Expat COVID Love Story

When an American/Hungarian International Portrait Artist, formerly known as Baroness Valerie Haynal Forcier, arrived in Spain for a holiday with a friend in March of 2020, little did she know that the COVID lockdown would keep her here to marry her love in December, three years later, thus also becoming part of the English-speaking expat community here on the Costa del Sol.

Californian-born H. Vali became a Hungarian citizen with a bachelor of fine arts degree after studying art under the tutelage of the famous Gyemant Laszlo in Budapest.

Celebrities as varied as American scientist Edward Teller (of the hydrogen bomb) and Hungarian rock legend Demjen Ference were amongst her commissioned portrait requests.

She has paintings exhibited around the world in many countries and takes specific pride in the featured art in the psychiatric offices of Dr. Karme in Pasadena, and the Saatchi galleries.

She now has her own gallery in the Parque Botanico Country Club in Benahavis, alongside her newly published author husband.

Having survived major cancer some six years ago, her style has changed dramatically, and her gallery displays the old and the new.

With her now living in the famous white pueblo of Casares, she draws new inspiration for painting in her open-to-the-public studio within her gallery and invites fellow artists to come and paint and create.