Working internationally presents a different kind of challenge to working at home.
In cities like Venice and Rome, the difficulty isn't finding something worth sketching – it's choosing, from a city so dense with beauty and history, where to even begin. Rome, in particular, surprised Kristan with its scale, making every day a new exploration of which cobblestone-lined street to discover next.
Elsewhere, Kristan looks for what makes each place distinct. In Japan, that meant cherry blossoms, Mount Fuji, and the Tokyo Tower set against a particular skyline – but also a quieter, more personal connection. Japanese woodblock prints have long shaped Kristan's own minimalist style, by way of Van Gogh and Monet, both of whom were influenced by the same tradition. Sketching in Japan brought that lineage full circle, closer to the source than ever before.
Returning to the same cities brings its own creative challenge: finding fresh material in familiar places. The solution has been to strike a balance between the icons that have stood for generations, quietly changing over time, and the newer additions only just beginning to shape a city's identity.
Wherever the destination, one habit remains constant. In every city, Kristan makes time to visit the local galleries – to see what came before, to understand what a place values in its own artistic history, and to find, in the work of those who painted or sketched that same city long ago, something worth carrying forward into his own.
Interested in seeing what pieces from abroad we have available? Email us at contact@oud.art to arrange an appointment.