Salema, a rare fish from Atlantic...

PDF e-book "Early Works" is published.To read the e-book best way; I suggest to view it on a desktop, laptop or a big screen tablet, downloading the file first and open it from the file folder instead of viewing on your web browser. The e-book has Interactive links, feel free to click on them to listen my voice on SoundCloud.com  Enjoy it! Click on the link.

Cover image of "Early Works" by Birsen Ozbilge 

Last week I advanced a lot on the mosaic artwork, hoping to finish it by next weekend. Sealing the wood and grouting will be the next steps. I will share with you the process. 

 "Over the Clouds" mosaic art work in progress

I carry my little sketch book with me all the time.When I find a little spare time to disconnect from all the world, my pencil and sketch book. Here I am drawing and trying to leave precious moments from my life in Gran Canaria...

Playa del Burrero, Gran Canaria

Last week we had "Salema", a rare fish caught from Mogan area. I made a little research on it and found out that If the fish had eaten a special seaweed can cause hallucinations when eaten., chances are very little I mean... I don't remember having any hallucination experiences, though :) Anyways, I decided to paint this beautiful creature before us to eat it...

Salema (Salema Porgy - see at wikipedia) 

 I like marble surface to mix oil paintings

 Salema work on progress

We like to steam our fish and vegetables. It is tasty, healthy and easy to clean. This steamer has two levels, so we put on the first level potatoes and carrots for 35 min programme. After 15 min. We add to the second level an oven bag with marinated fish (with onion, parsley, lemon, salt, black pepper). And last 4 min. We add the broccoli on the top level. We serve it with simple green salad and open a cold white wine. Voilá! It's so easy isn't it? Tip: Give a small whole  to the oven bag.

Steaming the fish and the vegetables

Have some Tortilla! A Spanish Potatoe Omelette

This week I was working on the mosaic artwork. It was a quite challenge to put these tiny vitreous glass pieces together in some areas. But I enjoy creating difficult artworks... 

Last week started to work on a commission portrait project; "A mother and son", in the background the Marina of Las Palmas will be shown. As usual, I created the composition from the scratch with the collaboration of the client. I took hundreds of photos and selected the best ones for sketching and painting. This project is slowing down my cookbook paintings project. Preparing the canvas and materials for the project which takes lots of time. But it will pay my bills, now is the time to get dirty with paints...

Molino del viento (windmill) at Arinaga

This is a quick sketch from yesterdays small break. The new windmill in Arinaga, a coastal town very close to us. This 90 m. tall windmill is the tallest one in Spain. When it functions it creates energy for 20 thousand houses.

Tortilla, oil on canvas 29 cm x 21 cm

Here is my recipe of  the typical Spanish tapa "Tortilla" (small appetizer can be eaten hot or room temperature) which is our breakfast speciality...

Tortilla (Spanish Potatoe Omelette) 

3 potatoes peeled, cut in 1 cm cubes

1 onion, chopped in small pieces

1 garlic dent, chopped in tiny pieces

4 eggs

1 glass olive oil or sunflower oil

25 ml milk

1/4 dessert spoon salt

Pinch of black pepper

In a big bowl mix the eggs with milk, salt and pepper. In the mean time first fry the onion until they are soft and golden color. Take them out and add to the egg mixture. With same oil fry the potatoes until they are soft but not over cooked. Before taking out the potatoes add the garlic for a minute than add them to the bowl, mix it well. In a 20 cm non stick pan put a spoon of  oil and heat a minute. Add the mixture, cover with a lid and lower the heat to medium temperature. Cook about 5 min until the bottom part is firm. Get a flat plate bigger size than the pan, turn the tortilla upside down on the plate carefully. Put the pan back on the fire and slide the tortilla in to the pan again. Cook another 5-6 min until the both sides are golden color. Buenprovecha!

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