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My girlfriend and I landed in the Dominican Republic in the beginning of 2002. Although it was our first visit to the Island, we were quite determined to make it our home. We left our baggage in Santo Domingo, the…
“What happened?” I asked John, who approached me smiling and shook my hand. The pastor from the neighboring crematory was screaming in Spanish in the background, while we both looked at the two police patrol cars that parked in front…
Astaldo, which means the valiant in Elvish, is a character invented by Tolkien. When my girlfriend, Limor, was reading ‘Silmarillion’ by Tolkien, she named herself ‘Nessa’ and gave me the name ‘Astaldo’. In 2001 I traveled to Miami and lived by…
Nobody really knows who Jean Gler was. Where? when? and who invented the myth? The ‘legend’ is about an elegant, somewhat secretive gentleman, often associated with style, quality, luxury and clearly beautiful ladies.When you taste an exquisite Whiskey, you can declare:…
If you ever consider to be a homeless, some of Hawaii’s islands offer great value.On my US trip in 1999, after NY, Los Angeles and San Francisco, I was left with only $200 and wanted to squeeze every drop of it. Then,…
Whenever I’m asked: “What’s your favorite place in Israel?” I answer: “…well, it’s not exactly in Israel, but my favorite place is Sinai.”Sometime around 1998, towards the end of my degree and on top of that, some financial stress in…
The spiritual journey of an artist never ends. However, during a specific period in my life (1998-1999) I was actively searching for a meaning, the truth, and for my own destiny. That’s why I named this period as “The Search”. Back…
My girlfriend and I broke up. That legendary true love had crashed us. Our fantasies and expectations did not withstand the daily realities and we were fighting over the tiniest issues such as washing dishes. Although we truly loved each…
The Almogan Art Gallery was founded by my girlfriend Limor and I, in Rishpon village in Israel.In February 1997, after a few months of renovations and preparations, we officially opened the gates of the gallery to the public. We exhibited…
My life was great. I just began painting with oil colors and felt great about it, and my girlfriend and I got back together and walked around with that stupid ‘Lovy Dovy’ expression. But then bad luck struck.I had a…
In 1994, long before I’ve realized I’m an artist, I went on my “after the army trip” to South America. After 6 months of wild adventures in Brazil, Argentina, Chile & Peru, I arrived at Vilcabamba, a small village in…
Dear Friends,I would like to thank you all for being my loyal audience, and the motivation for my writings.In the past two years I lost both my loving mother and father.In these challenging times, art has always been there for…
Sometimes, I am so calm. My problems and worries fly away to another planet, and I’m left alone to dream. My head seems empty, I feel good and happy, but even then, whether my eyes are open or closed, I…
When I paint an abstract, I am not inventing the wheel. I merely connect to my subconscious and my hand paints what it sees or feels. The documentation of this process with oil on canvas is my work.In this work,…
Becoming a father was the most precious gift I could ever receive. Living intensively with my girlfriend and 2 young kids is a fountain of pure happiness. Having said that, I must admit that sometimes I long those lonely wild…
I stood in front of that nice white canvas, blending the dark brown I just squeezed out of the tube with some linseed oil, and then after the first brush stroke, all of a sudden, I saw the horns of…
Everything that we do is neurological; writing, painting, hearing, seeing, speaking, moving, and many more actions are coordinated by the brain through our nervous system. No wonder we are so curious about the brain’s structure and how it functions. While…
We all have commitments and tasks to do. Shopping, errands, bills to pay, admins, bureaucracy challenges, family, society, meetings, events etc.No matter what we do and where we live, the burden of life gets us. If we become experts in completing…
I was a bit disappointed when I completed this work. Not because I thought it was ugly, bad, or boring. It was because I’ve seen it before in my work. The same style and process. The abstract expressive tropical landscape…
Painting without any intention or goal is very liberating, however, quite often, the work itself leads me to a specific theme or idea. In this work, other than the fruit ice cream colors, I felt some kind of energy, and…
While reading about grafting techniques of wild species of Cocoa, I had some philosophical thoughts about the entire subject of artificial reproduction; Trees vs. humans, the utilization and manipulation of genetic material, ethics etc. While recognizing the risks, threats and disadvantages, my…
When I visited the Dominican Republic in 2015, I was infected with Dengue Fever for the 2nd time. In this work I tried to express the volatile nature of the Dengue symptoms and that awkward feeling I experienced each time…
As an artist, I’m less interested in scientific facts, I’m more curious about my individual artistic experience. While it is quite obvious that the brain controls the painting hand, not much is known about the painting hand’s influence on the…
A tropical evening, one out of so many, just before the sunset. My girlfriend and I are playing in the reef, in the warm water of the ocean. This intimate turquoise pool is surrounded by massive tropical vegetation, and we…
Since I became a father, I’m trying hard to be awake during the daytime, to be able to play with and take care of my kids, however, I cannot ignore or change my natural passion for the night. Since I…
Through my work with the children of Agua-Sabrosa at Fundacion Marlee-Jo, I gradually became involved with the local community life. The villagers’ life in the countryside of the Dominican Republic is extremely challenging, and I was overwhelmed by the magnitude…
“The scuba diver dives to look around, the free diver dives to look inside.”I don’t know who said it first, but this phrase emphasizes an essential difference between scuba diving and free diving. I am a free diver, and when…
Ever since I was a child, in Israel, in the troubled Middle East, I have heard leaders from both sides blame each other for not being committed to the peace process, as an excuse for not vigorously pursuing peace.Paul McCartney…
For most of my adult life, I needed only a few hours of sleep at night. I had always woke up way before my girlfriend, my friends and everyone else around. I loved to paint throughout the night, and I…
My infatuation with carnivals began with my 1st carnival in Brazil in 1994.In carnivals people share their common need of fantasizing and going crazy. I believe that scheduling annual grand celebrations makes us happier creatures and helps us maintain a…
Quite often, I paint just to express myself, without a defined theme, message, or intention. I paint to relax, to balance my soul, and to get rid of the excess information this super modern world feeds me. Frankly, I don’t…
It was a challenging period, filled with worries, doubts and uncertainties. In ‘complicated’ times, painting has always been my refuge and therapy. Through painting, I’m able to turn negative stressful feelings into beauty and hope. While I couldn’t find words…
In the Dominican Republic, Witch doctors, “Brujos” or “Curadores”, are still quite popular, and especially in the country side, many people prefer consulting with their favorite Witch doctor regarding their health issues instead of a conventional doctor. In one of…
Everything during sunset looks better, juicier and much more colorful. When the sun gradually descends, the glare is gone, and the colors become rich and dramatic. Some places at sunset seem entirely enchanted. Walking by the small villages at the…
My girlfriend has a passion for storms. When we lived in the Dominican Republic, every year, during the Hurricane Season she was filled with excitement. She became familiar with specialized websites and studied how to analyze satellite images and to predict…
As an artist, I can legitimately combine two realities into one fantasy.In the back yard of “Fundacion Marlee-Jo”, stands a big Mango tree. During the Mango season, we couldn’t keep the kids away from the Mango tree. They were climbing on…
Whenever I write about an abstract work, or name it, I try hard not to ruin the surprise and the pleasure that I would have liked observers to experience when they explore it. Not only that objectivity doesn’t exist in…
Inspired by and dedicated to the zillions of disturbing insects out there; mosquitoes, flies, no-see-ums and many other species of tiny flying creatures that live and prosper in the tropics.Living for many years in a wild tropical environment, I had…
Creating untypical works once in a while, serves my personal revolt against the art world’s single style regime. While I tend to be very colorful in most of my oil on canvas works, to express my inner visions, and of-course to…
Yes, this work’s title is quite exhausting. It does, however, provide the background to what I went through before, during, and after the art making process.Does a fisherman love fish? if so, why does he kill them?Fish is my favorite…
My daily routine includes a 5 minute nap in the afternoon, right after lunch. Usually when I see something unreasonable , I realize that I’m dreaming and I wake myself up. Then I come back to the real world full…
In the summer of 2012 I went through one of the most challenging periods of my life. I felt how the stress influences both my mental and physical condition. As in other difficult times, I found a haven, comfort, and…
I created this work under the cross influence of three major themes: Carnival masks, Taino culture and corals. When I completed it, I named it “El cacique Negro” because it has the spirit of a Taino Chief.Cacique means “The Leader”…
When I approached the canvas, my intention was to combine two remote occupations I used to practice on a daily basis, into one work.The first was the nurturing of our vivid tropical garden in front of our beach house in…
All the children around the world play. When they grow up they usually stop playing and start working. For a few years, I had been watching the kids of Agua-Sabrosa play in and around the village from dawn to dusk….
I was inspired by the stories of my good old friend Mateo, who passed away a few years ago. He was the nicest ‘campesino’ I’ve ever met, the Grandfather and Godfather of the village of Agua-Sabrosa (Samana Peninsula, Dominican Republic). A…
I love cutting, stretching and toning my own canvas.After marking the canvas according to the size of the frame, I make a little cut with the seizures and continue tearing it apart with my hands. I love it; the slight…
While it seems like just another day of my journey, to me it is a noteworthy one. I will keep on walking and painting, however today I stop writing, and this post will be the last one in the current…
Initially, I wanted to dedicate this post to my old dear friend: The Night. However, quite soon after I began writing, I found myself describing the influence of astral projection (out of body experience) and lucid dreams, on my work.I…
What an amazing human phenomenon carnivals are. People who have nothing in common gather to celebrate, and together they form the shape, movement, rhythm, and character of each carnival. Carnivals tend to be joyful, vibrant, colorful, loud, and crazy.The Carnival…
I have always been emotionally attached to my art supply scrap and leftovers, which I never have the heart to throw away. I usually hoard them and later on, I utilize them in creating a variety of mixed media works….
People who live according to their society rules, gladly walk the road which was paved for them, however, individuals who don’t fit into this structure, need to make their own path.I chose a Spanish phrase as the title of this…
I walked through the pastoral garden of that mental health institute. The guard checked my ID and asked for the purpose of my visit. “I’m visiting a friend” I told him. Although we weren’t really friends, we had good chemistry…
The underwater universe in Eilat, at the Red Sea, is an infinite inspiration for me and it is never enough. The sophisticated structures, the color compositions, the camouflage and coloring techniques of the thousands of underwater creatures, are a dream…
We waited until our baby girl completed 3 months of age, then we packed and traveled south to Eilat, our favorite place in Israel. Nothing compares to spending time with my gang; my girlfriend, our son and daughter, and myself….
What’s wrong with green, yellow or blue?I truly love all colors, without any exception, and obviously, I love pink very much.Being a father to a baby girl, I’ve seen a lot of pink since she was born, especially in her…
The natural birth of my daughter was, by all means, the most powerful event I had ever witnessed. It was such a deep experience, as if a hand came out of my heart and pulled me down to the innermost…
Quite a few years ago, on a British Airways trans atlantic flight, I drank some red wine and listened to various albums from the world music collection. What I loved the most about this collection was its diversity and that…
Being sick in paradise truly feels like hell.I came back to visit my beloved Dominican Republic. I was flooded with happy memories, surrounded by lush green hills, and a magnificent turquoise ocean, when towards the end of my trip I began to…
Some people radiate. Their light is not the physical light that is spread by objects such as the sun, bulbs or fireflies, but rather a spiritual light that emanates from the depth of their soul. These people can be any…
“Every child is an artist. The problem is how to remain an artist once we grow up” – Pablo Picasso.When I was a child, I wasn’t an artist. I had an amazing childhood in Israel, which gave me the confidence…
Perhaps the most basic technique to enter a meditative state is to focus your attention on your breathing, and that’s why Free-diving is inherently meditative. Free-divers exercise breathing before and after they dive, and during diving they hold their breath until they resurface.When diving…
Do you ever imagine yourself in a perfect universe? Is there anything in this world that keeps impressing and inspiring you time after time?In 2013, being back in Israel, I found myself complaining a lot, mainly because I kept comparing…
A few years ago, my artist sister, Carmit, concluded that she must sometimes escape the rush of the center of Israel. She found a haven in the north of Israel, in the old city of Acre (Acco/Akko in Hebrew), where…
Nothing in life compares to the wonder of becoming a parent. It was the single most empowering, inspiring and gratifying event that I experienced as a human being.In July 2013 my girlfriend and I became parents to an amazing baby boy….
In this crazy adventure called life I’ve seen many ups and downs. However, the wildest emotional swings I experienced arrived in the summer of 2013 in Israel, when my girlfriend was hospitalized in the department for high risk pregnancy for…
It is challenging to discuss the essence of prayer without delving into an exhausting philosophical debate. I aim to live a conscious life full of meaning, but at the same time, I realize how tiny I am, and how insignificant…
When I lived in Las-Terrenas I used to wake up with sunrise and go straight for a walk on the beach. Before the day even began, I already had my dose of silence and beauty. When the ocean was calm,…
As an artist, I can legitimately choose to extend a reality which ended, and felt like a dream come true.Terrenero is someone who resides in, or whose origins are from Las-Terrenas, once a picturesque fishermen’s village, and now a touristic upbeat…
It’s hard to believe, and feels strange for me to say, that my girlfriend and I will soon celebrate 26 years of living happily together. Obviously, we had our ups and downs, but in the first 15 years we were…
Looking back at negative occurrences, which ended up positively, 20 years later and say “How wonderful that they happened”, is no brainer.The challenge is to recognize the positive potential outcome of such occurrences as they happen, and to act in…
Life is unpredictable. I never imagined that I will establish a foundation for children in the Dominican Republic, and that I will become so deeply involved with other people’s life.In 2010, after approximately two years of operating “Fundacion Marlee-Jo”, we…
I love reading the bible. It teaches about human nature and human’s ability to effectively change the shape of things, or make history. It has many great lessons about faith, belief, and about miracles, which I’m fond of and believe…
I entered the reef with sunrise that morning, near our house in Las-Terrenas, Dominican Republic. The water was calm and warm, like a huge swimming pool in paradise. On such days, spearfishing was not a struggle at all, but rather…
My maturity as an artist is not about my skill level, the beauty of my work, or its sophistication. It is more about me being in peace with my work; knowing what I do and why I do it, expressing…
I was born in Israel and will always be Israeli, however, at some point in 2009 I felt completely Dominican. After 7 years of living in the Dominican Republic: speaking Dominican Spanish, eating Platanos and Mondongo, drinking Brugal and Presidente,…
While I consider myself a self taught artist because indeed I taught myself painting, I did learn how to work with clay from a very special Dominican artist called Jesus Guillen, who became my friend and to whom I dedicate…
Throughout the years, I have heard several folk tales of a king in disguise touring his kingdom. I think that the first version I heard as a child was part of the One thousand and one nights stories. The king…
Will you walk a steep muddy trail in order to explore a place you’ve never seen or heard about before? Are explorers driven by simple curiosity? Or do they always hope to find something incredible, shocking or inspiring?One Satuday morning, I…
In memory of Marlee-Jo Jacobson. In the summer of 2001, after establishing HCML (Hirsch Capital Mgmt), in order to pursue my interest in commodities trading , I visited NYC in search for commodities experts. A web search lead me to…
In our dreams and fantasies we can be and do anything we want; Fly like an Eagle, Swim like a Dolphin etc. But in reality, we are limited by our physical capabilities, so we take comfort in our limitless imagination.Influenced by…
Siesta time is one of the sacred rituals in the countryside of the Dominican Republic. Everyone; Men, women, children and elders take a break after lunch. Alone, or together with family and friends. On the side of the road, in…
The first thing that most Arabs and Israelis will agree on is how to make a great salad. Believe it or not, but Arabic Salad and Israeli Salad are actually the same. (In case you wonder, this post is not…
“So…your girlfriend dumped you?” (“Tu novia te boto?) Everybody in Las-Terrenas kept asking me the same question for a very long time, not even hiding their teasing tone, or caring about my explanations that she was urgently called back to…
They were one of the ugliest couples I had ever seen. They had frightful faces, hideous bodies and very unpleasant voices. They even fed each other greasy disgusting junk food that had a terrible odor. They were kissing, and licking each…
