In the backyard of his house in the small community of Winkel in the Netherlands Ger Leegwater has created an outsider environment with Russian orthodox characteristics, which in the Netherlands is named "Kremlin in the Netherlands".

YouTube has a video (made in 2009) about this creation, with Leegwater talking about his activities. His presentation gives a good idea of his way of working. It is in dutch, so here is a transcript in english of his presentation.

Between (..) I added some subheadings and explanatory texts, to facilitate reading. And I have slightly edited the narration to make it an ongoing presentation.

The links to the videos are in my post

Voice over: Ger Leegwater and his wife Mientje live In the community of Winkel in North Holland. For over twenty years Ger has been working on buildings in his backyard, called follies. Every day he is at work. The largest project is the Kremlin.

Groups of interested people regularly come to see him. Then he likes to talk about his work

Ger Leegwater: About twenty years ago I started collecting building materials, because this really interested me. Then I became interested in architecture. I have bought books about this and then I came into contact with the Romanesque style. In my opinion that’s one of the most beautiful architectural styles. Romanesque and Baroque.

From all the material I've collected over the years, I've created something..

(A folly?)

A folly is a building which is not useful, you can not live in it, animals can not stay there …. separate towers, an ancient wall….. Actually, these buildings are silly.

I'm not saying this (Kremlin building) is a folly, but in some way of speaking it is called a folly.

However, the basilica church has genuine forms, with those spheres. It is actually much more than a folly.

(Materials)

I get a lot of material from demolition contractors, building materials or authentic ancient stones of a demolished house.

Old stones captivate me. I am not interested in modern stones. These lots (of stones), I always have for free, but old antique stones do have a certain price. I need to adjust my budget, how far I can go.

(Drawings)

I have no drawings of the buildings. That (what I create) is determined by the material. So when I have a certain amount of material, then I know I would go building a tower.

I'll just start and then it just grows, and as you start, it will automatically take shape. People want to start with something, but they do not finish it, and then they stop if it becomes too difficult. But then you just should continue. You have nice things and less good things, these belong together.

I have quite mastered (making constructions). I have enough material in order to make what I want. This I've learned: material comes first. I must first have it in the yard.

I do not live in a constraint of time, as in my job, I'm glad I'm free from it. I am not under an obligation, that’s why it’s all good.

(The “Kremlin”)

That large building, the basilica church, what they call the Kremlin, in my opinion is very pretty..

But if I had been in Russia earlier, I would rather have made such a small Russian church, four units, with spheres at the corners, say of 1650.

But I had never been to Russia. I had some books. So I started creating this building It was’nt my intention at all to do it in this way. It has grown so.Things also grow.

(Mythology)

Mythology, that’s very special in my opinion, like, say, Leda the swan, which is also a very nice story. Mythology comes from the Greeks, who had gods throughout. This was adopted by the Romans, although they had less gods.

These stories are beautiful, like is shown in the statue I am making, which evokes tragedy.

(Orpheus and Eurydice)

If you're looking at the statue, the expression is sad, he looks sad. He was not allowed to look back, and he did it anyway. He was curious whether Eurydice would come from the underworld, and when he did look back, she was forced to return into the underworld, so he felt sad. I think that is a very beautiful story and I love good stories.

(Personal style).

So when I make a sculpture, a dragon, Leda the swan, or a snail, then it is apparent that I'm the maker by the way I sculptured it. I have a personal style, which to me is the best. Every artist has this. A painter, you can clearly see what kind of painter he is, that’s my opinion too.

I stick to the system I work with.

There are also people who make statues which are cased in bronze, this is often done. But working with metal sheets, nobody is doing that. That is quite unique. And how I do hair with lead, that’s a technique I have never seen anywhere.

I'm just trying to figure out all these techniques. I do have fun when it works. There is always something new, because you're always busy with the material, and so, ongoing, you become more cunning and more skillful.

Italy fascinates me throughout, all kind of forms have to do with art.

I am still collecting building materials, but to a lesser extent, because I come to the phase in my life that I have to do less.

I also do like very much the Baroque style in Russia. I started with those spheres. I am a sheet metal worker, so I can make them myself. I have mainly taught myself how to do it.

(Visitors)

All kinds of people visit us. I do not know exactly which professions they have, but it fascinates me. They come to see me of course, but I would like to know what these people do.

We had people from Russia too and they surely admire what I have created.

We also have weddings, just married couples having made pictures, yes, or a family that wants to be together during a day, it's all outside here, and I tell them tales, I have my story, but they also can ask me all sorts of things. People are very interesting.

(An artist is never ready)

An artist, so I have heard from Jan Wolkers *, will never be ready.

Painters will have that too, it always can be made better, more refined, that is that stimulus. You need to have a bit kind of discontent, a little anxiety is good. No stress, but you should not be satisfied, that’s my approach, for me it is very normal to make improvements.

I am doing nice projects, but it’s not like that it is all going to work. I've also made corrections. Sometimes things went wrong, that does not bother me. People must also deal with errors. You have to learn, in my opinion that’s normal. Some people will never admit their mistakes (---), but I know better, people are not always honest about this.

(Next projects)

I now want to make a very large spider, as big as a man and then I make a huge web of some four meters of steel wire. And when that is ready, I am going to make a very large puppet theater where people can walk in, with a mask. I do like mimicry, children being happy.

When I was young I was fond of puppet theater.

I have creativity in me and I use it, wonderful. Perhaps it is a kind of vocation.

I would not want to work together with another one, I just want to figure out things myself.

(Now that I’m 65)

I'm getting ever wiser, which is also due to my age. Meanwhile I have learned a lot and then I would have to stop this, now that I'm 65? I will not do so. I do not know how people look at me, but someone who did pastry, that's different.

I am very creative, I have this in me, I do not know what this is, but if I wouldn't make things anymore, I'd be very unhappy.

Apparently I need to do this. Someone else may have a good collection of stamps, that’s nice, or go to football, but that’s not for me.

Everyone has something, but I am going to convey it. I want to show it to the people and tell them about it.

note

* Jan Wolkers (1925-2007) was a dutch sculptor, painter and author