Tuesday, October 30, 2012



R.I.P....the Rokerij Coffeeshops

The four locations of the Rokerij coffeeshops in Amsterdam known for their exotic décor and trippy music are closed.

 For many cannabis tourists a trip to Amsterdam became synonymous with a smoking session at the main Rokerij location off the Leidseplein. Review sites and discussion forums are still alive with comments on the exotic experience of smoking there.

During its operation, the main Rokerij was a place to have a beer and a smoke, and to relax in a unique environment. Customers would smoke in an incense thick atmosphere as the trippy music floated around the room. Large painted wall reliefs and ornate Far Eastern sculptures became food for the eye as the joints took their effect. The large candle lit room with its slow moving fans became the perfect place to drink, smoke and melt into the vibe.

Leaving a legacy of having some of the most exotic interior designs, and offering the experience of toking in another world, the Rokerij coffeeshops became for many the definition of an Amsterdam coffeeshop...you are already missed!

(oil on canvas 25cm x 35 cm)

Saturday, April 7, 2012






Coffeeshop GOA, alongside the canal on Kloveniersburgwal in the heart of Amsterdam. Customers may choose a marijuana or hashish selection from the menu, sit, relax, roll-up and smoke.

In Amsterdam, coffeeshops play the role of retailing marijuana and hashish (soft drugs) to the public, in addition to serving coffee, tea, and light snacks. An Amsterdam coffeeshop can be a lounge, a multi-story billiard parlor, a chic salon, or an unassuming store front. Some have fantastic interior schemes based on Asian, African or Middle Eastern motifs. It is both the variety of style coupled with their common function which creates their mystique.

During sketch sessions in the coffeeshops a compelling artistic endeavor presented itself to me: to create an enthusiastic rendering of Amsterdam's coffeeshops, whose fame as purveyors of hashish and marijuana are the stuff of contemporary legend.

(pastel with underpainting  35 x 25 cm)