I have to apologize for the “shut down” of this blog. I want to thank all of you who sympathized and tried to help me solving the problem that had arisen entirely beyond my fault.
Thanks.
Mark Knopfler, sweet memories
In 1996 my daughter and I went to a concert of singer Laura Pausini. At the time, a popular teen idol. It was a birthday gift when she became 12 years old. Father & daughter going out to the Velodrome in Valencia. We really enjoyed the concert (together!), I remember it very well.
For last Friday night she was alble to get two tickets for the concert of Mark Knopfler in Madrid, in Las Ventas. For my 62nd birthday. Again father & daughter on the scene. She could not do me no greater pleasure. The music of Knopfler has accompanied me a big part of my life. During the hours that I was working behind my easel and during the long hours driving my car when I was bound once more for the Netherlands. My daughter knows my music taste like no other. And I know hers. Pausini then and Knopfler now. During the concert I mused on what happened in the intervening years. Sweet memories of the past times during a fantastic concert next to my dear daughter. Beautiful!
Paella competition in Chelva
As you may know Paella is one of the main dishes in Spain. When we arrived here twenty-five years ago the Dutch consul said to me: “Ben, if you want to integrate in this country you need to know exactly when to talk about soccer and when about paella“.
The paella-recipe is simple. It starts with frying meat in oil. Then add water and vegetables. Cook the rice in this soup for about twenty minutes. And all that in the well known large, flat pan whether or not on wood fire. Like no other nation Spaniards can talk about food and a discussion on how to make a good paella often degenerates into a heated, semi-fundamentalist debate. “There should only be chicken and rabbit in! No, only fish! You should never do with bell peppers! In particular with bell peppers!” All this of course with a glass of wine in hand.
Last night in our village Chelva we had a Paella Competition. At the Plaza Mayor some twenty wood fires were burning with, on the low tripod, that big iron pan. The whole village smelled to fire and fried meat. The paella of our friends has won any prize but for me he was the world’s best. An we really had a good time till early in the morning.
Belén Payá
Twenty-five years ago, we left the Netherlands towards Valencia, Spain. Initially for one year only. (We happened to stay.) Immediately during the first week I visited the Valencian advertising agencies to show my illustration-art work. At that time illustration had been my main source of income in the Netherlands and I wanted to see if I could possibly get some spanish commissions. Right at my first visit I was warmly welcomed by an art director, who looked at my work carefully and immediately gave me my first job. I was absolutely delighted with the success. The name of this female art director was Belén Payá.
Spelt flour pancakes with spinach, garlic and cheese.
Spelt flour pancakes with spinach, garlic and cheese.
Today I started cutting frames for two paintings. I do the carpentry work and Helma, my wife, finishes them. She is an expert in gold leaf gilding. She followed a special training at the National Restoration Center in Amsterdam. Later I will show you the results.
Then quickly into the kitchen. For today: wholemeal spelt flour pancakes with spinach, garlic and cheese.
The ingredients for 10 pancakes.
- 300 gr. wholemeal Spelt flour
- Fresh spinach. Enough for two people. (For us it was the last harvest from the kitchen garden.)
- 3 cloves of garlic
- 1 glass of beer
- cup of milk
- 1 egg
- salt
- ripened cheese
- olive oil for frying
Mix in a bowl the flour and beer.
Add the egg.
Add enough milk to the mixture in order to obtain a nice and liquid batter. Add salt.
Leave it for half an hour in the refrigerator.
Wash the spinach and cook with entrained water in a large pan in 10 minutes.
Drain.
Mince the three cloves of garlic finely and mix it with the spinach.
Bake a pancake in a medium size fire pan once the oil is hot.
Lay a strip of spinach in the centre and at the edge two slices of cheese. Roll the pancake.
Maintain the pancake warm so the cheese melts slightly.
Wild asparagus
Yesterday night I returned from my “Commissioned Portrait Peregrinate”. Safe & Sound back home. I had some very nice encounters with clients. And this time a variety of portrait commissions. A chairman of an international building company. Some children´s portraits and a portrait of an elegant lady. Three different categories, and each one with their own attraction. I love them all. Later I hope I can show you some of it. (Depending on the consent of the clients.) But in order to get going I spend my first day home with important trivial things like emptying suitcases and reading my mails. Weather was excellent this morning in Chelva so we left for a fairly long walk in the mountains around the village. It´s really the season now for good, wild asparagus. We found without searching, enough to have a good starter for dinner. Fried with some garlic and a scrambled egg. Delicious! Makes me feel home again.
Next Sunday I will come back and I will tell you more about my approach towards my models.
Trip to Luzern.
Trip to Luzern.
Als I told last week, I was travelling to Luzern for a portrait commission. I just came back. Switzerland is a beautiful country and Luzern is really very nice. I had some time left to see the Rosengart collection. A lot of drawings and etches of Picasso. I am not really a big supporter of most of his work but I saw some nice drawings. Great paintings of Monet, Klee and work of some more French impressionists that I have never seen before. And a fascinating still life of Paul Cézanne.
Tomorrow I am bound for Holland , also for a couple of commissions.
Back home, safe and sound
Back home, safe and sound
Our last days in Holland we spent with family and, as promised, I send you a winter image of a beautiful snow covered terrace along the river Amstel.
Also we payed a visit to our friend Loes Kagenaar. We admired her beautiful ceramics. Wonderful tranquil and poetic pieces of art. You definitely must visit her website.
Yesterday night we arrived back home in Spain. Safe and sound. Driving all the way was too much. We left Holland in a terrible snowstorm. Also France was difficult. But we made it! Normal life is going to start from now, and I will send you soon my next posts on portrait painting, as usual.
Happy New Year
Happy New Year
We will be traveling for the next three weeks, so I suppose I will not be able to write much on this blog. From here I wish you all a Happy New Year! If one of your New Year Intentions might be “Learn to paint better” I will be here also in 2013 to help you!
Have fun with these optical illusions. See you next year.
Portrait of a young lady
Portrait of a young lady
Our friend Jenny was so kind to be my model. I made a very short video of the whole process. As you may notice I did the drawing using a grid. Usually I don´t do that, but it was for this demonstration. Later you can see a complete video of this preparation. First I made the drawing in charcoal and later I repeated in red colour pencil. The underpainting was made in raw umber, oil paint. Like in all my video´s the guitar is by Rob Kietselaer. Enjoy this demonstration.