Oil on canvas – 5 x 7 inch – Unique work

I’m sitting on the edge of a canal in Amsterdam, my legs dangling in the air without me even realizing it. I’m lost in thought. My eyes half-closed, I gaze at the scene before me. A houseboat is casually moored in front of multicolored houses. Colors that invite daydream.

Here in Amsterdam, flowers are everywhere. Even on a dark houseboat, little bouquets in window boxes add a touch of color that makes the whole scene incredibly cute. It looks like a cartoon landscape. It could also be a set from the movie Mary Poppins. That movie made such an impression on me. I loved it. The songs, the colors, that nanny I would have loved to meet.

The houses are all crooked, the windows too. Their foundations are slowly sinking into the water. It took a lot of renovation work to save them. It’s damp, obviously, but inside it’s so warm. Everything is decorated with exquisite taste. How do I know that? There are no curtains, no shutters. Back then, the inhabitants wanted to show they had nothing to hide. And it remains that way.

My imagination can easily wander. I imagine stories; of course, I love telling them! Here, the ceilings are huge, the chandeliers splendid. Paintings with gilded frames, like in the last century, face each other in the formal living room. The reception room is truly impressive. On the ground floor, or even in the basement, it’s always the kitchen. That’s where the magic happens: the dishes to be served, the dry or sweet wines, sparkling, white or red, to accompany the canapés and other finger foods for the aperitif.

I see men and women arriving on bicycles in the street, stopping right in front of one of these houses. The women are wearing long dresses and matching handbags. The men have donned linen shirts, pleated trousers, and comfortable shoes. Some are carrying a bottle, others a bouquet of flowers. Of course, flowers are quite affordable there. It’s very easy to treat yourself and give them as gifts without breaking the bank. What a treat! The three couples ring the bell, the door opens, and I lose sight of them.

So I get up, thinking to myself that the world is deaf.