Still unfinished:

Stefan is documenting the working process:

Today a visitor told me that she was in the exhibition in Valverde while there was a class of schoolchildren. The teacher asked them to interpret my paintings. I wish I could hear their remarks. It does gives me so much joy that my work is having a function for other people and can stimulate imagination.

Starting the painting of a canvas of 1.80 x 1.10 and must say I really love to work on this bigger size. This is just a beginning stage. It will take some more days to do this, with all the layers I usually bring into it. It is nice to observe the changing light during the day falling on the wall where it is supposed to hang after finishing.

Trying out on little piece of canvas what I can do if I bind my all natural pigments with an acrylic binder. I have a commision to make a big painting on canvas 1.80 x 1.10 cm. Yesterday we spend a lot of time to attach the canvas to a wooden frame. It looks good now, but did imply much more obstacles then I did expect. Now looking forward to start the big work of painting. Yellow and blue have to be the main tones and the ambiance have to be happy and peaceful, generating a good feeling for people spending their time in the holiday home where it is meant to be. While I am working on it we are staying there. The place is wonderful. What I love most is the perfect silence. You hardly see any human presence around. The view is far and wide. It is so totally calming and deeply relaxing to be here. It does help to clear out that living on this island permanently might be really good. I have spend a lot of time weighing all the pros and cons and searching for the most perfect house to live which should meet both Stefan's and my needs. We did not find that house till now. But even whithout that being here is good.

This is a youtube with some remarkable telling foto's which Stefan made from the last opening of  our exhibition.

More foto's are on the little website he did make: 
lwww.stefanhensel.eu/18-01-17_Valverde_exhibition/selection_of_photos.html
There are also links to previous exhibitions on El Hierro, showing the ambiance at that time.

The preparation for the exhibition is ready, tonight will be the opening. I am very happy with the result. I did chose what I regard as my very best work, made during my stay here on El Hierro. It is a coherent body of work. It is the best I can offer right now.
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I am also happy with a beautiful space in the Cabildo  in Valverde which finally allows me to see the work from a distance and with good light. Happy with the people working there willing to deal with my very limited comprhension of Spanish. Happy with Stefan's support which allows me to frame it nicely, and his practical help to give it a final touch. Happy with the collaboration with Samara.

This is a try-out to bring foto's and paintings together. I am not sure wheter it is a good idea to do that. They are from different worlds. And my paintings never are meant to be a literal representation of reality. Feel free to send me some feedback or give some comments on this!

The almond trees are already flowering.