Mor Ben Israel, Painter

To paint portraits is my great pleasure.  I find beauty in everybody when I watch their expressions.  I observe lines and angles, playing with patches of colour. Surprisingly, when a portrait is complete, a part of the individual's soul is revealed – something subtle comes out beyond the mere shape of the portrait.

I remember one person who had cried with feeling when he had seen his image on paper.  Something had touched and surprised him, which he could never see in a mirror.

My name is Mor Ben Israel;  I am a painter, a wife to Roman and mother to Yam. I grew up in kibbutz Barkai in Israel and now live in Tivon.

During my childhood, I had joined every arts and crafts class I could find.   I later gained a BA from Bezalel Academy of Arts and Design, with distinction.  During my studies there, I had the privilege of studying from the great figurative painter Marek Yanai.  I had previously been painting hyper realistic oil paintings. But it was thanks to Marek that I had fallen in love with water colours.  Since then, I have been learning how to effortlessly create free and fresh brushstrokes, born out of attunement and concentration

After my BA, I travelled to Cuba, Guatemala and Mexico to further my artistic training. During my travels in Central America, I had begun to establish my unique portrait style. These past few years my focus has been water colours and mud sculptures.

My loved ones