Emmy van Esser, born and educated in the Netherlands, moved in 1976 with husband and two children to Spain, where she still lives. The family always had animals like dogs, cats, a horse, guinea pigs and birds. Their friends called them “the Zoo”. Painting became an important hobby since 1996. She has developed her own style, combining her love for animals and her ability to paint them with love.
 
The Carmen Pardo – Valcarce Foundation was established in 1991 with the intention to help young mentally handicapped people get access to decent work. At this moment they attend to more than 350 people in their multi-disciplinary workshops. They teach and instruct each individual youth so he or she can develop the necessary skills to perform different tasks: carpentry, floriculture, decorative painting, printing and various others.

They make these magnificent placemats for us and, because they are made by hand, some of them may show small imperfections or colour deviations. Of course, this is the characteristic charm of all handmade things. Buying our placemats (apart from the acquisition of a small piece of Art) you help to maintain these workshops and their magnificent task to attend to these young handicapped people.
 
Lourdes Maudes, Natalia Garcia and other long-time friends help us with their skilful imagination and unconditional support and understanding.