling that the whole of the Netherlands is watching and you have to do your trick. But the production of the program put us at ease and that was nice.”
And when you are on national television, you also get a lot of reactions, Van Beek notices. “I also get messages from people I haven’t spoken to in a long time. They suddenly email and want to meet up again. But also people from the sports club who didn’t even know I painted.”
Van Beek has been painting since he was eighteen, but he has become more fanatical since he had grandchildren. “I wanted to have that portrayed, so then you get more involved with it,” he says, laughing. And in addition to his grandchildren, there is also a beautiful portrait of his wife next to his easels. “She is my support.”
Are you curious about Robert van Beek’s studio? RTV Drenthe visited the Emmen resident. Watch the video below to see how he works in his studio.