Early Paintings

Early Paintings 1981 - 1990

For October 2011 to February 2012 I had been working to digitally restore the 106 pictures I did from 1981 to 1990, about one picture a day. In March 2013 I found 11 more pictures among a collection of slides done from the original paintings in the early 1980ies.

I restored them from photos or slides, since the originals had nearly all been dissolved in 1997. Artefacts of the scans had to be removed, the faded greyish colours of the photos revived and some other little mistakes corrected. Now they look fine, as good as possible.

I wrote comments for each picture, explaining the symbolism of the painting and sometimes also in which situation it was created. For me the editing was quite an adventure. Many inner pictures rose up; I again saw situations like through a telescope. And with this long distance I could much better put into words what I had expressed 25 to 30 years ago.

I sometimes hesitated before publishing certain images; they still were very close to me, and to unclose them by publishing was like opening inner windows into parts of my life hitherto hidden. Nevertheless I decided to give them free to the public. After restoring them I first published them on Facebook and Flickr, and sometimes comments on my blog, before they are now published on a website of my own.

The presentations on Flickr and Facebook reminded me of an Advent calendar with many little doors into subtle worlds. It was very nice to see the "likes" in Facebook that "friends" took notice of the pictures and to feel how they now were received. Some sent me comments via e-mails. It was very encouraging. A friend from California wrote me: "I tell students we must praise and appreciate everyone's gifts (which helps everyone evolve) and we must bring forth our gifts into the Light. It takes courage and it takes Love to do this." And: "Your paintings are an expression of deepest Love & revelation. This is not given as a compliment. Your essence is in the paintings. Thank you for showing them to the world."

The story of these paintings has now been told and they are "set free to sail to distant horizons". It is an ongoing story.

19 February 2012