Olive Grove, Gezer

IMAGE OF THE WEEK

© Durga Yael Bernhard

Olive Grove, Gezer is the image for February in my new calendar The Jewish Eye 5778/2018 Calendar of Art.  Kibbutz Gezer is halfway between Jerusalem and Tel Aviv – and this is what it looks like in February!  I wanted to depict the feeling of spring, of being under the trees with their lacy shadows, and the gentle slope of the land.

Olive trees are not an easy subject.  The leaves are tiny, which requires patiently building up a lot of texture.  When olive leaves flutter in the wind, they look almost like hair, with a silvery shimmer to the undersides of the leaves.  This has got to be one of the most elusive colors under the sun – almost impossible to mix in paint.  I did numerous drawings and paintings of olive trees for my recently-published picture book, The Life of an Olive – and I still haven’t mastered them as a painting subject.  More drawings and paintings to come!

You can read more about this painting, and all the paintings in my calendar, in my special post that accompanies all the captions – The Stories Behind the Pictures.

The Jewish Eye Calendar of Art is beautifully printed, and makes an inspiring and educational gift.  You don’t have to be Jewish to enjoy this unique collection of art.  Buy it from my webstore for $16 including shipping from now through the Jewish New Year.  It’s also on Amazon for $18.  (But please buy directly from the artist!  Amazon takes a big bite of the profit.)

A good week to all!