Portfolio
Works for inspiration
An overview of work by Henk van Dam for inspiration — no longer for sale, but an impression of his style, subjects and development over time. Click on a work to enlarge it, or ask for more information via the CONTACT button.
No. 49
Model, grey reclining
Reclining figure, seen from above, with dark blue hair and a face in pink and white. Two thin, winding lines — one green, one deep pink — run like loose threads from the head down over the body. The torso itself is kept in a soft, grey-green wash, with broad, horizontal brushstrokes evoking the feeling of a reclining body without drawing a taut contour.
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No. 50
Model, pink and olive
Leaning figure with dark blue hair and a torso in bright yellow-green olive, with a deep pink, almost magenta drape falling diagonally across the body. The combination of the fresh olive green and the warm pink fabric gives the figure a lively, almost festive colour contrast. The face remains largely open, with only a few lines indicating the gaze.
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No. 51
Model, strongly abstracted
Strongly abstracted composition, dominated by a broad pink wash filling most of the sheet. A blue line marks an arm or shoulder, while a deep red line cuts diagonally through the composition. Barely a recognisable body remains — the sheet functions mainly as a study of colour and gesture, with the pink wash as the underlying, connecting tone.
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No. 52
Model, leaning cream
Leaning figure with dark blue hair, the body kept largely in creamy white with thick, pasty paint. A yellow and pink vertical stripe runs through the middle of the torso, like a ray of light or a fold in the fabric. The combination of the sober white and the vivid yellow accent gives the figure a surprisingly fresh, almost sunny character.
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No. 53
Model, arm raised
Figure with one arm stretched high above the head, the body in soft pink and the hair deep red with blue accents. A black contour line outlines the arm and torso with confident, unbroken lines. The open, extended pose and the warm pink skin tone give the figure an expressive, almost dance-like quality.
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No. 54
Model study
Dynamic figure, the body predominantly white and cream. The hair is dark blue with green leaves or a wreath woven through it, while an intense red drape falls diagonally along the body. The combination of the dynamic pose and the vivid red fabric makes this one of the most energetic sheets in the series.
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No. 56
Model, green abstract
Strongly abstracted, predominantly green composition in which two clusters of strokes are connected by a thin red line. On the left stands a denser, more colourful group with orange, purple and red; on the right a more open, olive-green plane with a single blue accent. The red connecting line functions as a kind of spine holding the two parts of the composition together.
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No. 57
Model, reclining chalk
Reclining figure, the head in reddish-brown tones with a dark blue-green contour line. The body stretches diagonally across the sheet, built from an olive green wash crossed by a dense net of orange chalk lines. The combination of the fluid paint and the dry, scratching chalk structure gives the figure a rough, almost earthy texture.
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No. 58
Model study
Figure with the head bent forward, the hair in deep red and burgundy tones densely packed together. The body itself largely dissolves into a haze of cream and soft peach, with barely a clear contour. The concentration of colour and detail at the head stands in sharp contrast to the sparse, almost empty torso.
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No. 59
Model, orange and green
Seated figure with legs crossed, the skin painted in warm orange and peach. The head is slightly raised. Behind the figure stand planes of green and pale blue suggesting a chair or background, while a brown arm rests on the knee. The vividness of the orange skin against the cooler green background gives the composition a lively colour contrast.
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No. 60
Model, arms raised red
Standing figure with both arms raised high in a V-shape, the head dark navy blue and barely detailed. The torso is set down with loose splashes of yellow, red and green, while a deep red, almost burgundy skirt fills the lower body. A long green line runs down the side of the body. The raised arms and the vivid skirt give the figure a dancing, almost celebratory presence.
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No. 61
Model, leaning teal
Dynamic figure in a kicking or dancing motion, the hair dark navy and teal. The body is predominantly white and cream, with thin brown chalk lines indicating the legs and arms as loose, repeated contours. A yellow-green and orange mark at the torso brings the only real colour accent to the otherwise restrained composition.
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No. 62
Model, standing orange
Standing figure with dark teal-blue hair and a torso in warm orange and ochre-yellow. A blue line runs down the leg, while a green stroke suggests the background or a garment. The combination of the cool hair and the warm, orange skin gives the figure a bright, almost sunny temperature contrast.
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No. 63
Model, brown line study
A predominantly linear study, in which the body is built up almost entirely from dense, repeated brown chalk lines. Only at the head, with dark teal-blue hair, and the torso, with a small ochre plane, has paint been added. The rest of the figure — arms, legs, the seated pose — consists purely of linework, with multiple overlapping contours making the search for the right form visible.
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No. 64
Model, ochre and blue linework
Standing figure with green hair and a solid ochre-coloured plane for the torso, crossed by a dense net of blue and brown lines. The lines cross each other in every direction, like a web that probes the shape of the body rather than defining it. The combination of the compact ochre block and the fanning play of lines gives the figure a strongly graphic, almost diagrammatic character.
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No. 65
Model, bright green
Dynamic, almost abstract composition in which a small, dark navy blue head at lower left is surrounded by an exuberant fan of bright green brushstrokes. Blue contour lines loosely frame the form, while the green strokes shoot off in every direction — perhaps hair, perhaps an arm in motion. The vividness and energy of the green make this one of the most exuberant, colourful sheets in the series.
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No. 66
Model, leaning soft pink
Leaning or reclining figure, the body largely dissolved into a soft, peachy pink wash. The head, with dark navy blue hair, is placed at upper right, while a small, deep pink detail at the torso forms the only concentration of more vivid colour. The fluid, transparent wash gives the figure a dreamlike, almost fading presence.
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No. 67
Model, olive-cream
Seated figure with a torso in soft olive green and sage, against a pale, cream-coloured background. Purple and ochre lines frame the shoulders and arms, while a small red accent at the midriff adds just enough warmth. The muted, broken palette of olive and cream gives the figure a calm, restrained atmosphere.
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No. 68
Model, twisted mauve
Kneeling figure in a twisted, contrapposto-like pose, the upper body in muted khaki and beige, the lower body in a lush mauve and pink. The twist between torso and hips gives the pose a natural, lively dynamism. The dark hair and faint features leave all the attention on the colourful, twisting form of the body.
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No. 69
Model, faint ochre
Sparse, open composition in which thin, ochre-brown branch-like lines wind across a grey-blue wash. On the right, far removed from the rest of the composition, stands a small, colourful detail in pink, purple and olive — perhaps a head or a scarf, connected by navy blue paint strokes. The large empty space between the elements gives the sheet a hushed, almost scarce quality.
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No. 70
Model, standing red
Standing figure seen from the side or from behind, the hair dark navy blue and purple. A lush, deep red drape falls from the shoulders to the knees, with ochre contour lines fixing the arms and shoulders. The dominance of the red, combined with the upright, dignified posture of the figure, gives this sheet an almost ceremonial, stately presence.
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