A portrait of Ayana, drawn with pencil, pen, and watercolor.
Made for the neighbors across the street in Den Ilp, Gerard and Ellen Rep.

You might already know that we spend a lot of time in Den Ilp, a village aboutt 12 kilometers North of Amsterdam. I have my studio there too. It is very pleasant there, so quiet and surrounded by plants, trees, water, birds, butterflies, horses, goats…

We are incredibly lucky with our lovely neighbors. Next door to us, (diagonally) across from us… Always up for a chat and we love helping each other. Gerard and Ellen have two daughters, and the youngest, Sanne, is married to Samba, from Gambia. They recently had a beautiful daughter, Ayana, Gerard and Ellen’s granddaughter.

I help Samba with his Dutch lessons every now and then, and Gerard helps us with some carpentry work. I made this drawing of little Ayana, in the arms of her aunt Nienke, Gerard and Ellen’s eldest daughter. Today I brought the original drawing, in a wooden frame, to the proud grandparents’, plus two beautiful prints, in a similar frame:one for the parents, Sanne and Samba and one for Aunt Nienke.