"The Reclaimed Land - My Mother's Land"

My Painting of Urk- 1967

Urk is where my mother Aaltje van den Berg was born. It was once an island in the middle of a inland sea (similar to a lagoon only much larger), it was reclaimed after the 2nd World War and became part of the main land of Holland.  Urk is a fishing village. My mother was one of 16 children, her father was a fisherman and had his own fishing boat. He became ill and sadly had to sell his boat none of his 10 sons wanted to take on the fishing trade. He moved his family to Zaandyk where the factory jobs were, for jobs for his 10 sons and himself.