Being 64 (64 Series)

Oil on linen, 35 x 28 cm, 2019

This portrait is in response to the Beatles’ song “When I’m 64,” from 1967. The age of 64 seemed then like the end of time to me. It was an important lyric on my inner radio and I wanted to record my image at that age and not a more typical milestone number.

Both Sides (64 Series)

Oil on linen, 25 x 40 cm, 2019

The title refers to the Joni Mitchell song “Both Sides Now” from 1969.

The title echoes the lyrics viewing life as both young and now being old. It also relates to my painting outlook. I may use realism, observation and abstract approaches within the same work, all varying sides of me as artist.

Hitting 64 (64 Series)

Oil on linen, 35 x 28 cm, 2019

In this self-portrait, I was struck by the likeness to photos of the grandmother I knew and my memories of her as I approach the age she was then.

See-through

Oil on found board, 30 x 49 cm, 2005

This self-portrait was painted on a board bearing crayon markings. By combining the two ‘art’ efforts, one may consider that all start from simple beginnings, which remain part of the matured artist.
The title references transparent layers of oil paint and also a woman’s invisibility as she ages.

Coffee for Two (Inheritance Series)

Oil on linen, 70 x 80 cm, 2009

This Inheritance (Yerusha) Series is about the common element of seeing myself through mirrors that I inherited from my mother, an Auschwitz survivor. She rarely spoke of her war experiences yet we lived with their presence every day.

The title and the subject of carry-out coffee and containers for two people is a fantasy wish that I had while observing the casual interaction of mothers and daughters; the conversation that never happened.

Ellipses in Time (Inheritance Series)

Oil on linen, 20 x 30 cm, 2009

My contemporary personal objects surround my mother’s compact reflecting my eyes. There is an element of traveling through time through her mirror, connecting the generations temporally, wordlessly.

Empty Compact (Inheritance Series)

Oil on linen, 20 x 30 cm, 2009

Objects for grooming frame the self-portrait reflected in the anachronistic compact from the late 40s or early 50s when my mother was a newcomer to the US.

Layers (Inheritance Series)

Oil on prepared Jerusalem stone ground, 20 x 15 cm, 2008

Exhibited at the women’s gallery Antea in Jerusalem in 2009, during its last year after a 15-year run, this work is one that recalls my mother and me with small symbols of our different worlds.

Her mirror acts as a device to travel through time, confusing the past with the present, much as her life experiences reach through time and are still a backdrop to my daily life.

Through Her Mirror II (Inheritance Series)

Oil on prepared Jerusalem stone ground, 60 x 70 cm, 2007

Exhibited at Gallery on the Lake in Ra’anna in 2007, this work refers to the contents of a “Women’s Bag” as the unseen emotional baggage that accompanies her through her life.

Self-Portrait at Easel

Oil on linen, 60 x 50 cm, 2012

After a long period just focusing on my eyes, here I chose to paint myself as an artist at work.

So I Remain

Oil on linen, 100 x 75 cm, 2000
(private collection)

This self-portrait employs a cracked mirror to reflect my image. Though the mirror itself is a ubiquitous dime-store variety, the cracked surface is one I associate with Kristallnacht, an event my father’s family experienced. As a young girl, I wondered how I would have managed the events in my parents’ lives. This image places me in their position.