Painting, "Word with wings", oil on canvas, limited reproduction Prints at Saatchiart

So happy! A dream come true!



A little bird whispered in my ear a few years ago that in the future I would hold an exhibition in Israel. I had no idea that the bird whispered prophetically! Now I'm finally on my way to having my first art exhibition in Israel!

For a time ago I received a request if I wanted an exhibition in Israel. Of course, I answered yes, to that question. Through a friend, I got in touch with a curator in Israel who represents Yam Labanim Gallery in Rishon Lezion. Yam Lebanim is a museum in memory of the fallen soldiers in Israel. Next to the Museum there is a beutiful art gallery.

I immediately felt that this was something for me. A local artist Roni Valdenberg where also to exhibit and the exhibition. The exhibiton is about how we see the country from our point of view.

Finely in Eretz Israel!

Grateful to be in Israel and to have an Exhibition.

What I hope visitors will experience is that my art gives them an understanding of how important their country is to us in the world, Israel is a light to the nations in so many ways, and my art is a way for me to say thank you Israel!

Tu Bishvat starts when the exhibit begins.

New year of the trees….

Painting "A twig of an almond tree", oil on canvas, limited edition Prints

After I landed on Ben Gurian, Lisa came and picked me up and we went straight to Ricardo & Julia Schlimovitch, J.R. Art dealers , and I left my paintings there to get them ready for the art exhibit.

So satisfied by the nice frame well done!

Ricardo made the work fast and proferssional!

Arriving at Lisa's Farm Place. A beautiful farm located in east Rishon Lizion. With the city center only about 30 min walk from the farm, Lisa's place is embedded in a quiet leafy green space and the city pulse feels very far away. Here are dogs, horses, orange trees, olive groves and a parrot who sounds like a cellphone...!

Pling! Message…?

No,

the parrot!

Here are three small cabins for rent, one of which is a train wagon, that has been renovated and transformed into a cozy little cabin with all the beautiful details of the wagon remaining.

Here I will stay for 9 days, what a luxury!

More info about Uri & Lisa’s Farm Place

But one problem remained, to transport the three paintings that I sold a few years ago from the owner who lives in Samaria. No one wanted to go up to these areas as it is in the disputed zone known as the West Bank in the media. Lisa said, no problem, I'll drive you there. Some people are steady and fearless as few, and know how to get on the right paths. Thank you God for these wonderful people, Lisa and her husband Uri, are such people. They take you anywhere in Israel.

Lisa and I went up to the mountains of Samaria. There it was beutiful but cold and windy! Suddenly I felt like I was back in Sweden!

Thankful that I got to borrow the paintings from the owner and to exhibit at the Yad Labanim Gallery.

That means I have a little more paintings to exhibit at the Gallery.

Delivered the paintings to the Gallery where everything was very nicely arranged, the brochure was also ready. Very pleased with how everything looked. Thanks to the curator Adi Angel!

Between the days before Vernissage day I spent sight seeing. Visited the resident off Israels first president Chaim Weizmann and the Rishon Lezion Museum and also the Museum located next to the Gallery, Yad Lebanim Museum, made a day trip to the Negev Desert and was guided by Uri Madar the ways of the Nebateans. Very interesting!

Uri Madar is a professional guide and has an education in archeology. We had breakfast in the middle of the desert together with their son that serves in the Israeli Army at a military station.

Me in front of a Israeli tank, next mission? ;-)

A visit to Israel without a visit to Jerusalem does not realy work for me, I have been to Israel 16 times. But I've never been here without visiting Jerusalem…. Why might you think.... I always want to return there to the Temple Mount to pray & say thank you to The Creator of heaven & earth

On Thursday we visited Jerusalem. Unfortunately you are not allowed to pray at Temple Mountain, or bring your Bible, and if the Muslims see that you pray you have to go out immediately. Only the Muslims are allowed to pray there at present. Jews and Christians pray below at the western wall. It's really strange because the Temple of the Jews was on the Temple Mount, so why shouldn't we pray there? Tragic that everyone is pushing Israel to back down all the time... they gave up Gaza and now we do not know what is going on, with the so called ”peace plan”...

But one thing I know if they tear down... again... then Israel rebuilds... again.. and again..

We went up to Temple Mount together with a Jewish group. They must always be followed by police around them, as shelters and also to check that we are not praying. The Jewish group walks around the Temple site, but not near the Mosque where the Temple was. Because according to Judaism they are not ceremonially pure. Whether there is a mosque there or not, the Jews keep the place sacred.

Our walk was a very special one, I never felt scared, just honored to be at this sacred place even though there was a recent terrorist attack the same day on the spot. Don't know why I didn't feel any fear, I just felt embedded in gratitude to God as well as the immense joy of being here at the Tempel mount, with the Jews.

In Jerusalem, I was also invited to see Bar Mitzvah. My first!

Back in Rishon Lezion, it was time to arrange for the art exhibition at the Yad LaBanim Gallery. We went there a little before the opening which started at 8 in the evening. We had with us a monitor where I would show a power point presentation of my Israeli art, and a description in Hebrew. It was very good that I could give this little presentation because it was visitors at the exhibition who could only speak Hebrew. Curator Adi Angel also gave a brief introduction of me and Rani Valdenburg in Hebrew.

Adi told us that this was the first time anyone from another country was exhibit art at the Yad LaBanim Gallery. Because the museum itself is a museum in memory of soldiers from Israel, who died in battle as well as terror victims. Here I stood, an (un) ordinary Swede who had lived in a "neutral" country all my life and now was in an art exhibition at this place.

Felt incredibly honorable.

Somehow I felt "done". A dream that had come true!

Happy & done!,

I will continue to paint, but this felt like the highlight of my life.

If you are interested in a painting, contact me or Saatchi art In addition, the Yad LaBanim Gallery is not commercial. Artists may "just" show art there, not sell. There was a small table with our business cards, so of course if anyone is interested they can contact the artists directly for more information on price and delivery.

The paintings hang at the Yad LaBanim Gallery until March 24. Only after March 24 can delivery take place.

Very honored to exhibit with Rani Valdenberg, a Jewish artist living outside of Jerusalem who does wonderful art of her beautiful surroundings. Skilled and professional. We had very different styles, but both painted with great love for the land of Israel. A very unique exhibition, the combination of Rani's and my art.

Welcome to see the exhibition if you are nearby. More info

After the exhibition I was invited to stay at my friends Varda and Shmuel's house. I had not yet seen the almond tree flower even though it is the time of almond blossom. So thankful to Varda and Shmuel who took me to a park not far from Jerusalem, where we saw both white and pink almond flowers! So beautiful!

We also had the opportunity to visit the sea and enjoy a walk in the sand and also got some sun and fresh winds before the rain came pouring down.

I was not expecting to have time to see so much things during this journey, I already seen much during my travels to the land before, and my focus was on the art exhibition. But as always, Israel always suprices me with the kindness & hospitality from the people hwo lives here. It is always new things to see in this amazing country!

Now it is winter in Israel. Rainy season which is good for the country, that shows completely different colors then during the dry seasons.

It feels strange to go back to Sweden after this unique experience. I hope to meet my new & old friends here in Israel again soon.

On the flight back I saw this amazing snow moon. It reminded me my beutiful marrige for seven years ago in the white snow. Miss my husband and soon I will meet him and we will cellibrate seven years as married!

❤

This journey I also had the opportunity to see a kind off marrige, a Bar Mitzva, it is like a marrige between the people and God.

A rare and special journey in so many ways, that I will keep in my heart forever.

Travel to Israel

I encurage you who never been in Israel to visit the Land of Milk & Honey.

Contact me if you would be interested in a creative Journey to Israel next year during the spring. I will guide you in a Art course in beautiful and inspiring surraundings & sightseeing with a proferssional guide.

Le-hi-traot!

See you soon again

Israel!



Nina

Watching the moon

My blogg is in Swedish, but becouse my readers sometimes is English I will switch to English... If that is okey for my Swedish readers?

In overwhelming love, I went home to the studio in Sweden and began painting one of these wonderful families. Investigations I made showed that the small businesses survived becouse of the initiative of Lev Haolam. The founder is the lawyer Nati Rom and his family. I contacted Nati and told him I would like to paint a portrait of him and his family. He felt honored and it was okey that I made the portraits.

Nati Rom has now the original paintings, as an artcollector he knows the value and quality of the paintings and wanted the first hand opportunity to buy them. So happy and grateful that the paintings now is with the family I portrayed back in 2016, now the paintings have "come home".

Why it happend to be Nati Rome and his family I painted, has to do with their impressive work in Samaria and Judea. with the project Lev Haolam. An organization for small entrepreneurs., Lev Haolam collects products from entrepreneurs and exports the package to the whole world! A fantastic initiative by the founder Nati Rom, who does this for entrepreneurs in Israel so they can live on what they love to do in a country facing many difficulties, boycotts and terror, despite all this, they work against all ods and have a huge hope for the future. A lot of amazing work is taking place in Israel and behind all projects and inventions stands heroes. People of Israel, who makes an incredible sacrifices for their country, a country they love, it gave me inspiration to paint these paintings.

Oil on linen canvas

”On the mountain Elon Moreh, back where we came from. finally home….”

A Jewish man and his children stand together on Mount Elon Moreh and look down into the valley where his ancestor Abraham came in to the land of Israel with his people, several thousand years ago. Today Abraham’s children has returned to the country they belong. The Jewish man and his family have peace, becouse the land and the people is one, they are home. The gratitude and joy that the family feels I try to capture in this painting. I understand their love for the land of Israel. I also feel it, every day… in my innermost part... and rejoice together with the people in Israel from distance. I share their faith and their hope for Israel, for the future of all the people of Israel, that they can live in peace in the land of their ancestors forever and never be uprooted again.

Oil on linen canvas

”I have a dream, a dream where I see the children of Israel sitting in the grass on the heights of Hebron without fear of terror and threats, becouse terror will not exist in the land no more”

I know Israel has a future and a hope, and when I see people with great curage and faith it inspires me and that is why I felt inspired to paint these paintings of Nati Rom and his family. The work Nati and his family does for the business pioneers in Samaria and Judea is so amazing and I know it have to be inspired of The Creator of heaven and earth becouse it give Israel and the whole world a future and a hope.

Oil on linen canvas

”Out of the mouth of babes and nursing infants, you have ordained strength becouse of your enemies, to silence the enemy and avenger”.(Tehillim psalm 8:3).

It is impossible to describe the feeling of love and gratitude bubbling up inside of me when I'm in Jerusalem, but maybe it's possible to describe it through the mother's love and gratitude when she looks in to her child's eyes. A child is the treasure of the mother’s affection, Jerusalem is HaShem's treasure of love and affection, all of you who visit Jerusalem can feel this because The Creator of heaven and earth heart is attached here forever”.

Mamma & jag (kolla in kläderna!) någon gång på 70-talet.

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