Henk Roozendaal

Henk Roozendaal...... Nederlands

The authors

The book first edition

Second edition!

The layout

Mama Yelowman

Portraits of Bonaire is a bilingual book (English/Dutch) with 16 painted and written portraits of remarkable men and special women of Bonaire. They all lived a long time on the island and don't intend to leave their beloved insula ever. The collection of the portraits form a bouquet of the rich culture and beautiful nature of the island Bonaire.
There is a preface written by one of the former governors of the island, Raymundo Saleh and a forword by Jan Beutener, a wellknown painter from Amsterdam.
Hard cover with linen, 28x28cm, 108 pages. Published by Snoeck, Ducaju & Zoon in Gent, Belgium. ISBN 90-5349-4146.
Price: 30 euro in the Netherlands. $35 in Bonaire.
Email to: art@henkroozendaal.com

Marina & Isabel

Bonaire blues						Ismael
			Henk Roozendaal (the Netherlands, 1947) settled in Bonaire with wife Herma and son Boy in 1999, after a career as an advertising creative. Here, he took up his old beloved hobby: drawing and painting. In a short time, he developed a style of his own as painter of murals. The next step became painting portraits with acrylic on large wooden panels. In 2002, together with author Guus Gerritsen, he produced the book Portraits of Bonaire.

Fitness Joe		Hans & Ria
	Guus Gerritsen (the Netherlands, 1938), has been living in Bonaire with his wife Nita since 1998. They settled on the island after a couple of visits and an ocean crossing on their sailing yacht Aeolus.
George & Laura	In Bonaire, Guus is a well-known jazz saxophonist, and he is co-founder of the Jazz Club Bonaire. Before settling in Bonaire, Guus finished a career as management consultant. During this period, he wrote various publications. The written portraits in book Portraits of Bonaire are based on interviews with the persons concerned and on the personal experience of the author.	Farid's Dream

Dame met Flamingo Diana Lando	Jan & Melfina	Donna Elvis George 'Kultura' Thodé
	Two fragments: "My first car in Bonaire was a Suzuki, a sprightly, small, hot-blooded little jeep, a real island car. It gave you the feeling of riding a goat-cart. Bought second-hand, or maybe third- or fourth-hand, who knows, it didn't take long to come jerking and juddering to a halt. Thanks to a friend, I found my way to a fellow named 'Rooie' (Red) Jan, who ran a garage somewhere with an Antillean partner. It took a long time to locate him in the sandy yard, full of wrecks and discarded auto parts. Eventually I found myself next to a car from under which I was told, with a pure Limburg accent, that it would be my turn soon. Then suddenly out he came, like an iguana from under the sand: a little Dutchman with a furrowed, sun-burned head, a rusty tuft of hair, and friendly eyes. In a gentle voice he asked me what he could do for me. I told him." "The island is shocked and horrified. During the weekend, a young girl was run over and killed by a reckless motorist. The funeral is today. The bells are tolling, and the big St. Bernardo church in Playa is filling up. We sit high up in the church, 'on the organ,' as it is called, with all members of the brass band of Bonaire, in black trousers and a white shirt. We play chorals before the mass begins. Franklin Scherptong does not sit next to me, as is usual for the low brass instrument section. He is sitting at the organ now, devout and enthusiastically conducting a small choir singing 'Abide with me,' bringing tears to my eyes."
	Franklin Scherptong

Click on the picture to enlarge.

Henk Roozendaal

Web site designed, maintained and hosted by BonaireNet n.v
Web site sponsored by BonaireNet n.v