The Ruhr river in all seasons

 

These are watercolors and acrylic paintings completed during the last couple of years.  The Ruhr river is always an inspiring and relaxing place to be, 10 minutes from our home.  It once resembled a sewer. Now, its water is surprisingly transparent.  Policies have changed and efforts have been made to recuperate this river for nature and the inhabitants of the Ruhr region.  

A dam in Essen gave way to the Baldeney sea, large enough to allow sailboats on it.

This sketch will allways remind me of the terrible floods in Western Germany on July 14th last year.  While sketching, it started to drizzle. A bit later, to pour heavily.  Then, we rushed to our car.