By Baron Henri Estramant.   Under the high patronage of His Highness Sayyid Haitham bin Tariq Al Said, Oman’s Minister of Heritage and Culture, the “Kais Golf Celebration” took place on Saturday, 31 January 2015 as a way to ceremoniously open the new clubhouse, unveil the Ghala Golf Club’s new corporate brand and marketing identity.  For Ghala Golf Club Chairman, His Highness Sayyid Taimur bin As’ad Al Said, the valley club should further internationalise and become a hub for golf tourists visiting Oman. In fact, a plethora of expatriates of British, US American, Indian, Dutch and French extraction were at hand to partake in the celebrations for one of the sultanate’s prime golf courses along with Muscat Hills. Both courses were in fact very much the vision of the late Sayyid Kais bin Tariq Al Said (1952-2011), chairman of the Ghala Golf Club from 1989 to 2011. Sayyid Kais is fondly remembered as a golfing pioneer in Oman, who helped shift the focus of golfing from leisure to a professional competitive sport.  During the award ceremony for winners of the first tournament, Sayyid Kais was further remembered through a special golf memento presented to one of his sons, His Highness Sayyid Azzan bin Kais Al Said, who attended the event in representation of his family.       Ghala Valley Golf Club caters to Omani and foreigners alike, particularly offering top golf facilities to business people staying in Oman for limited periods. The fully fledged facilities overlook the pulchritudinous 18-hole grass golf course. Ghala Golf Club consists of a brand new club house, pro shop, driving range, a fine dining restaurant, an outside terrace with entertainment lawn, showers and changing facilities, rental club facilities, golf cart and caddy hire as well as chipping and putting facilities.   For more information:  http://ghalagolf.com/golf/our-course/ http://ghalagolf.com/2015/02/03/kais-golf-celebration-2015/ https://www.muscathillsgolf.com/    

By Carel Reisch On the 8^th of February the mayor of Wassenaar, Jan Hoekema honored Galerie Patries van Dorst by opening the exposition of father and son Wouter & Julian Stips. The opening speeches of the mayor together with Dutch televisionhost Martine van Os were the start of a very well visited art exposition in the coachhouse of Kasteel de Wittenburg. More than 200 people visited the gallery it was typical Dutch “gezellig” crowded.   For photo album please open https://www.flickr.com/photos/121611753@N07/sets/72157648452717353/   Wouter Stips is a well known Dutch contemporary artist, his son Julian is at the brink of an artistic career. Patries van Dorst gallery owner: “A few months ago during a visit at the workshop of Wouter in Hilversum, he showed us some drawings of his son Julian; we were immediately enthusiastic. When you’re talking about “a special talent for the future” then this is certainly the case. The idea of a double-exhibition was soon born. In the past we have had several expositions with Wouter Stips. We know that he is a popular artist and his paintings and glass sculptures always sells well. I am happy that the presentiment of Wouter and me regarding the paintings of Julian Stips became reality. The podium we gave his son Julian worked out so well. During the first day we already sold 6 of his works. Since he is a beginning artist the prices are still very affordable.” WOUTER STIPS (1944) Wouter’s cheerful, layered paintings and glass sculptures are sold worldwide. After his last exhibition in 2014 in the leading Singer Museum in Laren, Galerie Patries van Dorst is the first to show the latest works by this artist. Works spalling by the spontaneous use of color from the wall, painted in the tradition of the Dutch CoBrA painters, a refined beauty and seemingly childish poetic simplicity. The comparison with CoBrA in the work of Wouter Stips is soon made. He works with the same spirit and energy of the Cobra-artists like Corneille, Karel Appel, Lucebert, Constant, Eugene Brands, Pederson a.o. His works are being collected by Cobra-collectors worldwide. His colorful bright and childlike style is very much his own. One of the key features of the CoBrA movement was, of course, its multidisciplinary aspect. You could write, compose poetry, draw, paint, produce sculptures; you could even sing. And that is something that you see in the work of Stips. He seizes every opportunity to manifest his ideas in a material that appeals to him, that arouses his creativity. A thought suddenly arises, ‘Aha, I can make an image out of that’ and then he begins, like a man possessed, to make a series of images, figures or books. And then he continues making pictures lithographs, prints, silk-screen prints, music. This is something intrinsic to Stips to CoBrA, and actually to the open-mindedness of a child as well. It its simple lack of inhibition. You do what you enjoy, and what you don’t enjoy, you avoid. This is the way he thinks, and lives. When, at a certain moment, he was a successful television and film director, he simply quit that world in order to take up painting again, writing and sculpting full-time. Without hesitating back to his roots; that is something admirable. ( Leo Duppen – past president of the Amstelveen Cobra Museum in “Alle dagen feest”, a book about Stips’ work and worldwide projects ) JULIAN STIPS (1990) On his 10th year Julian was already modeldrawing with guidance of Catalijn Wouters. At the age of 17, he was accepted at the HKU Arnhem for fashion designs. He joined among others internship at “Victor and Rolf”, he concluded this prestigious traineeship and then went on a trip for a “mind set”. When back he decided to say goodbye (for now) to the “complex” world of fashion design and first to focus on the free-drawing and illustration commissions. Galerie Patries van Dorst, exhibits national en international (contemporary)artist. Every 6 weeks there are new exhibitions. Check their website for the current and coming exhibitions. The gallery is beautifully hidden away in the afforested surroundings of Wassenaar on the Wittenburg estate. The art combined with the historic ambience in the coach house and the gardens on the estate of Kasteel de Wittenburg makes a visit worthwhile. Open daily, please call in advance 0650 292 150.