Portrait Painting Revival
Inspired by my teenage oil painting ambitions at 14-15, I felt a strong urge to paint portraits again during one of Ben Lustenhouwer’s many portrait workshops at our Mougny atelier. I joined two courses, which sparked a hunger for more.
This led to my start as a portrait painter, though still alongside my usual construction projects. In Mougny, and later in La Charité-sur-Loire, I created several portraits, some commissioned. View my work at basvangaalen.com Below an impression of an exposition I did with Héléne Leroy-Coquard (RIP-2023) in La Charité sur Loire – 2019.
Freelance Building Freedom
Throughout our working lives, Agnes and I, as self-employed creatives, always faced the thrilling question: what does our financial future hold? Without a steady monthly income, we navigated ups and downs but always managed a free, fulfilling life.
One of the roofs I made together with Agnes for a customer
I often freelanced as an all-round builder, choosing my hours, clients, and projects—mostly home renovations, including roofs (with Agnes’ help when needed). Being handy means work anywhere, anytime. I never struggled to find it; demand was endless.
Island Dreams in La Charité
True to form, the itch to move struck again. Staying put too long stirs something in me—call it a sickness or addiction, it’s in my blood, and change fuels me. Agnes usually warms to the idea later, but we’re always 100% aligned before acting. So, we bought a charming little house overlooking the Loire in La Charité-sur-Loire—on an island! called “Faubourg”. It happened like this: while painting in La Charité from the island, still living in Mougny, I spotted a small house between two others, with a “For Sale” sign. I turned to Agnes: “Look at that house, that view!” Our dreaming was unstoppable; we knew the drill. After the usual paperwork, we started another renovation project a few months later—losing count of how many. Photos tell the story.
Crypto Quest Continues
Since 2008, I’ve been obsessed with the world’s money system—what happens next? By 2017, I dove into cryptocurrency, studying it intensely. I took the plunge, investing in Bitcoin and other coins. I know it’s risky; some call it a pyramid scheme or scam, saying, “It’s nothing, forget it.” But I’m stubborn, rarely heeding friends’ or family’s advice. That’s my nature, unchangeable. I believe in this decentralized money system. Maybe I’m wrong, and it’ll crash spectacularly—or maybe not! My gut, my lifelong guide, drives me. Life is a chain of choices, almost daily. I make them fast—yes or no, option 1 or 2. I weigh both, trust my inner voice, and it picks the winner. Of thousands of choices, I regret very few.
Big Move, Bigger House
As expected, after three joyful years on the island, I saw an ad for a large house in central La Charité, nearby. The little island house wasn’t sold yet, but we took the risk. This island house, where I’d turned the garage into a studio, was too small at 60m². So, we jumped to 300m²—five times bigger! Another major renovation followed, yielding a stunning home and a 100m² atelier. Photos tell the story.
We bought it in late 2019, moving in one day before France’s March 2020 lockdown—talk about timing! I’d already stocked building materials, so I barely noticed the lockdown, immersed in construction.
Post-renovation, calm finally settled. I’d stopped building for hire; my body signaled it was enough. Years of physical work kept me fit, but it was time to ease up. More time for portrait painting and travel beckoned…