Aalsmeer Bid

Aalsmeer Bid is a mid-sized, abstract painting created with highly concentrated alcohol inks. These are placed on to a base of white enamel paint. Many of the shapes and forms are created using an air line to move the inks around in their liquid state.

It’s serene, uplifting and beautiful to stand in front of. It really is like being ain a field of wild flowers on a summer day. Perfect to hang in any orientation, he inspiration for this piece comes from the Aalsmeer Royal Flora Holland flower auctions near Amsterdam.

The planet’s largest floral market

At Royal FloraHolland in Aalsmeer, located just outside Amsterdam and Schiphol Airport lies a true masterpiece of modern logistics. As the busiest flower trading hub on Earth, this massive facility processes roughly 20 million blossoms every single day.

From elevated public walkways positioned safely above the bustling warehouse floor, you can look down on a mesmerizing scene: dozens of mini transport trains darting in every direction at incredible speeds, orchestrating the global distribution of flowers inside the world’s largest covered market. With a facility of this scale you can only imagine the colours and smells that it generates.

So, it’s hard to let this visual overload go without some kind of homage. Further reading reveals how their bidding system works which is a stroke of genius in its own right. So now you know about the name let’s dive into a technique and material that breaks new ground for us at Swarez HQ.

Unique formula; the finest quality

I have long been interested in ink. The versatility of this medium is exceptional so I have been trialling some off-the-shelf variants for a month or two now. However, to put ideas into real life and underline the quality we demand, I have had my own inks made for me. These are denser, more concentrated pigments in larger bottles than you can normally buy over the counter.

The result of that effort are inks that have incredible colour depth, amazing tonal range and can also be moved and shaped for longer periods of time (courtesy of isopropanyl alcohol).

This is the first of many new ink works that I’ll be releasing over the next few months. So what better way to start this journey than with a light and uplifting composition that celebrates all the joyful things in life. If you’re looking for a burst of freshness that brings the vibrancy of the finest blooms in the world then this is absolutely for you. Drop me a line below.