‘Circles Ever Widening’ was painted during a period of turmoil in the artist’s life. Because of severe health problems, he had to go through a period of intense struggle to regain his painting skills.
His wife Hester was one of the steadiest beacons in this period and this painting shows her portrait. This painting is not obviously different from a normal portrait, but it needs to be looked at closely. The brushstrokes are more visible and may play a role in the mind-shift of the observer; essential to see beyond the first impression. On close examination, it is full of inconspicuous circles that reach to all corners and even outside the frame. The vertical and the horizontal gather in a subtle manner. Like his wife, this painting is close to his heart and shows colors that are best seen when the eye gets adapted to the dark. René makes a conscious attempt to let his work be part of his life, but it is encouraging that it often turns out to be bigger than that. For example, only recently he found that - within the rippling water - something like a Jin Yang sign is visible. Again this is a confirmation that - even unconsciously - he works within this ever widening reality.