Fluid Pebbles
Stones smoothed by water, their edges turned almost liquid, worn through here and there with holes: an image that stayed with me and became the starting point for this series.
We pass stones every day without really noticing them. We see them as dead, motionless things. But for me, there is something magical in knowing that a stone is never truly still. It is always transforming, even when we cannot see the movement. That change is constant, whether we notice it or not.
I keep coming back to one thought: every encounter with a stone is unique. You become, in that moment, part of its transformation. Your gaze, your touch, however brief, leave their trace.
These drawings are built the same way a stone changes: slowly, mark by mark. I am drawn to quiet, slow processes, to the meditative repetition of the work itself. The contours end up soft and worn, like water-smoothed stone. The holes that open through each shape are not gaps, but traces of pressure, of erosion, of time passing.
I see the same pattern in systems that seem impossible to shift: change rarely comes all at once. It happens quietly, gradually, one step at a time, until the shift becomes undeniable.
That's the reason I'm using this series to support De Bonte Hulst, a housing cooperative working toward exactly that kind of quiet, gradual change in the housing market.
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This series is for sale through crowdlending bonds (obligaties) for housing cooperative De Bonte Hulst. Everything you pay is invested, nothing goes to profit.
How it works Buying a bond (obligatie) works as a commission: with your purchase, you order a piece to be made specifically for you. The bonds come in your name, so you receive an original artwork, and your money back later, with interest. For the time and materials that go into the work, I ask for one bond in my name per piece.
Pricing: small — 14.8 x 21 cm For this size I offer 2 options: 2 bonds (€500): both in your name or 1 bond (€250) in my name
medium — 30 x 40 cm 4 bonds (€1000): 3 in your name, 1 in mine
large — 56 x 67 cm 10 bonds (€2500): 9 in your name, 1 in mine
Colors: 120 – Ultramarine 157 – Deep indigo 194 – Red violet 190 – Venetian red (other colors possible in consultation) Shape: See the available shapes in the images
Want to know more about the terms and conditions? You can find the information document and bond regulations here.
Ready to order? Let me know your wishes at johanneke.deruijter@debontehulst.nl , and I'll send you everything you need to complete the purchase.
p.s. Every drawing is an original. You will also receive a certificate of authenticity.
Title: Fluid Pebbles Medium: Colored pencil Paper: Arches Aquarelle, hot-pressed 100% cotton Realised: 2026 Photography: Beau Boogaart Available through: De Bonte Hulst More Info: De Bonte Hulst Brochure
