I just realised when looking at some of my recent paintings that there seems to be an inclination to be inspired by vertical motifs, so I have included a few here. The cypress tree was in a field near my home, and I liked its loneliness in the landscape. It is just a simple tree, and one you could probably find anywhere, yet it called out to me to paint it. I suppose I prefer a single tree over clusters, as it gives importance to the tree, as if it were a person standing there, day after day, under the sun. After about a half hour, some Bedouins came by with a flock of goats and sheep to look on, and I was happy to hear their compliments. I went to visit their farm the next day.
This next view is in the bedroom, an indoor tree, and I liked coming across it because of the water bottle and one of my prized possessions: the catalogue from the Antonio Lopez Garcia exhibition that I saw two summers ago in Boston. I hope one day to afford to get my hand on one of the major catalogues of his work.
The third painting is a start of a mini, flat light self-portrait. I find the challenge of going smaller and still trying to get forms and shapes right a good one. It is not finished yet in my opinion, but I have also received advice that I should leave it as is. I am not so sure, but I will share the start in case I move forward with it and hopefully not regret it! Today my roll of heat-activated adhesive arrived from Talas in the States, which means I will soon be able to move back to linen and larger sizes. The adhesive will allow me to safely and temporarily attach linen to supports, and this means I will be able to safely remove them for future travel purposes, a great relief when I think about the bulk of panels I have already covered in just a year.
REBECCA HARP 
Dear Rebecca,
The colors in your paintings are wonderful, I spent a very relaxing time looking at them.
If you don’t mind my asking, do you know of any art classes, especially painting, for complete beginners in or near Rehovot? I stumbled onto your page when I was searching for one.
Thanks,
Naya
Dear Naya,
I do not know of any courses in or near Rehovot. In jerusalem would be the school for which I work, not as a teacher, but I highly recommend it. http://jssart.wordpress.com. I will slowly get back to teaching, but not so soon…
hi Rebecca, all three are beautiful paintings. it is so difficult to decide when a painting is complete… for me it is sometimes dependant on what i intended. i also liked your stories, it tells another story of life in your part of the world from what is in the press:)
Rahina, thank you again. Yes, the “end” of a painting is a terribly difficult thing to understand, but it is like the end of an expression. Maybe not a (.) but more a (:), like a link in a chain or a passing on to something or someone else. Sometimes I like to linger over things a little bit longer, so I shall see, for in the self-portrait I had another “final” image in mind, but it’s also okay to take a new direction mid-flight. Israel is a very special place, all very unexpected and yes certainly very different from the picture that the press provides. I was just at the Dead Sea last weekend for a visit to the Masada – breathtaking and poignant – and then a camel ride over to St George’s monastery, pleasing the Arabs by purchasing a necklace of beads. It was like a dip into the fountain of youth!
Thank You for sharing Vertical Motifs! These have so much
beauty to them.
Your choice of color, value and subject is wonderful.
There is so much life in your art!!
William, you always brighten my day with your comments! Thanks for your encouragement
I too have been trying to work smaller because I find it challenging to do so and still maintain a recognizable portrait. The advice you’ve recieved is right, don’t work on this further. Its done and its great. Better to end a painting too soon than too late and overwork it.