Four new boat portraits.

Water colour on paper. A4 size

Water colour on paper. A4 size

Water colour on paper. A4 size

Water colour on paper. A4 size

Two new boat portraits.

Beneteau 58 "Lassez Faire"
Water colour on Paper, A4 size.

Halberg Rassy "Pesto"
Water colour on paper, A4 size.

Another couple of boat portraits.

"Rhythm" Water colour on paper, A4 size

"Garfield" Water colour on paper, A4 size.

More recent boat portraits by Harmen Hielkema.

Water colour on paper. A4 size.

Water colour on paper. A4 size.

Harmen Hielkema water colour painting, a new boat portrait

"Veloce" Frank Pelin designed "Eclipse"
Water colour on Paper. A4 size

Zoe's new balance bike / trike

I just took a weathered one of these and uttered a magic spell and this is what happened.

Zoe's Mum bought to handle grips and a seat cover in purple silicone and also a matching bell.

As she grows her father can raise the seat, remove one rear wheel and convert it to one of these.

When she grows a little more her father can rotate the frame to make an arch which will accommodate her longer legs. I like the concept of this bike.

Sanded plywood components ready for primer.

Primed components ready for top coat.

Top coat applied, graphics and clear coat next, then final assembly.

An old family tree. (Mid 20th C Dutch Stamboom) Partial restoration and additional portraits.

This image has come to me badly faded with smudges, abrasions and water damage.
This is an original water colour with hand drawn miniature cameo portraits in 4B pencil. This is exceptionally detailed, quality work by an unknown Dutch artist made around the late 1940's or early 1950's.
At some point in it's life this image has been mounted on oil tempered hardboard with wall paper paste. As a result the colour of the board has bled through the paper. Northland's high humidity has ensured that the acidification of the paper with its associated foxing and oxidation has discoloured the paper to a serious degree. This process is reversible with appropriate conservation techniques and resources however there is not the budget to do this.
I have been asked to do a limited visual restoration and to create four new additional portraits to compliment the family tree, three of which I have completed.

I have obscured the water damage on the right side of the tree and made some efforts at cleaning the overall image surface.
I have also recoloured the lower background giving a little more definition to the landscape with windmill and the building to the right of the tree.

I added 4 new portraits, drawn by me in pencil, the 2 girls on the top left and the 2 young boys at top right. The client asked me to add extra limbs to the tree at the top to help with the linking of the additional portraits to the composition.

Briar. Coloured pencil on paper.

Coloured pencil drawing from the early 1990's

New commission. Coloured pencil portrait of Gwen.

One of my earlier coloured pencil portraits. Oom Gosse. 1991

Gosse. Coloured pencil on paper. Harmen Hilekema 1991.

Recently commissioned. Artists impression. By Harmen Hielkema.

Artists impression of the old Harp of Erin Building Rawene. Water colour and coloured pencil on paper.

Concept design for Rawene 4 Square. J.R. Clendon's Schooner "Fortitude"

Some of my old sketches have come to light.

All drawings and art copyright, property of originator, Harmen Hielkema

Our old family home in Helensville

A fishing boat in the Kaipara River

                                                  A waterfront scene on the Kaipara River

Dr G. M. Smith of Rawene Hospital

I've just completed my latest pencil portrait. Based on an old magazine photo, the original was not much to go on but I think his character has come back to us in a small way.

L. Douglas Horman, artist, sailor, friend. Passed away September 4th 2015.This is my tribute portrait. Rest in peace my friend.

Brilliant as usual.  I remember the portraits I tried to do in school, they looked more like the walking dead.  Just as well I stuck to boats.

Gary

Hi Harmen and Julie

It was lovely to spend some precious time with you both at Doug and Rosemary's the other day. It's still very hard to imagine what life is going to be like without Doug, but I want to tell you that having the wonderful portrait that you did will help. We will always remember the dear man that he was and that he's still with us in spirit every time we look at his picture.

Thank you, it's very special.

Dear Harmen

It is clear to me that some men are driven by divine purpose out of state of love for another human being.

In this I am very sure that is exactly what I see in your portrait of Douglas.  From it I can feel the scrutiny of his kind awareness and gentle disposition that was his and his alone.

Good on you mate and thank you!

Regards

Doug Schmuck

Hi Harmen-

   I just wanted to say that your drawing of Doug is fabulous.  We both thought it portrays him perfectly right down to his denim shirt, looking over the top of his glasses and hair a bit windblown-!!!!!  I am sure Rosie will treasure it.  Regards Larry 

I make portraits like this one on commission. I work on high quality paper, from life or from photographs, pencil, coloured pencil, paint.

Message me: kaurispring@xtra.co.nz 

(PS I already have a wife and don't require another one thanks)

A new family portrait from Harmen's studio.

I recently finished this family portrait in acrylic paint on canvas. 280mm x 350mm. The subject is my stepson Eric, his wife Helenie and their infant son Yossarian. I painted this canvas as a gift to them to celebrate the first birthday of their son, our first grandson.

The Rusty Truck at Kohukohu, Hokianga. Taraka Mimiti.

"Taraka Mimiti" a painting by Harmen Hielkema. Acrylic on canvas.

Please follow this link to view the trailer for the exhibition that featured this painting.

Northern News. "Pregnant Sati rehomed"

Pregnant Sati, The asian elephant re-homed.

Sati is nearing her delivery date, her  baby calf is due to be born some time near the middle of this year (2014) Watch this space!

Follow this Link to read about her new home at the Labyrinth, Waiotemarama, Hokianga, Northland, New Zealand

Maori Woman 1876. After a painting by Gottfried Lindauer

The image I chose to work from is one of Lindauer's edgier paintings, grittier than earlier works in which I believe, he tended towards idealising his subjects.

A quick graphite on paper study of a Maori woman from 1876 after an oil painting by Gottfried Lindauer. Is this woman the Maori equivalent of the Mona Lisa? Who was she I wonder?

The Red elephant of Khyber Pass, Auckland New Zealand, UPDATE.

In the early 1990's I was involved in the design and building of many commercially oriented public sculptures and 3D signs.

This project, a ferro cement, generic elephant, was built for the Chang Tong Thai Restaurant, now known as the Red Elephant.

UPDATE.

After 35 years, and closure of the Red Elephant Thai Restaurant, The Red Elephant was bought by Peter Harris, who has moved him to his home in Langs Beach.

Peter found me on this blog. He contacted me asking numerous questions about the construction and placement of the elephant. Despite so many years elapsing, I was able to recall every detail of the project. I was instrumental in making it possible for Peter and his team to uplift and transport Abdul [named in honour of its previous owner] to his new location on Peter's property at Langs Beach in Northland. To find out more scroll down to the NZ Herald article written by Northland Journalist, Peter de Graaf. July 1st 2024.

The Golden Elephant of Khyber Pass, Auckland, New Zealand with the company ute in the foreground. Photo taken by me in 1991.

Here are a few surviving images of the building process.

The armature beginning to reveal the shape of the elephant in 3 D.

Another perspective of the steel armature in the workshop.

Armature with most of its wire netting applied, those are my boys, Robert and Arien.

A trunk down perspective of the plastering process.

I developed a very successful plaster mixture by blending Portland cement with equal parts of sand and macerated news paper which was power mixed with a paddle and a drill. It clung to the two layers of mesh extremely well.

What the paster application looked like from inside.

A young Rachel Hunter looks on.

My son Arien as Mahout

The detail was added as a second plaster layer using a variety of metal shapes bent out of steel sheet.

Swinging the sculpture from the low loader into position outside the restaurant in Khyber Pass, Auckland NZ. It weighed 1.5 tonnes.

My daughter Rebekka loved the excitement of Dad's job.

In position, my children from left to right, Robert, Rebekka, Arien in his favourite position.

This is my son Robert with the red elephant in 2012

Auckland wildlife

Abdul the red elephant being uplifted by his new owner,
Peter Harris.

Loaded on to a car transport trailer, Abdul made his way north to
Langs Beach.