Food, Fruit + Veggies
I grew up in Ohio - a land of long leafless winters and overcast skies. And then I moved to Israel - a Mediterranean country that's exploding with color year-round. Date palms and mango trees swaying outside of my office window. Lime and lemon trees heavy with fruit in every yard. Kumquat trees freckled with bright orange fruit every rainy season. It didn't take long for them to become staple subjects in my work.
Lemons + Red Leaves
I live one block away from a produce store called Speed.
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In that one block, I walk under towering fig palms, knotty olive trees, heavy lemon and orange trees, tall mango trees, and I can even see the top branches of two kumquat trees over my neighbor's garden wall.
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Fresh lemons - not just bottled lemon juice - is also a big part of Mediterranean cooking and salads. So painting lemons was practically inevitable for me.
Olive Branch + Golden Sky
I moved to Israel in June of 2019 - and all I did until the end of the year was learn Hebrew, do small day trips on my own, and paint. It was my way of settling in and making sense of this INSANE thing I had done.
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One of my solo day trips was up north to the archeological site of Magdala (the town where Mary of Magdalene is from) on the edge of the Sea of Galilee. I explored the ruins - the mosaic floor of the first century synagogue and ancient mikvehs - in the sweltering July heat. A line of olive trees bordered the site, so I snapped a picture - and later painted it.
Plum Sketch
I am always trying to loosen up my paintings techniques, and play around with abstract shapes and color palettes.
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The produce I have in the fridge is usually my favorite practice subject - !
Sweet Potato Sketch
I am always trying to loosen up my paintings techniques, and play around with abstract shapes and color palettes.
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The produce I have in the fridge is usually my favorite practice subject - !
Breakfast at Benedict's
Food in Israel is CRAZY good. I often joke with Ido that I actually moved here for the food, not him (he doesn't find that joke nearly as funny as I do)
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And the food is so good that sometimes I can't help myself, and sketch the meals I have - like this beautiful pile of salmon and sliced radish, served on a bagel with an over-easy egg.