Sharing a Visit

This pandemic has been a difficult, trying and frustrating time, but I find it is teaching us some valuable lessons. One such lesson is, don't take things for granted.  Before the pandemic, I would make weekly visits to my daughter and grand-sons.  It's a fairly simple drive, half an hour on the major highway to Jerusalem. I took these outings for granted. Tuesday morning was art workshop day, Wednesday visit Yael. When they were much younger my weekly visits were helpful because that was the day Yael had evening classes to teach and I had to make supper, see that they took their bathes, and read before bedtime. It was a sleepover when they were still living in Aminadav, outside of Jerusalem. Since their move to Neve Shalom two years ago, the visits are easier, I can drive, and Yael usually is at home, so we enjoy a coffee together while catching up. The kids don't "need my help" but my presence is important to them. 

This changed with Covid, lockdowns and visiting restrictions.

So when I can make a visit WOW what a treat!  Noam wasn't at home because his school allows him to take part in their boarding school, two weeks at school, two weeks at home, but I had an enjoyable visit with Uri, 11, and Yael. Maybe next week Uri will start school. It was good to get out of the house in the fresh air! 

  

View from the deck

They built the house around the tree!

Zoom homeschooling

Caught Uri in the middle of his class, later went out on the deck to paint. A lesson in intuitive painting!

My creation

Gouache + oil pastel 

Uri's drawing

Uri's painting with a view of the garden

Uri's painting closeup

Gouache

Not going to take these visits "for granted."

New Work

WIP

Cut Canvas 19.75 x 27.5 "

Graphite Mark Making

WIP

Cut Canvas 19.75 x 27.5 "

First layers using prompts

colored pencil oil pastels oils

Art-itude II

Heat wave

Hard to concentrate

Want to slip in cool water

When will the pool open!

Poet, I am not, an artist maybe

WIP

19.75" x 13.75"

240 gm cartridge paper

Acrylics  Oil Pastels Graphite pencils charcoal

Art-itude II Used Ozo yellow light. There is a strong presence of muted yellow, large circle shapes, and a sort of pathway on the left. Not too happy with the circle on the bottom left section, keep seeing a face and that disturbs me. I like the flower-like presence at the top left and thought to echo that over the face.

Running out of my favorite brown heavy cardboard-like paper so I bought 3 sheets of 240gm cartridge paper. Most of our papers come in huge sheets called giliyon which is about 1000cm x 700 cm. 

Cut on in quarters.. 4 pieces  50 x 35 cm and the other 2 in 50 cm squares for this project. +  8 small sheets

20 x 25 cm.. Not bad for 6 shekels... $1.70

Art-itude

What's on my desk and easel. My bedside table is one great mess. pamphlets, Lily's medications, random writing tools, toilet paper (for tissues), tablet, remotes, clock, even my pot of cold wax medium. Everything and the kitchen sink.  Took a photo but ashamed to even post it. My desk is almost the same.... small table easel, wipes, real tissues palette, stapler, pens, earphones, mouse, you get the picture. On the small easel my latest work.

Joan gave us a new set of prompts she called Art-itude.  A way of maybe expressing what we all are going through. She first told us to write down words that describe our days, which of course I didn't do.... my ongoing battle for words that don't seem to come. Then a new list of prompts. In the end, she asks us to photograph our work and try to write about our work. Another word problem! But, today I decided to sit myself down and tackle this "word thing" obstacle.

I Will Follow My Dreams

Acrylics on cartridge paper 14" x 19.5" 

Some of the words Joan wrote helped me describe my work.... connection, expansiveness, pathways, strength, and new dreams.

The main yellow figure like shape is almost in the middle, dividing the work into two main sections, one lighter and one darker. The figure has a light echo in the lighter area and seems to be coming out of a circle with many circles of bubble-like shapes. These could be thoughts and feelings. She is rising to new heights strengthened by the black and white verticals. I feel there is a sense of survival to this figure that maybe a new strength! 

The composition has two main sections, dark and light, monochromatic, and with color. In the dark section is also divided into squarish sections opposite the lighter area that has a thin vertical rectangle and a rising subtle balloon shape  The balloon may symbolize rising hope!

A Syrian artist, Khaled Hussein, uses this symbol in his wonderful work describing the horrors his homeland is suffering.