There are a lot of families with members who have an "artistic streak". The same is the case in my maternal and paternal families, you can find hobby and professional artists on both sides:

Take for example my Mum's brother, bis special talent was the work with wood and sculpturing using different materials. A lot of his beautifully hand turned wooden bowls are part of our households, both in Cape Coral and Limburg. They are used regularly and are always admired by our dinner guests. One of his wooden sculptures even came to Cape Coral with us. Some of his sculptures are on public display in his hometown in the Eifel.

My maternal Grandpa tried out various drawing and painting techniques. I still remember his self-drawn picture books and postcards very well. Some of his paintings are on our walls in Limburg.

My Mum's sister took part in a lot of drawing/painting workshops and went to pottery events during her long life, too. She keeps most of her work at home but we own one of her watercolours.

One of my paternal great uncles was a landscapist. Unfortunately I never get to know him nor his artwork.

Even members of the younger generation follow their love for (creating) art. Whereas my middle niece chose it as one of her main subjects in highschool the youngest one loves painting wall graffitis under the tutelage of an art colleague of my sister's.



For my part I have tried various techniques:

As they are easily portable I often carry my watercolours with me on trips. These pictures are the most realistic ones I do.

To create my silk paintings I need a lot of leisure time and loooots of space. Some of the silk scarfs, shawls and clothes are up to 2 meters (more than 2 yards) wide. To tighten those on a frame which needs to be hung onto the matching easel you can imagine how much floorspace that needs! Those paintings usually have more imaginative and phantastical contents for which I find the motives in my imagination.

I started using acrylic colours just a few years ago. It was with the LahnArtists in Limburg where I tried this technique for the first time. I have a lot of fun playing around with these colours, i.e. I always try out what is possible with them up to trying a 3D effect. Nevertheless I have done "orders", too, like using canvasses a huge birthday cards or similar.

There you can find a mosaic in front of the entrance which matches the house's name ("Kensington's Home").

For about 2-3 years I have started redesigning old clothes using those which have become too tight. It's a lot of fun and cheaper than buying new ones all the time!

And during my first stay on Tenerife in the summer of 2015 I enjoyed creating jewellery from glass beads that much that I opened my own "bead workshop" in my Art Studio in Florida.
And when we were on a Transatlantic Cruise on the Mein Schiff 3 I used the option of designing my own jewellery, too.

Silk paintings
Scarfs/Shawls
Clothes

Acrylic colours
Paintings
Ornamentals
Murals

Watercolours

Mosaics

Clothes
redesigned