After Aat bought a etching press in 1950 he proved to be a portraitist with a keen eye for detail. His portraits reveal great psychological insight into the people he portrays. Simon Carmiggelt, the well-known Dutch writer, said Aat's work shows "a sincere and endless interest in all aspects of human life." At the end of the 50s Aat started making etchings showing human beings on the verge of life and death. In those days people thought of this as rather controversial. He made etchings of people on the operating table in a hospital in Amsterdam. After that he produced a series of women in labor; he then rode along with policemen to draw road victims. In 1964 he learned about the Rota technique that makes it possible to print many copies of his etchings. He could now realize his dream: sharing art with people. Because of the larger production, his etchings could be sold for a few guilders each. He displayed and sold his work from a delivery bicycle. Two years later Aat was forced to stop selling his art because the police found it offensive. This meant the end of his etching period. From then on, Aat concentrated on paintings and sculptures. It would be years before he began etching again. (http://www.aatveldhoen.nl/past.html) "I’m in the privileged position that I can make my living of being an artist. That’s only granted to a few artists. I don’t care if my work is shown at the Bank of the Netherlands or in a museum. What's important is that I‘m able to paint." I try to use different styles to avoid lapsing into mannerism. You must always try not to be a mannerist and try new styles and materials. Nowadays you have so many different materials and by using it all I try not to stay with one kind of style." I will always believe in expressive art. It is like playing the violin; you never forget how. Art is part of a person, however it develops. Whether you paint fiction or non-fiction, it is always autobiographic. Every artist creates art about himself." undefined

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