While the fences for the sheep are being placed, dozens of canvases are placed at the long table on the Brink. In addition, there are all kinds of paint colors and jars of water for the brushes. The Brinkhuis in Laren is organizing an outdoor painting competition with the theme: sheep.
Dolly Dots
The eight woolly females, known as the Dolly Dots, are collected from a meadow near the village centre. Good news for the herd, their fur is being sheared today and all artists in Laren can see it.
The herd walks across the street and is accompanied by Rozenn, Miriam, sheepdog Muts and the mayor of Laren, Robert van Rijn. They are placed next to the pond, so that they are clearly visible.
First of all it is up to the children to sketch. They sit in the grass with their canvas on their knees, while they trace the lines of the sheep with a brush. Slowly the adult artists also come to stand next to the herd. With wooden easels and paint.
Bringing back the old image
Leon Schouten is director of Hart van Laren and Het Brinkhuis. He organized the competition as part of Art Laren. “We want to stimulate the creative expressions of children and adults.”
The location for the painting competition was not chosen by chance. The herd is next to the Coeswaerde pond, the lowest point in the village. This is where the shepherds used to come with their flocks of sheep to drink water.
In the 19th century, this was the place where artist Anton Mauve came to paint these sheep. “We want to bring back that old image a bit,” says Leon.
When the artists are finished, the Dolly Dots can return to their familiar pasture.