The Art of Loving Clay, Color and Communication

Exploring the connection between matter and spirit

Not taking things for granted

 במרץ בשנה שעברה, כתבתי על גדעון והעבודה אתו באמנות בביתו. מאז אנחנו ממשיכים לקיים את המפגשים השבועיים, מגוונים את העיסוקים לפי מזג האוויר ומצב הרוח. המפגשים עם גדעון קבועים אבל מאד גמישים ותמיד מעניינים -לעתים קרובות גם מפתיעים

    בין לבין, הראיתי לגדעון את האייפוד שלי ובעזרת גוגל ארט טיילנו  בכל העולם  והסתכלנו על תמונה אווירית של הבית שלו. פלאי הטכנולוגיה כל כך משמחות אותו שגם אני מתלהבת מחדש  ואסירת תודה על האפשרות לראות את מה שכבר נהיה מובן מאליו – כפלאי ומרתק

היום  הכרתי לגדעון את יו טיוב  ושוב זכיתי . תכנית כבקשתך עם רם קול קטן בעוצמה גדולה  שבעזרתו שמע את  -פול רובסון שר “לט מיי פיפל גו” ואת אליזבט שוורצקופ ברקויים של ורדי.

  תודה גדעון על כך שאתה מאפשר לי להתרגש יחד אתך כל שבוע מחדש

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Black ravens vs white egrets: Birds in Pardes Hanna (again)

 

I woke up to a noise that reminded me what it was like when the egrets invaded… but it was closer and louder . By the time I remembered I have a NEW camera … they had settled onto a rooftop near the studio…and scared away the doves . Birds obviously love downtown Pardes Hanna. I get a rooftop view of nature’s version of the contest between black and white and hope for survival of the strongest species. Me.

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A camera in the studio again at last

  רגעי כיף של סדנאות בסטודיו עם המצלמה החדשה  - מזמינה אתכם להצטרף!

 Students, clay, colors and a new camera  -   the joy of  teaching and creating

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Oops – no camera.

It had become part of the process, kind of automatic. Every time I work  in the studio, I take a photo of what I am working on. It helps me get perspective . A kind of stepping back to look at what I am doing.

Something about seeing the piece on the computer screen, distances me from the work and I can see what I like or what needs adjustment.

So when my camera gave me an error message that I subsequently read on the photography forums is the dreaded FATAL message for my specific model, I was pretty upset. It’s not just that I don’t have a working camera. It’s not just that I can’t take new photos to upload to my website. It’s that I CAN”T WORK !!!

Of course that’s nonsense. But isn’t it amazing how I have  become dependent on a certain way of doing things. I mean, ya, I can step back, without running to the computer, and make a judgement call on the spot.

And if I end up with a few pieces that I am not happy with, maybe I will find I learn something new about the process.

After all, there is a vast body of work made by people who didn’t have digital cameras to help them look at their work objectively… I KNOW!

“My red balloon”  is the last photo I managed to download from the camera. My blue and green balloons are waiting  in the wings….

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End of the Egret season, or angry birds…

Often, integration of various areas of my life, shows up in my art. But it isn’t always quite as obvious as this.

This summer I spent quite a lot of “granny time” and was introduced to the incredibly fun but oh so  addictive  game of “angry birds”. This coincided with the battle of the birds, later to be termed humane diversion of the nesting of the Egrets, as the battle was, in fact, with the authorities and not the birds. Somehow the end of the nesting season conveniently merged with their hiring of an expert bird removal company as well as a large sign claiming responsible municipal management, and I was free to consider the artistic aspects of all this, at least until January when proof of the pudding will be clear to see: did they really divert the birds ?

What emerged was a little surprising for me. What began with an intuitive deep squeeze of clay left me with a bird’s head gently nesting  between thumb and forefinger and here are the results. Tough love? Aggression towards the birds? Integrating life and creativity?

They are colorful and fun and remind me more of Angry Birds than dealing with the – lets call it – diversion of the noisy, messy nesting egrets.

 

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Reality is the only ride… or Things to be grateful for.

There are 2 supermarkets five minutes walking distance from my house. This is something to be thankful for. It is also the reality of my life. Yet despite this, on Thursdays, since  I teach in Hadera, I shop on the way home at the Mega on the outskirts of Hadera. They deliver and I like their prices.  Today I decided to take it home myself, drop it off and go to teach in Binyamina in the afternoon.

Its a hot day, around noon. My brakes suddenly vibrate and sound like grating cogwheels. Its my new car ( only 5 years old and has recently been serviced !). Reality  : you can get stuck in any car… I call the garage and he says call the tow truck. I do. It takes them a couple of hours and I sit in the car with the defrosting chicken/butter/eggs/ yoghurt etc. And the 6 pack of water I need – for the “White Night” celebration of Pardes Hanna this evening, where I am supposed to be showing and telling about sculpting in clay… Things to be thankful for: the car engine does run and I have the air-conditioner on. My phone is charged and I have it with me. Its lunchtime, I am starving and I eat the figs and yellow cheese I bought for the weekend. Not a bad lunch. I cancel the English lessons in Binyamina. Reality : five minutes after I confirmed the lessons -you can plan lessons but that doesn’t mean you will get there. Things to be thankful for: today’s students are sisters and I can call just one mom.

The tow truck arrives and finds me in the middle of nowhere, and he isn’t going in my direction, nor will he get to my garage in time for them to fix it before the weekend. And,  no lift with the tow truck in the direction of home. There is a bus stop round the corner he tells me, so I pick up the bags of groceries and start walking, and walking and walking. Reality check:   public transport might not be great in this area, but since I don’t use it, I have no idea what runs where anyway. Things to be grateful for: I only have four bags and I left the heavy water in the car.

Finally I get to the bus stop and guess what? its a pick up stop for soldiers. not a bus stop. See the photo. Reality : not all that glitters like a bus stop is public transport. Things to be thankful for : my phone is charged. There is shade for me and my groceries.

I call a taxi. He is not interested in understanding where I am : where route 65  going east and # 4 road coming from the north meet. Reality : he is NOT sending me a taxi. I look at the bags now in the shade and again, thanks for  having a short list today.

Erica sends me the number of a different taxi stand. They find me, eventually. Reality : the price of a taxi half way from Hadera is the same as one from Hadera. Things to be thankful for: Hanadiv taxis have good service. I am home. With the groceries, minus the figs and cheese. Minus the water.Reality: Temporarily minus the car.

Not a bad ride home after all….Riding reality is like surfing the waves.

And now I read the news online. I didnt have the radio on. Other realities were happening around the country….

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צילום עבודות Shani Barel Photography visiting

צילום עבודות

Shani Barel Photography visiting

Showing art work online OF COURSE means having great photos; my camera and my photography skills often just don’t cut it. Especially for paintings. I am lucky to have a great photographer in the family, but since Shani lives in LA and my work is in Pardes Hanna it’s a very rare opportunity. …Here are a few photos from our recent session.

 

{And … you should see the photos of my grandchildren }

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