A Visible Voice

Trip to north of Israel

2012-02-09T01:10:00.001-05:00

We had an interesting lecture the other night on the prisons in Israel. They are managed quite differently from the ones in the U.S. When someone is arrested, whether by the military or the police, they are given due process, but all the prisons are managed by one agency (IPS = Israel Prison Service a/k/a National Prison Authority). The police are to fight crime and the military are to defend the country. IPS manages the prisons so the others can do their jobs. They take care of lock ups and escorts. There are detention facilities for the prisoners held before their trials. There are separate detention facilities for illegal immigrants. It might surprise some of you to know that illegal immigrants are trying to get into Israel despite its political problems with the countries outside it. It is still a better life than what they have in their own countries. (These are not Jewish people trying to get to Israel.) There are separate security prisons and military prisons, also women’s prisons. It was a good lecture.

Our most recent trip was to the north of Israel, green with mountains and valleys. We had a wonderful guide who explained everything as we went along, desalinization plants, water pumping stations, agriculture, electric production from coal and gas, etc. We stopped for some sheep that were on the road. The herders moved them with their vehicle along with a bit of help from a border collie. Then we went to visit Emek Hashalom which has nature trails, olive and wine presses. This is an interesting area for “integrated nature studies” – they explained that to mean that the facility and trails are set up for people with varying handicaps. The trails have stones on the side so that blind people don’t wander off them. The teachers explain the olive presses with picture boards for the autistic etc. Everyone is included, no one is left behind. www.lotem.cet.ac.il This area is a controlled area (biosphere) and limited building is allowed. Mount Carmel is in the distance.

We planted trees in the Lavi Forest (Golani Brigade area). I planted a carob tree this time, last time (2006), I planted an almond tree. We had a quick falafel lunch along the way, then headed to the main attraction: Hula Agamon Lake www.agamon-hula.co.il (Click on English on home page)

The Hula Valley is in the Syrian African rift valley, along the flight path of many migrating birds. In the 1930’s the land was cleared for agriculture and to rid the area of the malaria ridden swamps. Drainage canals were dug. Unfortunately the end result was excessive drying out of some of the peat earth, causing some underground fires and pollution to the Kinneret (Sea of Galilee). In the 1990’s, the JNF (Jewish National Fund) restored some of the area and it is now a beautiful nature park for many migratory birds. They are wintering here and then go back to Europe. They have worked with the farmers in the area so the birds do not destroy their crops. We rode on a caravan pulled by a tractor and went into the midst of the common cranes. They have about 33,000 there and it was fascinating as well as very noisy! The cranes will head back to Europe in March. More photos

Winter in Netanya - article by Joe

2012-02-08T02:48:00.000-05:00

(Article written to Reporter, the Jewish newspaper of New Hampshire. Photo by Roslyn Garber)

Winter in Netanya, Israel

Part One

Winter in Netanya didn’t begin in 2011 when we made our reservations with Hadassah. It actually began when we visited Israel in 2006, when we spent ten days there with the Manchester Jewish Federation’s mission trip. Linda and I realized we wanted to spend more than ten days in Israel. The challenge was how to accomplish this idea.

At first we thought we would rent an apartment possibly in the Hof HaCarmel region. Hof HaCarmel is our sister city region. We hosted Ziva Kainer, an artist who visited New Hampshire in 2009 for a Shabbat dinner. She told Linda that she was more than welcome to use her studio when we visited. Unfortunately, the Hof HaCarmel region suffered a tragic fire and many people lost their homes and art studios along with all of their artwork. Ziva was one of those individuals.

Serving as the treasurer of the Manchester Chapter of Hadassah for many years, Linda learned about Hadassah’s Winter in Netanya volunteer trip. We reviewed the offerings of either a four or an eight week trip and decided on going for eight weeks. We signed up in October of 2011.

The flights to Tel Aviv depart from Newark, New Jersey so you must arrange for additional transportation to Newark. Hadassah’s travel agency did that for us and saved us two hundred dollars. Our journey began on Tuesday, January 17, 2012. We will return on Monday, March 12^th.

We are staying at the King Solomon hotel in Netanya for six weeks. Then we will spend a week in Eilat in the south and finally the last week in Jerusalem. Neither one of us had to cook for the entire trip which was a nice change. We had an enjoyable room with a balcony facing the Mediterranean Sea in Netanya.

The volunteering portion of our trip had us spending two mornings a week at a boy’s boarding school which has 80% Ethiopian immigrants. We worked with students on English communication skills during four sessions each visit. The second portion of our volunteering was to spend two mornings with the students at Tchernikovsky High School. Again we provided English communication skills for students who were fluent in Hebrew and in English. Everyone of our group benefited a great deal by working with each one of these schools. These are lifetime memories. Based on the relationships developed with some of these students we know they benefited as well.

We must tell you that we are only two of the six members who are first timers on this trip. Others have come back with the group many times. The group ranges in age from 59 to 89.

Every Tuesday we had a day trip visiting a site in Israel that continues to shed more light on the magnificence of this great country and its people. To date we have visited parts of Jerusalem we were never in before including the Burma Road which saved the security of the state in the war of Independence. We visited the city of Petach Tikvah which began in 1878 as an agricultural settlement and today is over 230,000 people. The final part of last Tuesday’s trip took us to Hadassah Neurim. It is a boarding and day school where Hadassah is a sponsoring partner. It felt good to see how our contributions to Hadassah were working. Tomorrow we are off to the Hula Valley to watch the bird migration that Gershon Peleg told us about last September.

Gershon took us to his kibbutz the first weekend we arrived and gave us the full tour of the fish processing operation and the lagoons which are netted to aid in keeping the migrating birds from eating the fish. He provided lunch for us at the community center and we met his wife Rina who joined us. Rina invited us back to their home for coffee, tea and cake before Gershon drove us back to Netanya.

If you would like to learn how to speak Hebrew there is a beginner’s level class and an advanced level class in the afternoons on the four days when we work in the schools. Fridays and Saturdays are our own time to do as we wish.

As we write this article, it is February 7^th and we visited the Hula Valley in northern Israel. If you heard one of Gershon Peleg’s presentations last September you would have heard him mention the bird migrations in the Hula Valley. Our trip ended today with a visit to the area of the valley where the birds migrate twice a year once in spring time and again in the fall. We were hauled around in a long carriage with forty-eight seats pulled by a John Deere tractor. The carriage held our group and others. The driver drove us right into the swarms of birds congregated on the ground waiting while the feeder truck dropped food for them (corn). There were thirty-three thousand birds in front of us. Try and imagine looking at thirty-three thousand Euroasian Common Cranes with wing spans of 180-210 cms. They are over a meter in height when fully grown and weigh 7-8 kilograms. It was so amazing I had to call Gershon to thank him for his presentations as they made the day that much more meaningful.

We also need to mention that on the way north we visited an Ecological Farm called Emek HaShalom (Valley of Peace). This farm which grows olives and oranges is the only handicapped visiting center for all types of handicaps and is fully accessible to everyone. It was a heartwarming experience.

Petach Tikva

2012-02-03T08:19:00.001-05:00

The week has flown by very quickly and we have become used to a regular routine. We are still tutoring 4 mornings a week, 2 mornings in a boys boarding school primarily made up of Ethiopian immigrants. Some are new immigrants who have only been in Israel a few months. They are learning both Hebrew and English for the first time and it is difficult for them. The other school is a regular high school and those students have been learning English for several years. They consider it a very hard subject.

In the afternoons we have Hebrew ulpan. I go to both the beginner and intermediate classes. Some of the language is coming back and I recognize some words. I consider this a very hard subject!

Petach Tikva On Tuesday we went to Petach Tikva, another city in Israel. This one started as an agricultural settlement in the 1870’s when some people from Jerusalem bought swampy land from the Arabs who lived there (near the river Yarkon). They had to deal with malaria and other problems. The city is quite interesting now and no longer farmland. We went to a cultural building for a film about the development, saw an original mud house that had been preserved (you can see these in my photos at this link ), had wonderful falafel downtown and went to a zoo and memorial for fallen soldiers. The mud house had an old printing press (no longer working), one of only two in the world from that time. It was used to print the logos for the paper that the oranges were wrapped in. We toured a beautiful old synagogue too. I am continually impressed with all the wonderful public art in Israel, both statues and murals. I loved the zoo and recognized some of the birds there. Some I had only seen in pictures before. We also took a brief walk through a high tech park there before heading out to the next stop.

We finished the day with a tour of Hadassah Neurim. This is a boarding and day school. Hadassah supplies about 7.5% of its budget. We enjoyed meeting the students and toured a “family” home there. Each home has about 10 students plus “parents” who live with them. They have very comfortable rooms and are much better than the dormitories I remember from the 60’s when I was at Boston University. We also saw the study center (library) where the students can get tutoring as well as books. It was good to see the positive things that our Hadassah dollars are used for. (I am the treasurer of my local chapter of Hadassah for those who don’t know me.)

We have been trying to walk every day and today went to the local mall. I thought it was a bit boring compared to the interesting shops along the streets. Even Best Buy is here in Israel. Today we have the day off to prepare for Shabbat and tomorrow we rest. Sunday is a regular work day again. Last evening we figured out how to hook my new computer up to a large screen TV and I learned how to put on the closed captions. We watched the movie “Sarah’s Key”. I wasn’t sure I would enjoy the movie since I had read the book and it was a very good book, but the movie was good too.

Jerusalem and Netanya

2012-01-25T13:31:00.000-05:00

Tiyul to Jerusalem

Last night we had a wonderful evening listening to the Israel Philharmonic. Today we went on a bus the long way to Jerusalem, with many stops along the way to learn the history of the “Burma Road” – the beginning of the state of Israel, the siege etc. The guide was fascinating and Joe bought her book to read. We also learned about the engineering of the road, saw the difficulties with construction due to the hills and valleys.

We had lunch at a kibbutz, then onto the Kotel (Western Wall) for a brief prayer before the return to Netanya. Since it was Rosh Chodesh (new month), there was a large crowd. Also a famous rabbi’s son was sick, so there were many prayers being said for him. This is the first time I have heard a leader of the prayers wailing the prayer for the sick. It sounded like a lamentation. I prayed for my friends and family, but there were too many people there to go up to the wall. We’ll have time to go again in March. I hope it won’t be so crowded then.

We are volunteering time in the mornings to teaching English. Two mornings a week we are at a religious school for boys (mostly boarding students). Many of them are Ethiopian immigrants to Israel and are learning both English and Hebrew. They are also studying regular subjects and technology subjects. Two mornings a week we volunteer at the regular high school in Netanya. Our help has been welcomed and the students cannot figure out why we are happy to help them.

We have Hebrew classes in the afternoon and usually a lecture. Joe and I finally had an hour this afternoon to go walk on the beach (and the weather was cooperative). I posted the Netanya pictures here:

https://picasaweb.google.com/110223074396610202868/Netanya?authkey=Gv1sRgCJyU0LWdoMCIswE#

The Jerusalem pictures are posted here: https://picasaweb.google.com/110223074396610202868/Jerusalem?authkey=Gv1sRgCJDgxYexrr-7jQE#

Tel Aviv/Kibbutz etc.

2012-01-23T10:34:00.000-05:00

Tel Aviv was interesting. We went to the craft market (artists/musicians/artisans/shops/cafes) and then over to the regular market (fruit/vegetables/clothing). It was very crowded and I am not used to being in a big city. When I told one of our group that I thought it was crowded, she said this wasn’t bad, it was much worse in the summer. I guess I wouldn’t be happy living in a big city. Anyway, we walked along Allenby Street and I enjoyed looking at everything. I posted some pictures: https://picasaweb.google.com/110223074396610202868/TelAviv?authkey=Gv1sRgCN3So7b-upeCfA#

We spent Saturday morning with our friend at Kibbutz Ma’agan Micha’el (I don’t know how to spell it in English). The kibbutz has a plastics factory (injection molding), raises koi (ornamental fish) for Europe and some other kind of fish for the local markets. He gave us a wonderful tour of the hatchery and fish ponds. The kibbutz is along the Mediterranean sea. The fish ponds have netting over them to keep the birds from eating all the fish. Some birds get inside the netting and can’t get out. That was sad. Some of them do get out. We had a lovely lunch in the kibbutz dining room and then went back to their apartment for coffee and cake. I took many pictures. Posted them here:

https://picasaweb.google.com/110223074396610202868/Kibbutz?authkey=Gv1sRgCMDun57mubmKiQE#

We have been tutoring students in English in two different schools in the mornings (our volunteer work) and taking Hebrew classes in the afternoon. It’s been a wonderful experience to be here in Israel.

We had a wonderful, inspiring lecture last night on Hadassah by Barbara Sofer. Today we tutored at a high school, then had Ulpan Hebrew classes in the afternoon. Tonight we are going to a classical music concert. I hope I don't fall asleep during it! Tomorrow we go to Jerusalem, just for the day. We will be going there for a week at the end of this trip, in March. We are having a wonderful, slightly exhausting time. Very happy.

Netanya, Israel

2012-01-19T08:22:00.000-05:00

We are a bit jet-lagged, but enjoyed a walk to the central area of Netanya to see some shops and change our dollars to Israeli shekels. We're enjoying the group that we are with and I am not the youngest member (but close). Lots of signs in Russian and French as well as Hebrew and English. Many TV stations in Russian too. The view of the sea is lovely and I'm really enjoying the artwork that is all over, many statues etc. Even the electric utility boxes have paintings on them!

a lifetime ago

2012-01-10T13:21:00.000-05:00

a lifetime ago a slim brunette fell in love
with a brash young man
they married, had children
and twenty years later fell out of love
a common tale, but true

the story doesn’t end there, though
she got a second chance to love
met a man with a good heart
someone who loved kids
and loved her as she was
accepted her and encouraged her
to grow, develop, change and improve

now they’re seniors, but still together
still in love and growing old together
on this journey we call life
each problem looked at
as an opportunity and blessing
to give and receive love
to be there for each other
until the angels call them home

©Linda H. Feinberg

WIP - Acrylic Paintings

2012-01-09T15:42:00.000-05:00

I haven't finished the two paintings I was working on. I decided to leave them for the spring when I will be back in class and I can review with a teacher. The barn still needs to have some work in the foreground (some grasses and maybe some hints of color). I prefer working on landscapes, but this was interesting for a man-made structure. It's the same barn that I did awhile back, but this is the side of the barn and larger (11 X 14).

I think Drake's Brook is done. I used glazing medium with a touch of ultramarine blue on the water areas (the brook). I'm not sure what else I need to do, so I'll come back to it in a few months and look at it again.

I am finishing a good art book and returning it to the library soon: "Expressive Oil Painting" by George Allen Durkee. "An Open Air Approach to Creative Landscapes" -- while I am not doing any plein aire painting, it was still a worthwhile read. The composition information and creative ideas work just as well for acrylic painting as oil painting.

Meanwhile, the only snow in Manchester is the man-made stuff at McIntyre ski area. I was missing it so much that I took a walk there today and took some photos. This was before the end of the school day so there were very few skiers. This is a hill that I like to hike in the other seasons. It makes a nice loop around Weston Tower and the old city reservoir. Not too steep and a good workout for my senior legs.

Still no snow

2012-01-02T08:27:00.002-05:00

Here we are again in a beautiful new year, but we still do not have snow. I have been walking every day, but hope that we will have snow soon so I can do some cross country skiing. Meanwhile, Dorrs Pond is starting to freeze over, but the ducks are still here and haven't flown south.

Also saw some interesting cloud formations while out on my walk yesterday.

And while I'm posting photos, here are some of the millyard in Manchester. I took these in December from the garage. (Taken the same day, but at different times.) I did work on two paintings over the weekend, but my paintings are not finished yet. I'll try to finish them up this week and post them within the week. Happy new year to all.

WIP - Drake's Brook

2011-12-29T16:00:00.003-05:00

This is a painting of Drake's Brook in Waterville Valley, NH (Acrylic painting on canvas board). We hiked there a couple of years ago. It's a beautiful area for hiking. I'm a little frustrated with my painting, but will keep working on it. I'm not happy with some of my rocks and I still need to use a glaze to make the water over the rocks look more like water. I'm going to take a break from it for a little bit and start something else. Then I can try again and hope to finish it off.

This hike involves crossing the brook several times. It's best to go when the water level is a bit low. The trail connects with the trails for Fletcher Cascade, Noon Peak, Jennings Peak and Sandwich Mountain. I have photos of some of these on this blog in earlier posts. (5/30/2011; 8/1/2010; 7/25/2010)

Happy Holidays

2011-12-24T10:05:00.000-05:00

May you be blessed with many happy memories and joy during this holiday season. I will be celebrating the 5th night of Chanukah tonight with friends and family. We have very little snow here (unusual for NH) and I am looking forward to seeing more in the new year.

Hungry Bluegill

2011-12-17T09:07:00.001-05:00

I did spend a little more time painting the bluegill and I think the fish looks better now. I made some cards and sold them at the downtown Holiday Market on Thursday. Only one more to go. It has been a long day on Thursdays this month, but interesting. I met some old neighbors and friends I had not seen in a long time. I'm glad I don't have to do these fairs very often. Also happy that my children will all be here for dinner tonight.

Chanukah starts at sunset on Tuesday, Dec. 20th this year. Happy Chanukah and a happy holiday season to all.

Small paintings

2011-12-13T16:32:00.000-05:00

I worked on two small (6" X 6") artist panels today. Not sure if these are finished, but I had fun with them. I enjoy doing the small paintings. Top one is a hungry bluegill going for a lure. Bottom one, just some pretty water lilies.

Mosaics

2011-12-11T15:39:00.000-05:00

I have not had time to do any painting or posting since I am busy with craft fairs. Only two more, then I should have more time. Actually, I'm hoping to get in some time to paint tomorrow.

Meanwhile, I've been working with a new group of artists, "Friends of Art". We are trying to get something organized in our city (and funded) for more street art. We hope to involve children.

This link will take you to an inspirational site in Brazil. The artists brought their ideas, designs and help to a city to make mosaics with the kids. I thought that was a great idea.

Three today

2011-11-29T16:30:00.008-05:00

This is an acrylic painting on panel, 11" X 14" of a canal in Leuven (Louvain), Belgium. I lived there from 1969-1974. I'm not sure which year I took the photo, but probably around 1970. I had scanned in the photo from an old 35mm negative and thought it would make an interesting painting. I haven't been back to Belgium so I don't know how the city looks now.

This is also an acrylic painting on panel, but very small, 6" X 6". I enjoy painting small panels since they go much faster. These are poppies that could grow anywhere, but my photo was taken in Israel several years ago at a kibbutz that we were visiting on our tour.

And finally, just for fun, I played with my acrylic paints on 300 lb cold press watercolor paper, also 11" X 14". These were old pieces of paper that came in a sample pack. I still have one more to play with. Acrylic paint is a waterbased paint, so it can be handled like watercolor, diluted with water, or mixed with medium and used on canvases, like oil. The painting is based on a photo taken several years ago (are you sensing a theme here? -- old photos are useful).

This is Hopewell Rocks on the Bay of Fundy in New Brunswick, Canada, a very interesting tourist site.

I am finished with my fall painting class and I think I learned a lot about handling acrylic paint. I won't be able to take another class until spring, but I'll keep on painting, drawing and taking photos. There will always be something to blog about.

Ruth and Mike's Barn

2011-11-17T15:26:00.000-05:00

This is a small acrylic painting on 6" X 6" canvas. I enjoy working on the small canvases since they don't take as much time. I made a couple of small cards from it for our next craft show, on Saturday in Stratham, NH. Looking forward to this show even though it is a lot of work. We have heard good reports from our friends who have done it in the past.

The painting was done from a photo I took at our friend's house when we were invited to share a meal in their sukkah last month. Their farm is in Hollis, NH which is on the border with Massachusetts. Ruth is also an artist and showed me her new studio. It is beautiful and I am a little bit jealous (but not too much). I prefer living in the city and having easy access to the library etc.

I have another view of the barn and may make another painting of it at some time. I am working on another small painting (also 6 X 6) of poppies, and a larger one (11 X 14) of a canal with buildings in Leuven, Belgium. I lived there from 1969-1974 and have some old photos. I found one that was interesting and decided to start on a painting of it. That will probably take a few weeks to finish.

Marsh in Hooksett

2011-11-10T10:46:00.000-05:00

This is an acrylic painting I made from an old photo of a marsh in Hooksett, NH. It is on the snowmobile trail behind Dube's Pond. Acrylic on canvas board 12" X 16". I am going to make some cards with this image for the holidays.

I had done a charcoal drawing of this marsh several years ago. I like both versions.

Craft Fairs

2011-11-07T09:47:00.001-05:00

After the October snowstorm of last weekend, we were happy to have sunshine and pleasant weather for the Brookside Church (Manchester) craft fair. We both did well with our sales and are looking forward to the next fair (in Stratham) in 2 weeks.

I hope to finish another winter scene I am working on soon and will post it when it is done. I was happy with my framing (you may notice some of the earlier work I posted is now framed), but some of the frames appear to be soft wood and damage easily. These are the frames I ordered through the internet. I will be more careful in the future, but I couldn't find the sizes and colors I needed locally. It is hard to know the quality of a frame from a picture in an online catalog.

Lion at Ein Hod

2011-10-27T09:50:00.000-04:00

This is an acrylic painting on canvas (11" X 14") from a photo I took in Israel several years ago. The statue is by Ursula Malbin, who is now 91 (and has many beautiful statues throughout Israel and other places). I thought this would be a challenging painting to do and it was. I had a very hard time with the face. The statue does not have irises or pupils, but I felt the painting needed them. I used light modeling paste to give the lion's mane and some other places texture. When it dries, I will varnish it.

This statue is at Ein Hod in Israel, an artists colony. I hope to go back there again in 2012. There was a big fire last year, so I hope that the artists have had a chance to rebuild and create new art.

Mount Superior (Utah)

2011-10-21T11:00:00.000-04:00

Small (6x6) acrylic painting on canvas (wrap) done from a photo I took while hiking a few years ago with my daughter and her boyfriend in Alta, Utah. It was June, but there was still some snow in spots on the mountains. This is a popular ski area.

Downtown art project (Manchester NH)

2011-10-19T09:35:00.002-04:00

I had seen my photo on this building last week, but didn't get downtown in time to actually take a picture before it was taken down. I am in the middle of the group (older woman with white hair and glasses). Luckily for me, the local newspaper (Union Leader) photographer had taken a picture and it was in the paper October 12th. I went to the library and took a picture of his picture. (Silly, isn't it? But I wanted to post it and send it to family.) This art project was a local part of the Insideout Art Project (that seems to be global one). I don't know much about it, but you can check the link and see if your city is involved.

More information about the city project at this link: http://www.manchesternh.gov/website/LinkClick.aspx?fileticket=3OYuv5EDeqM%3d&tabid=3075
Anyway, this was an interesting project. A photographer (Ann Kelly, I believe) took lots of photos of people at the Peoplefest festival in the fall. Various artists and others helped her put up the photos all over the downtown area.

Last night Joe & I met with another group of artists and we are hoping to organize more fun downtown projects. Funding is always an issue, but we have a core group and lots of great ideas.

Edna Creek (in color)

2011-10-12T10:54:00.000-04:00

Edna Creek (Idaho) again, this time in color. This is a different view from the last one, but it is the same creek. The painting is acrylic paint on a 12" X 16" canvas panel. I just have to varnish and frame it. It will be a holiday gift for my family in Idaho. I enjoyed working on this one. I used glazing medium on the water to make it shinier. Lots of good suggestions from my teacher too. I finished my 4 week composition class, but there is still more to learn.

Edna Creek, Idaho

2011-10-05T10:03:00.001-04:00

This is a monochrome study done in acrylics using only Payne's Grey and white paint on a canvas panel. It is 11 X 14. I am also working on a color painting of a different view of this creek. The idea behind a monochrome (one color) study is to learn how the values (light/dark/medium) help you show 3 dimensions on a 2 dimensional surface. The rain has finally stopped today and I'm going to varnish this one and frame it.

I won an "Artist of the Month" certificate on Monday for my small painting Red Rock Canyon panorama. That will get to hang in a public place this month (Bentley Commons). I'll be bringing it there later today.

in the tent on Rosh Hashanah

2011-10-02T13:27:00.000-04:00

even the raindrops are holy

dripping down from the tent

plastic covering the ark

with the sacred torahs

the prayers are the same

from one year to the next

only my intention changes

next year the rabbi says
we will pray in a building
but I like to pray outdoors
the leaves are changing color
the grass is still green
the perennials are slowly withering
the cycle of the seasons
is comfortable for me

mothers with young children
come later to make sure
they hear the shofar blown
the whole service is too long
for the babies and little ones

finally the time comes
the rabbi tells us all
to come forward to see the shofar
the women on one side
men on the other
we all hear the sound
no matter where we stand
and we celebrate again
the birthday of the world

©Linda H. Feinberg
2011 (5772)

“Happy are the people that know the sound of the shofar.
O God, they walk in the light of Your spirit.”

Rosh Hashanah (Jewish New Year)

2011-09-28T13:54:00.002-04:00

The Hebrew words say "a sweet new year" - part of the traditional greeting. The holiday starts tonight at sundown. May it be a year that brings good health, and peace to all.

Honey cake is traditional - also apples with honey (for the "sweet" part). I enjoyed baking this morning.

Round challah (instead of the regular braid) with raisins. More for the "sweet" part. The round shape reminds us of the crown ("keter"), a symbol for God as "king". There are other explanations for this as well.

If you would like to learn more about this Jewish holiday, there is good information online. Try this Wikipedia link or Chabad.

Dove

2011-09-23T14:04:00.000-04:00

Today's lunchtime visitor. We have a bird feeder in the backyard, but the dove just appeared to be hanging out on our railing. The sun wasn't out, it's overcast today, so I'm not sure what that was about. Anyway, I took a picture through the kitchen window which had the screen down, using the zoom lens. I'm surprised it came out as well as it did.

I drove out to the next town to visit a friend and noticed how pretty the leaves are. Autumn is here and I'll be taking more photos soon. Hoping to do more painting this weekend. Despite being retired now, I am constantly busy. I'm happy with the busy, though. Even got some orders through my website, filled them and mailed them out.

Art and Ducks

2011-09-16T10:32:00.003-04:00

Red Rock Canyon, acrylic painting 6" X 12", on board. I just have to varnish this one. (Click on the picture to enlarge it.) Finished it in my class on Tuesday. I did the mountains with palette knife. That was fun and I would like to learn more about painting with a palette knife. I had done an earlier 8" X 10" painting from this area (my photos) but I enjoyed doing the panorama style painting more. The other one focused more on the yuccas in the foreground. This view is more about the mountains themselves.

Finished this one in my class too. I had started these two paintings before I was back in my painting class. I couldn't get the feel of dappled sunlight. The teacher said this would probably have been better with watercolor. I agree, but I'm trying to learn to paint with acrylic paints now. Anyway, I still like it. This is the largest acrylic canvas I have tried, 12" X 16". This painting was done from a photo of koi swimming in the pond at Red Butte Gardens, Utah.

We are part of a committee hosting Gershon Peleg from Society for Protection of Nature in Israel this week. We took a walk today to show him Dorrs Pond. The trees are just starting to show a little color. I don't think he was used to our cold morning (48F, 7C), but he had a hat and jacket and enjoyed the walk. It's a beautiful, but windy day today. It's starting to warm up now. We'll be having a large group for dinner tonight, but I've already cooked (vegetarian Mediterranean style stuffed cabbage) and this is a potluck dinner so there will be lots of food and good fellowship.

Steam Boiler

2011-09-12T15:16:00.002-04:00

I didn't feel like painting the other day. I did a little illustration from one of my Idaho photos. This is the old steam boiler we saw in Idaho City. I used a Sakura Pigma pen for the outlines and Caran D'Ache watersoluble crayons for the color on Bristol Smooth paper. Originally I was just going to sketch a little, but then I decided to put some color on the sketch. If you are playing with these crayons, it would be better to use hot or cold press watercolor paper. Since I only used a little water, the paper did not buckle. This was a fun project and a nice change from my attempts at landscape painting.

You can see the original photo in the August 25 post below.

Sad day today 9/11

2011-09-11T09:54:00.000-04:00

stretching out my arms

to float on the water

carried away in my dream

gliding silently

past birches and sumacs

to rest in a cove

but only for a moment

for life flows on

never stopping

never yielding

through the rapids

and onward

while I search for

another moment

in still waters

Psalm 23

He leadeth me beside the still waters.

He restoreth my soul.

This is an old untitled poem written after my divorce in the 80’s. I put it in a collection called “red poppies and green clover”. There is also a free download of a 1990’s chapbook on my website. Life does go on, but we remember the past and learn from it. Sad day today.

Koi (work in progress)

2011-08-30T16:24:00.000-04:00

Acrylic painting in progress. Koi swimming in pond at Red Butte Gardens, Utah (Salt Lake City). From photo taken in 2006. I'm going to stop at this point in my painting and wait until I start classes again next month. I'm not sure what else I need to do to make this look better. I keep fiddling with it and I think if I keep doing that, I might make it look worse! This is a larger canvas for me. I am getting more confident as I learn more (12" X 16")

Idaho 2011

2011-08-25T10:51:00.001-04:00

Wonderful trip to Idaho to visit family. This picture was taken in Idaho City. I posted the album with more pictures on Picasa, in my web album

The synagogue was moved from downtown Boise to another area where they built an adjacent school and administrative building.

I teased our son that the only animals we saw were the stuffed ones at Cabelas! Finally, toward the end of a long loop on a dirt road through the mountains, we did see a black bear.

Beaver Brook Falls

2011-08-15T14:56:00.000-04:00

I think this is just about done now. I will bring it with me to class in September and see what the teacher says. I am happier with the changes I made. Always tempted to keep fiddling, but I will stop and give it a break.

secrets

2011-08-15T10:02:00.000-04:00

dancing cloud watches the wind

blowing the clouds

maybe snow tomorrow

dancing cloud hears

the beat of the drums

feet stomping in time with them

but her hips would rather sway

to salsa rhythms

dancing cloud is quiet

and shy as she listens

to the girls chattering

all around her

she doesn’t know who she is now

but soon she will find her voice

and be heard

watching clouds moving

and changing shapes

she knows she is changing too

blending old and new

growing from girl to woman

a quiet feeling of joy inside

with her secret name

and she is dancing once again

Still playing with paint

2011-08-11T11:08:00.001-04:00

Worked on my abstract painting of Beaver Brook Falls again today. I'm not happy with the right side shrubbery. I'll keep tinkering with it for a while. I like the rest of the painting. This was a very different way for me to work on a landscape and I enjoyed the process.

Just playing with paint today

2011-08-10T15:14:00.002-04:00

I think I like this one enough to work on it some more and finish it. I used a palette knife and brush, odd colors, acrylic paints on canvas board. The original photo is from Beaver Brook Falls in Colebrook, on the way to Pittsburg, NH, but I abstracted it. This was fun to do today.

Another fun project. Just drip paint on the paper (either watercolor or acrylic paper) and then use an old credit card or flat palette knife to pull it down vertically. To keep white space, drip glazing medium first. I probably won't do anything with these, but I enjoyed making a big mess! Make sure you have newspaper underneath or something that's easy to clean. As you pull the paint down, it gets all over the bottom of the paper. You can use the pooled paint with your brush and paint with it. If the paint is still wet, you can use stamps or other items to make marks in the paint.

Havurah retreat in Rindge, NH

2011-08-08T13:58:00.002-04:00

The annual retreat we attended last week was held at Franklin Pierce University in Rindge, NH. We also took a detour to Cathedral of the Pines which was nearby. The photo above is from the home of the founders of the site. We enjoyed the walk around, the tower and sculptures, the beautiful gardens. They have services here from all denominations at different times. Even though we have gone to Rindge many times, this was the first time we went to this historic site.

This is a view of Mount Monadnock from our dorm room at FPU. We had a wonderful time at the retreat and enjoyed the classes as well as meeting interesting people from all over the U.S. and Canada. I took a class on "Jews, Jazz and Swing" and another class on "Giving Songs in the Night: The art of singing for consolation" - this was appropriate for the holiday of Tisha B'Av (Fast of 9th of Av, starts this evening, lamentation for the destruction of the temple in Jerusalem thousands of years ago). We also discussed the Hevra Kadisha (Holy Burial Society) and singing while doing the taharah (cleansing of the body). Joe took some classes that were a bit more intellectual, but I preferred to just enjoy myself and not think too hard while on vacation. I also did the "shuk" (marketplace) and sold my cards there.

That is Joe and a new friend, Natalie, on the trail down to the pond at Cathedral in the Pines. This is a trail made by the local Eagle Scouts. We found some delicious black raspberries and high bush blueberries along the way.

I don't know what these flowers are, but they were pretty. We enjoyed the gardens and the statues as we walked around. This is a beautiful site to visit.

Clark's Pond, Auburn, NH

2011-07-31T10:25:00.001-04:00

We are leaving tomorrow for a weeklong retreat, but we took a nice walk yesterday with our neighbor's dog, Sonny. If you have been reading this blog since last winter, you may remember my winter painting of Clark's Pond with that bridge. I used that painting for holiday cards.

I am working on finishing up a painting of Dahlias. The flowers and leaves are all done, but I'm not happy with the borders. I tried another experiment yesterday and that was worse than the first one. I hope to have time to work on it some more today, but I also have to pack, that includes all my gear for the craft table during the week. I'm just bringing a sketch book and notebook with me on retreat. I don't plan on doing any painting while we are away. I have some words and images in my head for poems, so I hope to have the time and inspiration to write at least one.

Here are some more views from the trails on the other side of the street (hiking and biking trails). I found the uprooted trees interesting. Lots of water lilies and pickerel weed in the pond. (I did colored pencil drawings of those in the past and they are somewhere on this blog too.)

Boston

2011-07-24T12:26:00.000-04:00

Blown glass art by artist Dale Chihuly

Wonderful trip to Boston with our Idaho family. Jeanne had not been there before. If you have not been to the Dale Chihuly exhibit at the Museum of Fine Arts you are really missing a wonderful museum. We also toured the new American art wing and saw many other parts of the museum. It was too big to go through in one day.

As it was a very hot day, we joined up with Seth, our Boston tour guide, for a trip down to the harbor and a wonderful dinner.

That's Joe and Joe! Joe Smiga Sr (NH) and Joe Smiga Jr (Idaho)in the museum. Joe and Seth Freedman, Joe and Jeanne Smiga at the harbor. then Linda Feinberg and son Seth Freedman.

Acrylic paintings revised

2011-07-20T11:32:00.000-04:00

I brought these three paintings into my art class and revised them slightly according to the comments of my teacher. Noon Peak (top painting) got a few more spots of red color for flowers and a little bit more light on the bottom rock.

Joe fishing at First Connecticut Lake (second painting down) was much harder. I'm not really sure that is done yet. The proportions were off and I had to make Joe and the tree skinnier to go with my view which was above and down. Working from a photo doesn't always give the correct proportions. I had a hard time with the water.

Spring at Grace Church was easier. I just added some of the lighter wood on the window to make it more interesting and a few spots of white on the flowers. I think I am ready to varnish this one and call it done.

Cedar Swamp Trail Manchester NH

2011-07-13T11:01:00.001-04:00

Some photos from a very enjoyable walk on the Cedar Swamp Trail on the Hooksett/Manchester border (Hackett Hill Road/Countryside). Easy walking trails, interesting flora, fungi on rocks and trees, wild rhododenrons, moss, glacial erratics (big granite rocks), all under shady canopy of pines, hemlocks, deciduous trees too. Trails are well marked and there are 3 loops.

You can click on the title of this post and it will take you to the Nature Conservancy website with more information about this trail.

Acrylic painting experiments2

2011-07-07T08:52:00.000-04:00

I'm not sure if this painting is finished yet. I plan to bring my last few acrylic paintings with me to my July classes. I'm hoping the teacher can help me with finishing them, then I will varnish them. This one is acrylic on canvas panel. I painted it from a photo of Joe fishing at the First Connecticut Lake in Pittsburg, NH (that's at the top of the state of NH on Route 3 that continues on to the border station with Canada). I think I need to work on the background trees some more. I'm not happy with them. It is 11" X 14"

I was experimenting again, this time with acrylic paint on 300 lb cold press watercolor paper, using the acrylic paints like watercolor (transparently, with water). You can buy sample packs of various watercolor papers online. This came from a sample pack bought several years ago at cheapjoes.com. I had not used all the sample papers up and had some left. It is 11" X 14" too.

I didn't like my initial pass through with the pigments thinned with water so I left the water and sky that way, but I used the pigments without water for the other parts of the painting. It is looking better, but not done yet. I still need to darken the area behind the gazebo. Then, I'll think about it some more. I think the water needs to be darkened too. I found that mixing the pigments with white to make them opaque did not work well on the paper, so I just used the pigments as they came out of the tube.

This painting was composed from two photos taken years ago in New Brunswick, Canada. It is the view from the hotel room in Chance Harbor. We did see a beautiful sunrise there, but the pictures I took were of a later time in the day. I was trying to remember what the sunrise would look like. I think I need to add more rose color to the sunrise. I'll keep working on it.

Tower Hill Pond

2011-07-04T10:13:00.000-04:00

Beautiful walk Saturday around Tower Hill Pond in Auburn. Having a quiet 4th of July holiday, although there were lots of noisy fireworks in our neighborhood last night. Getting close to finishing up another painting. Will post it soon.

This was a memorial garden we came across on our walk around the pond.

The water level is high which is a good thing. This pond is part of the watershed which serves the lakes that give Manchester its water supply. There have been years when we've walked around this pond when the water level was too low. This year we've had lots of snow and rain, so the community's water supply should be fine.

Hiking in Lakes Region NH

2011-06-28T12:53:00.003-04:00

Beautiful morning yesterday. We went hiking West and East Rattlesnake in Holderness (Lakes region of New Hampshire.) Did not see any rattlesnakes, just one little garter snake on the trail. Lots of mosquitoes out too. This was our first real hike of the summer and we enjoyed it. Took our time going up and down the trails. This took us about 3 hours with a lunch break, but could be done much faster by those who are younger and speedier.

That big rock in the top picture is called a glacial erratic. There are lots of these in northern New England. We saw many on Mount Pisgah in Vermont when we hiked there many years ago.

Spring at Grace Church/Acrylic

2011-06-23T12:50:00.000-04:00

I am definitely having fun with acrylics. This is a 9" X 12" canvas panel. I did the painting from a photo I took in the spring with the trees in full bloom. I don't know what kind of tree that was. Grace Church is in downtown Manchester, NH. I think this is almost done, but I may touch up a few spots as I continue to look at it. I'll wait a while before I varnish it in case I decide to change anything.

I'm in a color mixing workshop now. I completed the first one last week and have two more to go. Hopefully I'll learn more about making the acrylic paint colors mix the way I want them to. In July, I'm taking 3 more acrylic classes. I can't do the full summer schedule since I'll be traveling, but Kim Roth is flexible as well as being a terrific teacher. I'm looking forward to the classes and hope to finalize some of the paintings you've seen on this blog.

Wedding

2011-06-15T10:16:00.000-04:00

Attended beautiful Chassidic wedding in Manchester last night. The rabbi's oldest daughter was the bride. The groom was from Australia. Apparently they met in Israel and this was not an arranged match. Lots of food, music and a beautiful wedding ceremony outside. The rain held off for the ceremony. I think this is the first time Manchester has seen a wedding like this, although I've been to some in NYC area. Good time had by all.

Acrylic lessons

2011-06-10T09:25:00.001-04:00

Just learning. I'm enjoying the art course on DVDs that I bought (mentioned in earlier post). I haven't started a new painting yet and I haven't finished my zentangles portrait yet. (To see larger image, just click on it.). This easel is on wheels and I just wheel it around in my studio. I put it in front of the monitor to paint along with the instructor. The taboret is also on wheels. My second easel can be used as a table easel or as a stand. I like using that one on a table. The table has north light (from window) and I also have a lamp with the special bulb for artists.

We hope to walk the Audubon trails tomorrow in Concord. I'll bring my camera and perhaps I'll have some nice photos to post.

Artist of the Month/June 2011

2011-06-07T08:57:00.000-04:00

My oil pastel painting of the bridge in Twin Falls, Idaho won one of the certificates for the Artist of the Month at last night's Manchester Artists Association meeting. The painting will be posted at the Bedford (NH) Library this month. See May 6th posting for photo of the painting.

View from Noon Peak finished

2011-06-06T09:58:00.000-04:00

I think this is finished now, I just have to varnish it. I will put it up on my website for sale or you can contact me directly if you are interested in buying it. I have Paypal on the website, but I'm not sure what the shipping would be if you are outside the USA. I would have to find out. This is an acrylic painting on canvas panel 9" X 12" (22.9 X 30.5 cm)

Self portrait in progress

2011-06-03T10:30:00.000-04:00

I volunteered 3 hours yesterday at the Manchester Artists Association gallery, but no one came in. I brought my sketchbook with me and spent some time fixing a sketch I had done last year of my daughter (not showing that one). I'm still not happy with it since there was too much shadow on her face (she was standing in bright sun and squinting too). I'll leave that one in my sketchbook.

Then I decided to have some fun. I started the portrait based on Zentangles, which are just repetitive designs in pen and ink. I hope to work on it some more this week and maybe finish up my Noon Peak painting this weekend.

I also visited the student art exhibit at the New Hampshire Institute of Art and dragged Joe there too so he could see all the talented students we have in Manchester. I think they'll be taking that exhibit down soon since the semester is over, but it was very enjoyable.

View from Noon Peak

2011-05-30T15:17:00.002-04:00

This is my current project that I am working on. It is acrylic paint on canvas board. I used mostly brushes, but also palette knife. Also experimented with modeling paste in a few places. I'm happy with the clouds, but need more experience with all those different shades of green. Paint mixing class starts June 17th. That should help.

This is the view from Noon Peak (Noon Peak/Jennings Peak/Sandwich Mountain trail in Campton/Waterville Valley, NH. We did a long loop from Drake's Brook trail last summer. I won't do that again, it was a bit too much for me, but definitely worthwhile for younger people.). See Sunday, August 1, 2010 posting for photos.

resonance - haiku

2011-05-22T13:56:00.000-04:00

resonance healing

with Tibetan singing bowls

gongs, bells, tinkling chimes

copyright 2011 Linda H. Feinberg

I attended a Tibetan singing bowl concert recently. I've been interested in Tibet for many years as I see the parallels between their exile and the Jewish diaspora. The concert had nothing to do with politics or religion. It was a demonstration of this art. I found it very relaxing, but after a while I was bored and took out my sketch book and pencil. I didn't have enough time before she ended the concert to make a good sketch, but I did write some notes. The bowls are made of 7 metals to match the 7 heavenly planetary bodies. This includes the moon. The bowls are tuned to the chakras. Since I am not familiar with these, I can't say much more. Lots of information on Wikipedia if you want to learn more. A worthwhile and interesting experience.

I have also found the resonance of singers without musical accompaniment that lingers after the chant is finished in a room, and of the piano when I play, to be a source of positive spiritual energy. The singing bowls gave me that same sensation as well.

Acrylic painting-palette knife

2011-05-18T15:14:00.002-04:00

My very first experiment with learning how to do palette knife painting. Obviously I need more practice, but this was fun! This exercise was from the instructional DVD set I bought last month. This is not a mountain scene from my hiking experience. I was just following along with the instructor. I couldn't figure out how to do the "mist" part of the exercise, so I will have to practice again, maybe with my own photos next time. This experiment was on inexpensive canvas paper.

Mount Percival, finished

2011-05-16T16:28:00.000-04:00

I think this is finished now. I just have to let it finish drying and then varnish it. I still have time to tinker with it if I decide it needs more work.

Making progress with acrylics #2

2011-05-14T08:25:00.000-04:00

This painting is looking better now. I put in the cairn and the campers. Now I have to decide which parts to highlight and which parts to darken. I think the rocks could use some spatter too. I'm enjoying my memories of this hike we did last year while I'm painting it. (This was Mount Percival and that is Squam Lake in the distance. The campers were from some local camps in the area.)

Making progress with acrylics

2011-05-11T13:43:00.002-04:00

I am playing with colors today and making progress with my Mount Percival painting. I still have to do the hikers (campers) on the top of the mountain, plus the cairn. Then I can touch up the highlights, colors, fix the horizon line etc. I am very pleased with the way this painting is coming out. That is Squam Lake (NH) in the distance.

I spent some time today playing with mixing the paints and made another color chart. I'm looking forward to my paint mixing class next month. (Just a reminder, to enlarge to view better, click on the photo.)

A walk in the woods

2011-05-09T09:23:00.000-04:00

Just a little walk in the woods on Mother's Day. It was very overcast and a little windy. I liked the reflections in the little pond.

I thought the tree fungus was interesting too. I hope we can start some easy hikes again soon.

Twin Falls Bridge (matted & framed)

2011-05-06T16:12:00.002-04:00

I finally finished the matting and framing on this oil pastel. It is for sale on my website I've included free shipping (within U.S. and Canada) in the price .

Acrylic painting experiments

2011-05-03T11:08:00.001-04:00

This is my try at setting up to work with the new DVDs. I put the easel in front of the desk with my monitor. Then I put a little tray table on the right to use as a taboret ( to hold the palette, brushes & paints). I keep having to pause the DVD since the instructor goes fast and skips over stuff. I couldn't keep up, but I thought the experiment came out o.k. I am just using inexpensive canvas paper for now. I have some canvas boards too, so when I get a bit better, I'll use those. Close up of clouds picture below. It is done over an earlier exercise with a graded wash.

I have lots of photos from our hikes over the years. As I learn more, I hope to make paintings from those photos and many of them have clouds. This exercise was on DVD 2 - skies. The link to the Acrylic Painting Secrets, Bob Davies website is in April 21st post.

Spring Photos

2011-04-28T10:20:00.000-04:00

Spring has finally arrived! Despite being in my second full week of retirement, I haven't created any new art. I have been watching my new DVD art course and practicing along with the instructor. His paintings definitely look better than mine! Anyway, I am enjoying it and hopefully will have something worth looking at in a few weeks.

Acrylic painting

2011-04-21T13:42:00.000-04:00

I have started on my DVD course, Acrylic Painting Secrets. The first disk was basically informational, but I still learned a few new tricks. I am working on "skies" now. Very interesting and by watching the instructor, I can see what I have been doing wrong. Of course, I needed to go out and buy more art supplies. I just had to have the exact color he was showing (I know this is silly, as I am just practicing, but I thought it would help.)

Anyway, I went to the website and see that the course has sold out, but Bob Davies, the instructor, will be making more DVDs and you can download a free e-book from his site and watch some videos. He is very clear with his instruction and if you are interested in acrylics, the free stuff helps too. He also has a watercolor instructional set out, but I've only watched the free videos on that one.

This is the link: http://www.acrylicpaintingsecrets.com/

Have fun painting! Maybe I'll have some new paintings to put up in a few weeks.

No Heavy Lifting (band name)

2011-04-11T14:17:00.000-04:00

I haven't had time for blogging or art, but this is my last full week of work. My business will be sold at the end of the week and I should have more time for my other interests then. It feels really good to know I am retiring soon.

My oldest son (at keyboard) and his band did a fundraiser for a friend going on a Bike and Build trip soon. There were 3 bands playing and we had a good time. Of course, I thought his was the best! I used my new camera to take some videos, but I don't know how to compress them to post here. More stuff to learn, but I'll have time to do that too soon.

New business card

2011-03-30T09:41:00.000-04:00

I had leftover business cardstock paper from my bookkeeping business. No reason to waste it, so I created a new business card for my art business, using my most recent painting. Bookkeeping business is under agreement, but no closing date set yet. I am hoping to retire by the summer.

Dorr's Pond

2011-03-28T08:01:00.000-04:00

Took a walk Saturday. 24 degrees F that morning. Spring is very slow coming. Maybe next week. The geese were out on the soccer fields. The snow had melted there since it is open to the sun. The paths around the pond were still icy so we did not walk in that direction.

writing letters in my head

2011-03-23T14:36:00.000-04:00

I take a little break from reading

to get a snack or cup of tea

close my eyes for a moment

and rest my mind from concentration

suddenly I’m writing letters in my head

the monkey brain at work

always chattering away

for a quiet person I seem to have

a lot of noise going on there

thankfully no one else hears it

I tease my husband

and laughingly tell him

he is full of words pouring out

page after page in his novels

but my words just float around

quietly in my head

sometimes they make it

to a poem or letter

but more often they just disappear

other words appearing in their place

or conversations go on in my mind

I assume between my id and ego

but I hear them as my mother

or father giving me advice

only it’s really me in that place now

as mother and matriarch

when I’m tired of listening

I turn on music

or go back to my book

it is still a struggle to

stay in the moment

be present to others

but as a creative person

I know it’s also a gift

and I am thankful for

the gift of words

Sunrise on the 2nd day of spring in NH

2011-03-22T10:13:00.000-04:00

It's a good thing I like snow! Luckily, we didn't need to shovel this small amount and it will melt quickly.

We have several squirrels that visit every day and eat the sunflower seeds we put out on the railing.

Twin Falls Bridge

2011-03-13T13:01:00.000-04:00

I'm pleased with the way this is coming out. It was easier to work with the oil pastels in the little bits of time that I had available. No messy cleanup, no paint brushes or palettes to worry about.

This is the bridge in Twin Falls, Idaho. Painting done from photo taken on trip several years ago.

Work in Progress

2011-03-12T08:14:00.001-05:00

No time for blogging this week. I'm really looking forward to the sale of my business and retirement in a few months. Meanwhile, I am working on art in bits and pieces.

This is an oil pastel drawing/painting on cold press watercolor paper. I started by following the directions in a book, but gave up after a while and I'm just proceeding on my own now. The book is "Oil Pastel Step by Step" by Nathan Rohlander. He recommends gesso on the paper, then a mixture of matt medium & ultramarine blue as a base before doing the painting. He didn't explain well about the blue and I think I had too much blue and should have had more matt medium, less blue. Anyway, it is getting covered up as I use the oil pastels.

The image was of a bridge in Twin Falls where there were people parachuting (gliders?) off the bridge. It was an interesting place to stop and take a break on a long drive from Boise (Idaho) to Salt Lake City (Utah) through the state of Nevada.

Red Rock Canyon (finished)

2011-03-03T11:33:00.000-05:00

I think this painting is finished now. I just need to varnish it. I added a few more yucca leaves and made the tops of the mountains more irregular. One of my painting friends suggested that the tops shouldn't be so rounded. Thanks.

in the mirror

2011-02-25T08:59:00.000-05:00

hair white as snow

hips still sway

shoulders move

feet tap and legs go

dancing to the beat

my body feels the rhythm

and I’m young again

Red Rock Canyon (acrylic)

2011-02-15T09:03:00.000-05:00

This is an acrylic painting on Richeson's uncradled painting panel (8" X 10"). I put on 2 coats of gesso. I found it easier to paint on this surface than on canvas. The painting is from a photo I took in Red Rock Canyon, Nevada last spring. I'm not sure if it's done yet so I'll wait awhile before I put varnish on it. Obviously I'm not trying to be realistic, but I thought it was a good impression of what I saw while we were hiking there. I think the plants are called "Yucca".

Here are two earlier versions as I was working on it. I thought it would be interesting to keep a record for myself. I had a hard time with the red rocks which are not really red or orange. I finally dulled them down a bit with a blue glaze.

This is my beginning. The one below is a bit further along.

cross country skiing (poem)

2011-02-05T08:10:00.001-05:00

colors sing to me

the whiteness of snow like Chopin

an etude in shades of gray, blue and brown

a glissando on my skis to warm up

the angels watching over me

so I don’t fall

the sound of the snowmobiles

breaks the serenity of the moment

hiding the winter warblers song

but the machines pass by quickly

leaving behind a nasty gassy smell

soon we reach a bridge

the snow beside it

covered with animal tracks

mostly dog, some deer

and moose too

the other side has open water

reflecting trees, evergreens,

birches and oaks

all at peace in winter

I stop to take photos

then look up to see

my love waiting for me

at the bottom of a big hill

and decide to turn back

wimp that I am

but we’ve both had

enough exercise this day

our hearts warmed up

no matter how cold the air

the bard compares his love

to a summer’s day

but my love is beautiful

as this frosty winter’s day

copyright 2011 Linda H. Feinberg

Shakespeare, Sonnet 18, “Shall I compare thee to a summer’s day?”

Sketching

2011-02-03T13:39:00.001-05:00

No time to start a real project, but I've been doing a little sketching. I had a very small notebook with me when we were at a recital. I'm not used to drawing from live models (especially one that keeps moving), but I took my little sketch and made a bigger one on old sheet music. I found an old children's piano book that was falling apart, but I like the music and was able to buy a new book, so now I'm using the old sheet music for art. A good way of recycling.

This pen and ink sketch was done from a photo of the horses running around the arena last spring. The dog was herding them. I couldn't quite get the sense of movement with the pen and ink. Will have to practice more. The foreshortening on the black horse (at right) was very challenging.

Cross country skiing Depot Rd/Clark's Pond trails

2011-01-30T14:03:00.000-05:00

Beautiful day on Saturday skiing in Auburn. Not as cold as last weekend so we really enjoyed being out in the woods.

Some people take the easy way through the woods (snowmobile). We like the exercise on the skis.

Lots of animal tracks, mostly dogs, but some deer and moose in places too.

We didn't go on this side - this is where all the noisy snowmobilers go. The abandoned railroad bed is a great snowmobile trail for them. It goes for many miles between towns.

What is poetry good for?

2011-01-27T09:02:00.001-05:00

“To remind people of their own humanity.” Student answer

“That struck me as so sensible, so moving, so poignant . . . You know, I’m mortal, I exist, I have my own conscience, I have my own being, myself. Here I am with this universe. Maybe there’s a God; maybe there’s no God. This is my predicament, my human predicament. Poetry reminds readers of that.”

Charles Simic (American poet laureate consultant, 2007-2008) as quoted in: The Poets Laureate Anthology, Edited by E. H. Schmidt, copyright 2010, ISBN 978-0-393-06181-9

I don't have time for creating my own poetry and art at this time of year as my business is keeping me very busy, but I am enjoying reading a few poems every night. This is a library book that I took out and I've already renewed it once, so I doubt that I'll get to the end before it goes back, but it is interesting.

Untitled (old poem from 1980's)

2011-01-20T13:17:00.000-05:00

Yesterday you took me on skis

through the swirling snow

winter's white beauty

surrounding us

mountains shrouded by fog

the dusk settling

over the frozen lake

the sense of God all around

filled me with wonder.

On the way home

we talked about Frost

and recited his lines

as the truck barely climbed

the snow slicked hill

the road threading its way

through snow frosted pines.

Back home to my warm room

your arms invited me

your legs entwined me

your lips lingered

the unasked question hanging ...

In the morning I awoke

to watch you

sleeping peacefully beside me

your eyes opened slowly

and I snuggled my head

on your shoulder

to hug you tenderly

all passion spent

and wonder if you would

come back again . . .

An old love poem from my earlier collection. This was written in the 1980's before I met my second husband. A beautiful image of a short romance with an older man who had been my friend. That was the first time I had ever tried cross country skis.

ã1990 Linda H. Feinberg from "red poppies and green clover"

Cross country skiing

2011-01-15T11:04:00.002-05:00

Winter fun in New Hampshire. Photos taken Jan. 14, 2011 in Auburn, NH. Trail was quiet on Friday afternoon, only had one snowmobile pass us. This is usually a very busy trail on weekends. The sign on the tree says "CAUTION, WATCH FOR SLED DOGS ON TRAIL".

The protocol is to let everyone else go by so we step to the side when we hear motors or dogs. It felt wonderful to be out in the crisp, cold air, moving these old bones. Joe is 69 and I will be 65 in the spring, but we are still moving! Very happy about that.

We had about 18" (47 cm?) of snow this week. Loved it. Of course, I don't have to drive in it so that makes my life easier. It was in the 20's yesterday, not too cold, but comfortable for this kind of skiing (that's below zero centigrade, but I don't remember the conversion tables any more.) I added that since I notice that some of my followers are not used to the silly American system of measuring. I wish we would go along with the rest of the world and go metric, but that is unlikely to happen in my lifetime.

Water Tower sketch (vignette)

2011-01-09T11:24:00.003-05:00

Just a sketch of the water tower from my photo earlier. I found I don't really enjoy doing man-made structures, so I will probably not make a painting from this one.

This was an experiment with my new watersoluble crayons. First time I have tried these. These are Caran D'Ache Neocolor II water-soluble wax pastels. Easy to use with just a bit of water on a brush. Also used Micron 05 ink pen for the base structure on Bristol smooth paper. Easy project for a sketch.

I think I'll try the crayons again on a watercolor paper. That would probably be a better choice, but I was just experimenting.

Autumn Blessing

2011-01-07T13:42:00.000-05:00

I think this painting is finally finished. I started it in the fall during my acrylics class, but never had time to go back and finish it. This is a mixed media piece. I tinted the paper with a tea wash* following some directions in one of my books. When dry I drew the image, then used watercolor, then acrylics on top, pen & ink for the writing. It is on Waterford 300 lb cold press paper. I did the drawing from a photo I took in the fall while out on a walk in my neighborhood. I am so glad we have changing seasons in New Hampshire. I'm seeing a few snowflakes today and I hope we can go out cross country skiing this weekend.

*Tea wash: 3 black teabags in 1 cup of boiling water. Let cool. Use as a background color wash on watercolor or Chinese paper. This gives an antique type look to the artwork.

Water Tower - Manchester, NH

2011-01-05T15:06:00.000-05:00

I don't usually do art on buildings or man-made structures, but I found the water tower struts very interesting. I liked the shapes. I may make a sketch or painting of it when I have time.

I'm looking forward to retirement, but I feel old today. I filed for Medicare to start in April. Time certainly flies when you're a busy person.

Having fun with my new camera although I haven't found time to read the 180 page PDF guide. I will try to do a few more pages today and every day. I'm sticking with the easy features for now.

This tower is near the VA Hospital in Manchester. The photo was taken from a side street while we were out walking the other day.

Acrylic paintings done

2010-12-28T16:10:00.000-05:00

I think these are finished now. I just have to varnish them. Acrylic paintings, 8" X 10" (20.3 cm X 25.4 cm) on canvas panels. I liked using the sponge with the sunset colors. That was more fun than a brush.

The top painting was from a photo taken in Caesaria, Israel (Roman ruins). Interesting sculptures there.

My new camera

2010-12-24T15:44:00.000-05:00

Just bought a new camera and I'm learning how to use it. The guidebook is intimidating so I'm trying a few shots on my own. It is a Canon SX210 IS. The zoom feature (14X) is easy to use. The camera stores very large files (14.1) so I have to shrink them down on my computer before I upload them.

The photos are of work in process. I hope to eventually do a painting on canvas of the horses. The foot needs to be lightened up a little (it was from a photo taken in Caesaria, Israel), the sketch I posted earlier. The sunset painting is an experiment using a book by Donna Dewberry ("fast and fun landscape painting"), but I'm using my own photo, not hers. The sunset stripes are done with a sponge. The bottom part was done with a palette knife and I have no idea how to use it. Obviously, I'll need some more lessons. Anyway, it was fun to work on and I'll keep at it a bit more over the weekend.

Some outside photos taken just to try out the camera. These are from my yard, squirrel pawprints in the snow, some berries clinging to a bush and the view of my neighbor's house and fence (backyard).

Craigsville Beach, Cape Cod

2010-12-17T15:49:00.000-05:00

Just a quick sketch of the Craigsville Beach. Pen & Ink, Micron pen 05; Strathmore Bristol vellum paper.

Living in a world of possibilities

2010-12-14T09:18:00.000-05:00

I am living in a world of possibilities now
leaving the working world soon for another focus
the world of retirement

I don’t think I’ll write as much
perhaps more haiku instead of poetry
the art world has caught my attention
always something new to learn
another verse to illustrate

more time to hike or walk
watching for the heron at the pond
the mallards still there in winter
there’s always another mountain or hill
to climb, the views inspiring
I say a prayer each time I reach the top

so thankful to live here, to be alive,
to see the beauty and feel all the possibilities
open to me as I approach the autumn
and winter of my life

copyright Linda H. Feinberg 2010

Photo taken on Cape Cod (Massachusetts) this past weekend while on havurah retreat. Amazing not to have any snow yet. We had a wonderful time with the group and would recommend the retreat (or a similar one) to anyone who needs a weekend away from their every day life. Havurah

Running Horses

2010-12-10T08:15:00.000-05:00

Just a quick acrylic sketch from a photo of Joe's horses last spring. I think I like this one enough to actually make a real painting on canvas. Hopefully I'll have more time to do this once my business is sold next year and I retire. This was acrylic used like watercolor (used with water, not medium) on acrylic paper instead of canvas or board.

Joe's horses live in California with his daughter Sharon. Desert area, all sand. There are more photos of them on this blog (use filter on left for horse). They are beautiful animals (and no, I don't ride them). I love to watch them run. They are Missouri Fox Trotters, trail ride type horses, not show or race horses.

Leaves

2010-12-04T08:31:00.003-05:00

Another attempt at learning to paint with acrylics on canvas. I didn't like the background on this one so I used oil pastels on it to give it a textured look. This may not be a good idea since I found out from my teacher that I can't put varnish on it yet since it takes oil pastels a long time to dry. I think I need to work more on composition, but I was just trying to get the paint on the canvas and struggling with it.

I used a photo I had taken a few years back from Red Butte Gardens in Salt Lake City, Utah. That is a botanical park that is beautiful that I've been to twice while visiting my daughter. Of course, there's snow at this time of year, but I was out there in spring/summer.

Grizzly

2010-11-29T13:15:00.000-05:00

Just a little pencil sketch done over the weekend. I'm glad we don't have these bears around here.

Chanukah-new cards

2010-11-26T14:15:00.002-05:00

Chanukah begins at sunset on Wednesday, Dec. 1st and concludes at sunset on Thursday, Dec. 9th. These two are new card designs I will be putting up on my website today. I also will put up some generic happy holiday cards, some with art, some with photos. Obviously, the pen and ink card was created from the photo I took in Jerusalem in 2006. This is the "cardo" - the excavated market place from Roman times. My design from last year is still up there as well.

I hope my readers had a happy Thanksgiving. I had an enjoyable time with my current and former family, who insist that I am still "family". It was nice to hear after all these years. I have much to be thankful for in my life even though some of my life's lessons were difficult at the time.

The Hebrew letters at the top are from a song we sing on Chanukah "Al Hanissim" which is about all the miracles God has done for us at this time of year. The holiday is about religious freedom, the freedom to worship as we choose.

Craft fair yesterday

2010-11-21T08:31:00.000-05:00

Good fair yesterday. This was the most popular card design. I ran out and took orders. Met lots of nice people with positive comments on my cards.

Clarks Pond/acrylic painting

2010-11-13T12:17:00.000-05:00

Small acrylic painting done in my class with Jeanne Lachance. I will probably use this one for a holiday card. All that's left is to have Jeanne show me how to varnish it. I'm finding the acrylic painting very difficult, but challenging. This image was from a photo I took during the winter at Clark's Pond, Auburn, NH. There is a snowmobile trail on the abandoned railroad bed, also lots of hiking & biking trails there.

Sunset

2010-11-11T09:29:00.000-05:00

Last week's craft fair went well. Doing another one on Nov 20th. No time to write much, but these were our views of the beautiful sunset last night. Our house faces west and we enjoy the view even though we are in the city. Lots of leaves to rake. The pretty colors are mostly gone, but the oak leaves are still a beautiful russet color, especially when the sun is shining on them.

The top photo was taken by Joe. He is just starting to figure out Photoshop. I took the bottom one. It is the view from our house.

Craft show Saturday Nov. 6th

2010-11-05T17:47:00.000-04:00

All set up for tomorrow's craft show at Brookside Church, Manchester, NH. The ladies have been cooking and it smells wonderful in there!

Rhoda's Voice

2010-10-31T11:16:00.000-04:00

your voice is fading now, my cheery cousin
you were always so happy to hear from me
I’m out walking on a windy autumn day
watching the beautiful leaves blowing around
leaving a russet, orange and yellow
carpet in the yard
their colors are fading too

I can’t just pick up the phone
to call you any more
but when I stop for a moment
to listen and think of you
I can still hear your voice in my mind
as you pick up the phone, smiling
and calling out – “Linda, it’s cousin Linda”

my cousin, more like a sister to me,
you are missed and our family
is not the same

in memory of Rhoda Moshel Coleman z”l

©Linda H. Feinberg

Angel's Blessing

2010-10-23T08:38:00.001-04:00

This is a traditional Jewish blessing, sometimes given to the children when they go to bed. I think it's very beautiful. All the names of the angels have "el" in them, which refers to God in Hebrew. I have made this available as a small card and will have it at the craft shows I am doing next month. I'll put it up on my web site today too.

The art is acrylic paint (I am taking classes now and learning how to paint) on canvas. I found this quite difficult and hope it will get easier as I learn more. The view is a winter sunset from my window. Our house faces west and we get beautiful sunset views. When we first moved in we could see the small mountains outside Manchester (Uncanoonucs), but now there are many trees in the way. On a clear winter day, we can still see the tops of the mountains.

Life haiku

2010-10-19T08:02:00.000-04:00

Life is a journey
Wisdom comes from learning
Joy from an open heart

copyright 2010 Linda H. Feinberg

For the purists, haiku is 17 syllables, but in the form of 3 lines of 5/7/5. This one did not quite make that format, but is still 17 syllables.

Irish Blessing

2010-10-13T14:41:00.003-04:00

Old blessing, new card design. Not up on my web store yet, but I will have at the next craft show in Manchester, Saturday, November 6th, Brookside Church.

Art copyright 2010 Linda H. Feinberg. This is a watercolor painting of Red Butte Gardens in Salt Lake City, Utah. (You can view it larger by clicking on it.)

Fall color 2010

2010-10-11T09:12:00.000-04:00

Fall color is not at its peak yet here, but still very beautiful. The top 2 photos I took yesterday while walking the Heads Pond trail in Hooksett with Dina and Joe. The bottom photo I took on Saturday while walking at nearby Dorrs Pond.

Pencil Portrait/Linda

2010-10-06T14:12:00.000-04:00

Pencil & graphite portrait done from photo I posted earlier, taken in the 1940's. Each time I got one part of the face the way I liked it, I saw that another part needed fixing. Unfortunately, when I went to fix one area, I scratched it and couldn't remove the dark spot so I had to use Photoshop. Anyway, this is just for my sketchbook and I learned a good lesson from it, don't overwork and drive yourself crazy!

Andres Institute-more photos

2010-10-01T15:41:00.000-04:00

These are Joe's photos. I liked the man in the rock one, I thought that was very creative. As you can see from the photo he took of me, I was having a good time! Maybe next week I'll have finished some of my own pieces and can put them up. I am working on a pencil sketch from the old photo of me I put up earlier. In my painting class, I am almost done with my first real acrylic painting on canvas. It should be done by next week.

Andres Institute (Sculpture)

2010-09-27T11:19:00.002-04:00

The Boat

Sculpture by Milen Vassilev, Bulgaria 2004

"Everybody has a boat and a direction in their life. We can create the direction of the boat, but we cannot change the direction of the current of the river of our life – the journey may be smooth or difficult – the same as our life."

Beautiful fall hike up a hill with sculptures on many trails. This is a free outdoor museum in Brookline, NH Andres Institute We will go back again another time to see more trails and more sculptures. I posted some additional photos on FaceBook.

These large figures are called "Debate" - there were three of them, one seated in the middle. I didn't take a picture of that one. They looked like they were made of interesting junk metals. Joe e-mailed me a photo he sent of that figure along with our group. I am in the middle.

Student and Teacher

2010-09-17T13:33:00.002-04:00

I'm back to being a student this week, studying acrylic painting with Jeanne Lachance at EW Poore's. I had a good first class, started on a view of the sunset from my window (from a photograph I took some time ago). I think I understand my issues with the new medium. I'm used to watercolor, or Chinese colors, only using a little bit of pigment, then going darker a little bit at a time. I don't need to do that with acrylics. I'll try to be braver next week and put more pigment on the brush. Meanwhile, I'm happy with my initial canvas and when it's done, I'll post it. The class is 12 weeks and each student works at his/her own project. It's enjoyable to walk around and see what others are doing. Jeanne has some beautiful drawings up on her blog too.

I also started a new student this week. I am a volunteer tutor with the literacy program at the city library. My new student is from China and we will be working on improving her English skills. I've had students from China (as well as other countries) before and I expect that this will be a good experience for both of us.

Sunset tonight starts the holiest day of the Jewish year, the Day of Atonement (Yom Kippur). For a brief summary: Chabad summary/Yom Kippur While I personally do not fast on this day, I wish a good fast for my friends and family who do. May it be a good year for all, (5771 on the Jewish calendar), filled with peace, good health, joy and happiness.