HIDDE, a flying Dutchman in Asturias
Began his career as an officer in the merchant navy and later wandered in his self-built sailboat across the oceans . The sea can be very overwhelming , both for its raw power and infinite loneliness and these imprinted memories will undoubtedly influence his style. After being alone at sea for more than 25 years he now spends much of the year in a half- deserted hamlet in the mountains of Asturias looking for peace and quiet, something reflected in many of his paintings
The man is self-taught . Interesting here is the idea of Dutch constructivism : Constructivism : implies broadly that learning is not considered a passive recording or imitation , but as an active process of construction . Constructivism is based on the intrinsic motivation of the student to seek knowledge and to construct, and suggests that feedback and reflexion on the own construction stimulates learning . There is an ever ongoing refinement of understanding possible , from naive to sophisticated.
The way he approaches his subjects depends greatly on the subject itself. His oeuvre can roughly be divided into two main lines; the earlier cubistic works, mainly portraits, followed by a gradual movement towards surrealism, the transitional period consisting mainly of landscapes and urban scenes, ending in a definitely unique style rather geometrically in approach.
The basic plan of the series portraits and landscapes are parallel lines and intersections . If you look closely , according to hidde , you can see, wherever you go, that the landscape, be it countryside, mountain or city, consists of geometrical patterns. This is even more noticeable in faces and bodies. Whether or not this idea is shared by others, the results are remarkable paintings.
This geometry is, though more subtle , also present in the series irreal where he creates an intense lyricism . This lyricism shifts to the background in the series elemental , where a development can be seen towards simpler images and compositions .
Ingenio del Rio 
calm weather, time for reflection
shore leave
plotting a course
plotting the lay-out for a new painting, nothing much has changed