Connected to the Tree

There are many journeys to take, follow me on this road, back to where we belong.

For several years I have traveled to Israel and come closer and closer to the understanding of a word that came to me during a dark autumn day 2010 in Stockholm. The Beginning, little did I know that this word would take me on an endless journey. The first the word showed to me was the Shabbat and it was during the first Shabbat that I celebrated alone that open the door for me to a settable full of blessings and deeper knowledge.

Jerusalem, the city of my heart. Every time I visit the city, I draw closer and closer, one step at a time to the goal of my journey of life. It was on one of my trips to Jerusalem that I had the privilege of listening to Rabbi Yehuda Glick, at the Torah school for the nations, Rabbi Yehuda was talking to us about trees. There was a tree in the garden, a tree that led Eva and Adam to leave the garden. That tree was irresistible and a desire for the eyes to look at, but its fruit was forbidden to eat. If Eve and Adam had looked at the tree and enjoyed its beauty and had not focused on its fruit, everything had been peace and joy right now, but they saw the fruit and the craving took over so that Eve took one of the beautiful fruits and gave to Adam and they ate.

The four species

During the Feast of Sukkot, you carry four species to the temple. The four species are lulav, willow, myrtle, and etrog, there are many layers of understandings about this but one of them is what I heard Rabbi Glick taught. You have lulav, willow myrtle in one hand and in the other hand you have the etrog and during the festival of Sukkot you put them together, the three species with the etrog, to show that the fruit is connected with the tree. It is like you make an act of "healing" for the tree that once led us all to a fall. Bring them back together as a picture to our Creator, yourself and the entire world that we want to return home to the garden that was designed for us, for the Creator, man, and animal to live in Shalom. That's a beautiful picture. For me, it is a treasure, a pearl of knowledge that bloom in Jerusalem. The wealth of worship has many layers of revelation that would take the whole eternity to understand. Like art, Judah visualizes a poem of worship expressions to us, so unlike the few kinds of expression of worship where I live, we pray and sing, but they're so many other ways to express our devotion to the Creator, where did we lose the ability to express? Impressions without expression lead to destress. We are created to express ourselves. Let the soul of your being be expressed in your unique worship of God... Go back to where you come from...

True connections

So, was the forbidden fruit an etrog, fig or an apple ...? no one knows what it is for kind of fruit, perhaps it does not exist on earth today. For me, it is the story in its entirety that inspires me, not to forget where we come from.. and attached ourselves with truthness

See the beauty of the life of every living thing
See the beauty of the living fruit attached to its branch in the tree
See the beauty of Jerusalem, a jewel attached to Israel...

Paintings

That is why I paint living fruit on its branches connected to the tree, not fruit in a bowl. This one is one of the trees in Israel, the figtree painted in oil. The other painting is Ancestors in oil on canvas.

Connect yourself with the tree

From Sunday the 20th of January 2019 to Monday the 21th, it's Tu B'Shvat the new year of the tree, a holiday in Israel, you can read more about the holiday here.
If you want to plant a tree in Israel you can do it through Keren Kajemet

Happy Tu B'Shvat!

Do you want to know more or are you interested in some off the paintings? Contact me at [email protected]

Gillar

Kommentarer

Portrait of a child

Innehåller affiliate-länkar

Inspired by a brilliant photo

To paint a portrait of children is a joy! I recently had the possibility to be inspired by a photo of a child that a skilled Photographer has made. I did not want it to be a copy but more of an inspiration.

When I painted the portrait my focus was to make it softer and put the light on the hands. I also wanted the color more soft warm golden then the picture, still, I can see the likeness of the child on the photo even if it was not my main focus. I call the painting "Silent prayer". Oil, 65x45 cm.

Details

How I made it

When I made the painting I used black gesso for the background before starting the portrait. Gesso dries faster than oil and is a good alternative to acrylic or tempera. I love painting on freehand not making up lines or other techniques, it is more of a challenge, and so much fun! I sketch the face and body with yellow ochre (Michal Harding) and a small brush. Then I start to paint with Isabey brush. I use these brushes in different sizes, one off my favorite brushes! You can find them and Michal Harding oil color at Färg, Elektravägen 18, Hägersten, Sweden, farg.nu

If you are interested in a course how to paint a portrait, you can order the course here: ninabjorkart

I used a warmer tone in the painting because I wanted the painting to be warmer in the colors than the photo. The hands were important to me, I love the way the child try to put her little fingers together, you can see in the photo she has a problem to put them together correctly. But there is no right or wrong when it comes to prayers, the only thing that is important is the heart, and the heart of a little child is always right. I wanted to capture that moment and the black huge emptiness around her, still safe, warm and aware of her true safety. May we never forget our childhood faith.

Love these brushes!

Portrait on comission

If you are interested in a portrait on commission, send a photo to me, more info and price contact me at; [email protected]

Or if you are interested in the painting above, contact me a here or at the same e-mail.

Photo

The painting is inspired by the skilled photographer Benny Byström, his photos are brilliant, see more here; bennybystrom.com

Gillar

Kommentarer

Instagram @ninabjorkart