Jewish New Year/Rosh Hashanah

 

The Jewish New Year starts at sundown on Monday, September 22nd this year. It is the year 5786 according to tradition. The year starts not on the first day of creation, but on the 6th day when Adam and Eve were created. 

May you be blessed with a good and sweet year. As this past year was very stressful and difficult for my family, I am praying for a better year for all, freedom for the hostages and peaceful conclusion to all the conflicts in the world. I know that is unlikely to happen, but I will continue my small part with occasional art, daily kindness to all and once in a while a new poem.

Happy Chanukah

 

Chanukah starts at sunset on Sunday, December 18th this year (25th of Kislev). The Jewish calendar is a lunar one, following the traditions of the Babylonians when the Israelites were in exile in Babylon many centuries ago.

I decided to use my recent abstract as an image this year instead of the traditional Chanukiah (8 branched candelabra/menorah).  I liked the quote I saw today. I think it is from the Talmud.  Anyway, may we all be blessed with light at this dark time of the year.

Abstract

 Lotus from Tibet, 8" X 10", oil on canvas board.

I decided to play with primary colors, red, blue and yellow, also used some white to mix. I didn't have a plan, and this is what appeared. I enjoyed mixing the colors. Now that I am older and my hands don't work as well, I may do more abstract paintings, although I don't think I'll give up on landscapes. They will just take longer to paint.

I received the lotus stencil from International Campaign for Tibet as a thank you for a donation. It sat on my desk for a while and I decided to use it for my artwork. I have been interested in the Dalai Lama and the issues with Tibet for many years, since I read the book "The Jew in the Lotus" by Rodger Kamenetz. The book is still available on Amazon.  I think I read that book in the 80s. I also met some of the rabbis in the 90s  who were on that trip when I went on a retreat in NY.

L'Shanah Tovah

 

Wishing all my readers a sweet, healthy and joyous new year 5783. The Jewish new year starts at sunset on Sunday, September 25th. The Jewish calendar is a lunar one and this is also the new moon.  The rabbis picked this from the Torah readings, first day of Tishri. It celebrates the creation of Adam and Eve and our world. The 10 holy days until Yom Kippur (Day of Atonement) are a time of reflection and returning to ourselves. We listen to the call of the shofar (ram's horn) as our ancestors did in the past.

There are many videos online about the holiday and the shofar. I liked this one. Shofar blowing

Gallery show

 I'm in my first gallery show in Idaho and happy to report that one art piece sold already. Even though the calligraphy is in Hebrew, the buyer liked it and bought it (for his wife). They cannot read the words, but liked my concept of writing the words as the ladder.

It is easier to read in the unframed view. 

Prints and printed items are still available at my website. Jacob's Ladder  This is the translation: And Jacob awoke from his sleep and said "Surely God is in the place, and I did not know it! Shaken, he said, "How awesome is this place! This is none other than the house of God, and this is the gate of heaven."

Rosh Hashanah

 

The Jewish new year of 5782 begins at sundown on September 6th (first of Tishri on the Jewish calendar). I thought it was time to start designing our annual greeting. That way if I change my mind, I have time to think of a different design and verse.

Cards and other printed items available on my website.

Rosh Hashanah 2020/5781

 

I was thinking about the Jewish new year which starts in September.  2020 hasn't been a good year for most people so I am hopeful that 5781 (the Jewish year) will be better.  The verse is from the Haftarah reading last shabbat.  This is from a series of haftarot from Isaiah about consolation (after the destruction of the temple in Jerusalem (remembered on Tisha B'Av this month).  Isaiah is trying to console the people with hope for the future.  I can relate to that.

I will probably design something else for the holiday as I have time to think about it more. The photo was taken in Israel in 2012 when I was on an 8 week trip then. We were touring the Eilat area with a group and this was in a botanical park there. Eilat is at the southern end of Israel, after a long drive through the desert. While it is a big tourist area, I found something spiritual there too.

Rosh Hashanah

The Jewish new year of 5780 starts on Sunday evening (at sunset) on September 29th this year. The Jewish calendar is a lunar one, but Rosh Hashanah is always the first day of the month of Tishrei, the days start at sunset, the month starts on the new moon. The Gregorian calendar is a solar calendar so the lunar calendars have to add days periodically to catch up. The Jewish calendar adds a whole month (called Adar 2) every few years so the Jewish holidays will always be in the right season (Passover in the spring, Sukkot in the fall etc.). Every year I take a photo or painting of mine and create a new card. I have one customer who has been with me for years and picks a picture from my website and has me create a JPG image for him to send with his words on it. That reminds me to create one for us.

We are in the month of Elul now which is a time of reflection. I sent this old poem to several people who loved it.  I know I posted it many years ago, but here it is again. The rabbi reminded me that Moses ascended Mount Sinai in the fog too. I definitely miss hiking, but I try to stay in a positive mode and I'm appreciative that I can walk every day in my neighborhood in Boise. Next summer we hope to go to northern Idaho and see the mountains there.

I am "guest artist" of the month at ArtZone in Boise, a co-op gallery. I was invited by one of the artists. The space for the guest artist is small so I only put up a few small paintings. I went to the reception and people said nice things. I don't really expect to sell anything, but I can always hope.

I tried to  paint from my photo at the Hyatt Reserve in the alla prima style in my last class, (painting all in one session). The original photo is in the post of Aug. 21st.  I enjoyed my classes, but don't have the patience to paint for 2 1/2 - 3 hours any more.  I'm thinking of going more into an abstract style instead of trying to make things representational.  I liked the bright colors I worked with on my painting of the moray "peek-a-boo" (in my last post).

May we all have a happy, healthy new year. I will continue to pray for peace too.

Sabbath Day Thoughts

On the way to synagogue today

I spot interesting church signs

“Come as you are”

I think that’s my favorite one

Then today’s

“God is still talking to us”

That one made me think

How can we hear him or her?

Is she really concerned with us,

with all the hatred and killing?

But there are so many good people too

and so much love when you know

where to look for it

We have joined a small tribe

of Jews here in Idaho

and are better for it.

Yet the hatred touches us

even here in the north

we have to be concerned

with protecting ourselves

instead of just relaxing

with our sabbath songs.

The key the rabbis tell us

is not to lose hope

©2019 Linda H. Feinberg

Still practicing

Some practice pieces. I don't like these enough to make larger paintings. These are 8" X 10" on canvas board. Water Mixable oils.  Top is a view of Payette Lake in McCall, Idaho as seen from the camp we were in. We stayed in a lodge, we are not real campers.

These are the ewes resting on a cliff in Alberta, Canada.  They looked like goats to me, but I researched and these are the females of the mountain sheep. They look quite different than the males.

In cleaning up one day I found a 12" X 24" board. I didn't remember buying it, but gessoed it and decided it was worth a panorama.  This one is Red Rock Canyon  in Nevada. I had painted a smaller version of it years ago. I liked the colors.  I did this one with a combination of palette knife and brushes.

I am very disturbed with all the hatred going on in the world and have not been doing much painting.  I go to Sabbath services each week and wonder if someone is going to come in to hurt us.  I don't understand the hatred.  If a person is unhappy with his or her circumstances, why don't they try to change them, not go out killing other people. So I'll finish with something positive for my readers to think about.

Happy Chanukah

I don't usually paint this kind of design, but I was asked by our synagogue to come up with something for their full day "Feast of Torah" celebration.  They printed the design on a magnet. There were workshops, prayers, singing, menorah lighting and latkes of course. It was fun.

I joined a local art group called "Art Mingle" and they came up with the idea of making a series. I took a photo of the Sawtooth Mountains in Stanley (Idaho) and divided it into 4 paintings. That will be my series. It was fun planning this. I'm naming the paintings "Call of the Mountains".

I played with acrylic paint one day and just did some abstract colors. Now that I have been working with oil paints, I have come to prefer them for most of my painting time. I think abstracts are not for me, but I liked playing with the blue colors.

Today I decided to pretend I was painting outdoors (it is below freezing in Boise, winter is here) and I imagined I was back in New Hampshire in the fall.  I made a little 2 hour oil sketch.  I liked the image and will probably work on a detailed one in the future.  This is a conservation area, Madame Sherri's Forest in NH. I didn't do a preliminary sketch on the canvas so it is not too accurate, more of just an impression.

Painting fun and inspiration

I enjoy the Psalms while praying at Sabbath services. This time as we were chanting in Hebrew, I also studied the English and could see my old painting "Along the way to Eilat" in the background. When I came home, I cropped it and put the words on top. While the Jewish new year does not start until mid September this year, I have already been asked about new year cards so I combined the two thoughts.  The trees in the background are date trees, the mountains are in Jordan. The bus took this road through the Negev (desert) on the way to the southernmost tip of Israel which is a big tourist destination now (Eilat). To view the card better, click to enlarge. 

I have not been painting much since I returned from vacation. I decided it was time to clean off my painting area, feeling that it would be more inspiring to work in a tidy area instead of the big mess I had there.  I took photos of my paintings that I painted while on vacation in New Hampshire.

This was just a fun experiment with acrylic paints on a leftover piece of matboard. "Fireworks"

My friend decided it was time for me to try pastels. We rode around Exeter (NH) for a while and came to a nice scene. I have not done pastels before so I think I made a big mess. Anyway, it was fun and I enjoyed the morning outside.

My attempt at painting en plein air (outside) at my friend's back yard. I don't think my little oil sketch is worth developing further, but it was good practice.

On another day, another good friend drove us to Deerfield (NH) and we decided to try to paint the silo. The farm house itself and outbuildings were falling apart so I'm guessing most of this farm is not in use. The white bundles on the left side of the painting are wrapped up hay bales so the land is probably just used now for hay. Again, I don't think this little sketch is worth developing further. I did get a bit of a tan from painting outside.

I really admire artists who can do this kind of painting.  These were 2 hour sketches and I thought they were dreadful but I enjoyed trying something new (so not a waste of time).

To finish off the week we tried paint pouring. The top one is my Jackson Pollock style lizard. I put the scales and face on later.  I don't know what to call the others. I did see a face in the one on the left so I painted that on. I'm not sure what I see in the other one. Maybe a swimming something.  This is a great fun activity to do with thinned out acrylic paints.

Rosh Hashanah 5778

This new design and others for the Jewish new year are now available on my web site. The new year of 5778 starts at sunset on September 20th.

Here is a link to my gallery with Jewish holiday designs: https://linda-feinberg.pixels.com/collections/jewish+holidays

May it be a sweet year for all.

Online classes

I signed up for wet into wet oil painting classes with Alexander Art. I learned that I don't have the patience for this technique.  I wasn't happy with any of my paintings and they take way too long to dry. The paint is excellent though as are the brushes and I will probably get some use of these items in the future.  Meanwhile, I signed up for regular oil painting classes near my new home and those start next week. I'm looking forward to the classes and meeting some new people.

Here are some of my failures from the classes. I also learned that I don't like painting from other people's photos.  I like to paint what I have seen in my travels. That way it has some meaning for me.

I was glad I had leftover canvas to experiment on so I didn't waste good materials. I just taped up some to a board. The trees lesson (above) just taught all different kinds of trees.  I did pick up a few techniques that I will use in the future.  

The mountain with clouds was on an old board that I gessoed and painted.  I couldn't get the technique right with the palette knife. I was very unhappy with that one.

The mood painting (3rd up from bottom) was kind of fun and I wouldn't mind doing something like that in the future. Again, I just taped leftover canvas onto a board to practice.

The top one I actually used a stretched canvas to see if that would help my attitude, but it didn't really.  I used the palette knife on that one too and it was a little better than the first mountain painting, perhaps because that was canvas and the other was a board. I would have to practice a lot to get it to look better.

Meanwhile I've pulled out some photos from our recent drive on Route 21 to Idaho City and also from our previous trip to Canada (Waterton in Alberta). I hope to do a better painting of one of those when my class starts next week.  I didn't feel that the online classes were a waste of my time or money as I did learn some new techniques and I have some supplies to work with in the future.  I've taken other online classes in the past and felt that they were a better match with my level of art and my patience.

On the positive side, some of my past customers found me and ordered Jewish new year images and cards.  It was nice to feel appreciated. I made this image using a photo of the glass mezuzah I made in a class last year.

Painting and Designing

The Jewish new year (Rosh Hashanah) starts at sunset on October 2nd. I've started thinking about making cards as I have several people who like to order them every year. One prefers a customized image and that is easy to do with Photoshop. The paintings I've done this year are not really in tune with my thoughts about the holiday so I looked through some of my photos. To buy cards, just go to my website.

I took almost 600 photos in Israel while we were there in March. This one of musicians is from Ein Hod, by the sculptor Benjamin Levy. There are many of his sculptures in the village.

I also liked this sculpture of David and his harp by artist Victor Halvani, but the tree in the background kind of ruins the composition for me.  I did not put this one up on my website, but can make it available. Looking at his web page, it looks like he made several of this sculpture, possibly in different materials. It is beautiful.

When I switched over to a new computer this year I lost all my beautiful Hebrew fonts. I found that the old Hebrew word processing program I had did not work with the new computer even though both are on the same operating system (Windows 7). While Microsoft Word does work in Hebrew, it seems to be a lot more work for me and I'm still trying to figure it out.

I am still painting and sketching, but the summer heat has me down. I do have an air conditioner in my studio so I do not have good excuses for being lazy. I'm also taking online webinars with Johannes Vloothuis. The last one is this Saturday. He's teaching more about composition than techniques, but I am learning a lot about making a painting more interesting and more professional looking.

I made a small acrylic 8 X 10 study first of this image, calling it "Ready to Ride". I'm working on a 16" X 20" painting now.

I actually like the small clip of just the background (the middle photo) the best. I'll continue to work on this over the weekend. The image is from our trip last year to the Canadian Rockies. We went on a raft ride on the Athabasca River. I enjoyed being a tourist and not having to row the raft. We saw a variety of wildlife from the middle of the river. One of my other paintings of the river is on exhibit now in Bedford, NH.  I have an exhibit up at a bank for 6 months. You can see that painting in my postcard from my last post.

On a day when I didn't feel like painting, I did a little sketch of a magpie that I saw in Canada last year.

I started this just as a sketch, but I couldn't resist putting in some color using watercolor pencils. We don't have magpies in New Hampshire (we have crows that are all black) and I understand that they can be very annoying, but I thought he was pretty.

Mother Love -- Rosh Hashanah 5776

watching the mother cuddling her toddler

brought back memories of my own children

now fully grown, one just married,

the others content with their lives

somehow a hug from a grown man

is not the same as reading a story

to a toddler on your lap

but I am proud to see my adult children

 leading their own successful lives

the phone calls, the texts, the e-mails

let me know of their love and caring

whether near or far

as I pray in the Chabad tent again this year

I am grateful for another year

another chance to fulfill my purpose

even though I’m not sure what it is

“Hineni” – I am here

although my prayer is very different

from the liturgical one

but year after year I continue

my monologue with the divine

knowing that I also have the divine

within me

©Linda H. Feinberg

Note: my poetry is still available on Amazon as inexpensive e-books. 

Rosh Hashanah 5776

The Jewish new year of 5776 starts at sunset on Sunday evening, September 13th.

The painting is one I did last year in my art class. It depicts the town of Tsfat (Safed) in Israel at sunset. The Hebrew words at the top are wishing you a good and sweet year.

The Artist Interview

I was approached by Marietta Gregg, the Marketing Director of Patience Brewster and encouraged to write a blog post. I checked the site and saw Christmas ornaments. I thought that was a bit strange since I am Jewish and do not buy or use these items. However, I know I need to keep marketing to get my name and my artwork out there. I liked this quote from their blog:

 “Make the kind of work you love and believe in. It is all about showing up at your desk and picking up your pencil, paintbrush or piece of clay. Let the magic happen.

Then, if you want to share your work with the world, or if you want to sell it, you need to make it visible. The internet sure makes this much easier than it was back in the day.

Be ready to listen. Try to find a group of fellow artists you respect for honest criticism. It is great to get feedback that does not come from your closest friends.”

Here are the questions and my answers for the interview:

1. As a child, do you recall a significant moment when you felt truly affected or inspired by any particular artwork or artist?

Answer: I am a “late bloomer”. I took my first art class when I was in my 50’s, a beginner drawing class. My children had all grown up, my bookkeeping business was running well and I decided to go back to school.  My husband encouraged me to try something new when I suggested I take another writing or poetry class.  We talked and I said that I always liked going to museums.  I was always interested in art, but this first class taught me to make good drawings on my own (not just cartoons). I have always been a creative person, but this was my first time with art supplies and art concepts. As a young woman, I expressed my creativity with cooking, sewing, knitting, crocheting, gardening and playing the piano.

When I lived in the NYC area (1960’s), I enjoyed going to the museums and collections in Manhattan. I especially enjoyed the Frick Collection and I remember looking up at the interesting ceilings as well as looking at the paintings. 

2. As an artist, what do you hope to convey with your work?

I tend to paint from my photos with occasional plein air work.  I hope to convey a sense of place. Since I have retired I enjoy traveling and have done many paintings from Israel as well as the U.S., Canada and Costa Rica.  My husband and I enjoy hiking and I love to paint trails and mountains. The trails are a kind of metaphor for the journey that we are all on, the journey of life.  As a poet I create images and emotions with words. As an artist, I try to connect with the essence of the image aesthetically and spiritually. I also enjoy painting flowers and animals.

My website has “galleries” including some inspirational ones.

3. What memorable responses have you had to your work?

“If I don’t buy this today, I know I will regret it” – from a customer who purchased the original “Mug Shot” – an amusing close up painting of my daughter’s horse (an example of foreshortening) 

A buyer from Texas let me know how much my painting of Franconia Falls reminded her of hiking in the White Mountains of New Hampshire with her children when they were young. (Good memories).

A comment on my poetry collection: “Until the Angels Call”

“Poignant, centered and spiritual poetry by a word-craftswoman. These poems are up close and personal...poetry that reveals and sheds light on hope and life. Highly recommended. I read it on my iPhone kindle while flying to Iceland. The poems were a warm companion.”

4. What is your dream project?

I’m not sure I have one, but I enjoy putting words on many of my images and creating cards. I probably would enjoy illustrating some of my old poems at some time in the future.  Meanwhile my art group “Friends of Art Manchester” is looking for more walls to paint.  We have done several murals and I enjoyed taking part in that process.  I also did my largest painting to date, 4’ X 5’, as a project with this group for Webster House.

I would love to see more urban art in downtown Manchester and hope to participate in it.

I enjoy doing customized pieces and commissions and would like to do more of these.

I would like to have gallery representation at some point.

5. What artists, of any medium, do you admire? (Famous or not!)

I admire the impressionists, but also like the plein air painters of New Hampshire. I follow several artists on Facebook including a group called “Quintessential New England: Paintings by Facebook Artists”. I also love to look at paintings of the west and the national parks. I continue to take art classes and I’m looking forward to my new class starting later this month. I hope to loosen up and learn to paint in a more “painterly” style.

I will be sharing a booth at the “Art in the Park” show in Merrimack, NH on September 26th.  I will post the detailed information on my blog and website soon.

"Unless you try to do something beyond what you have already mastered, you will never grow." Ralph Waldo Emerson

Happy Holidays

Whatever holiday you celebrate, I wish you peace and creativity. This prayer is available as a video you may enjoy listening to and watching, with Judy Collins and Richard Stoltzman:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DRejYkJOYJM
If you like the image above, it is available on my website. I have two different images there with the same prayer.

We are celebrating the 8 days of Chanukah (also spelled Hanukkah) now.  It is interesting to see the various spellings when taking a word from a different language (especially one with a different alphabet) and trying to put it into English. I've also had a good laugh this year seeing all the parodies available online with Chanukah prayers (some new/some old) set to popular music.

We will be having 10 for dinner tomorrow evening, some will be celebrating Chanukah for the first time.  I wrote a little poem thinking about that.

Chanukah – 2014

What brings us together on this holiday?

We come from many different places,

cultures and religions

but we have all settled in America.

My father came here 100 years ago from Minsk,

my mother’s family came from what is now Ukraine,

others at the table came from the Philippines

and still others were born in America,

but their families came from Poland and

other European countries.

Yet we gather here to light these Chanukah candles,

join in a festive meal, perhaps sing a little,

pray together a little and get to know each other.

What brings us together is love,

the respect we have for each other

and the love of our children for each other.

My hope at this time is that this love

will go out into the world

spread its sparks around

and help make a difference.

Chag Sameach.

©Linda H. Feinberg
(Chag Sameach is Hebrew for Happy Holiday)

A Cloudy Day

I

I decided it was time to do a panorama for a change.  I looked through my photos and was attracted to the clouds and this view so I cropped the original photo to fit into this format.  The painting is acrylic on 10" x 20" stretched canvas.  I wasn't going for detail, just an impression of the scene.  I'm happy with the results.

Antelope Island is on the Great Salt Lake (Utah) and my daughter took me for a tour one year when I was visiting her in Salt Lake City.  We enjoyed seeing the herds of bison and had to wait for them to cross the road. Then we toured the Fielding Garr ranch, which was where I took this photo with the mountains in the distance and the beautiful clouds.

Meanwhile, I did my first outdoor exhibit this past weekend, sharing a tent with artist Aline Lotter.  I do not have my own tent and racks so my husband and I helped her set up.  It was very cold in the morning when we started, but warmed up through the day. The art show was sponsored by Manchester Artists Association. After this experience, I do not think I will ever do an outdoor art show again.  It was exhausting and a very long day.  I am participating in 3 indoor craft shows in November and December, two will be new for me, one I've done for several years.  I think that's enough.  I enjoy networking with people, but I don't want to be in another business while I am retired.  I did sell some cards at this show, but did not sell any of my original paintings.

Aline Lotter does oil portraits, landscapes, animals, and nudes (photos below).  She is quite versatile and blogs almost weekly. Her blog is full of interesting details and instructions. Aline's blog

I met abstract artist Olivier Marcus at the exhibit and enjoyed talking to him. Unfortunately I did not take photos of his beautiful artwork, but you can see it at this link: Abstract Art

The Jewish holiday, Rosh Hashanah, starts Wednesday evening at sunset.  The new year is 5775 on the Jewish calendar.  I wish all my readers a new year filled with joy, good health and peace.