I had a rare week to myself back in April of 2022 while Ido was away at a backgammon tournament - and I knew exactly what I wanted to do.
I laced up my hiking boots, filled up my Camelbak bag with water, and stuffed my travel paint kit in my bag. And then drove 30 minutes south to the Keren HaCarmel forest.
I knew this trail - Ido and I had hiked this easy loop before, and I was eager to go back to it on my own, so I'd have a chance to linger, sit and paint whenever I wanted.
Not only that - it's a truly beautiful and interesting trail.
The mountains here are covered with tall pine trees, and the fallen needles make the air smell sweet and soften the sound of my boots on the trail. The trees also provide merciful shade from the Middle Eastern sun on hot days.
Free-roaming red-and-white cows are also common here in the north - and, on that day, I came across a dozen of them to the side of the trail, with a couple of lazy calves spooning with their heavy-set mothers in the underbrush.
But, most notable of all, are the ancient tombs along the path. I'm not exactly sure how old they are, but there's more than a dozen of them with open and visible doorways. And many more that simply haven't been unearthed. That's the wild thing here in Israel - there just isn't the budget to officially excavate all the many MANY ancient sites here.
Anyways. Even though I had come to the trail specifically to find (and paint) a grove of olive trees, I found myself utterly captivated by the pine forest.
Many of the Mediterranean plants here in Israel are new and foreign to me - but the smell of pine sap and the soft crunch of pine needles brings me right back to Ohio. It's a rare sensation of familiarity.
Which is probably why this was the picture I wanted to paint the most after I got home from that hike.
DIMENSIONS:
- 5.75 inches by 7.5 inches (14.5 cm x 19.5 cm)
WATER:
- Just regular tap water! I was trying something new and didn't think I'd love this piece as much as I do!
MATERIALS:
- Daniel Smith Watercolors
- Micron Archival Pens
- Cold Press Paper
Pine Forest of Karen HaCarmel
If you're buying this for my special "get home for Christmas sale", please read this! 🧡
Please be aware that while you are able to purchase this lovely piece of artwork now, it will not be shipped to you until after I arrive in the States in mid-December.
I know, I know - not exactly Amazon Prime shipping standards 😅
However, this means your shipping costs are *way* cheaper, and your artwork will have a shorter (and safer) distance to travel
And, by purchasing now, you are helping me cover the cost of flying home for Christmas for the first time in 3 years (!).
So - thank you ever so much for your patience. And just let me know if you have any questions or concerns!