Chana Straser - חנה שטרסר

The inspiration for my paintings, I get in from nature, between picturesque alleyways or alternatively, amazing paintings by other painters. Then I feel a tremendous desire to experience the beautiful sights in my way and put them inside me - through painting.

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When I am in the midst of nature - surrounded by grass, flowers, leaves and trees, rocks, and sky - primal nature, I lack nothing, I breathe, smell and feel the beauty of creation - and that I am part of this thing.

I experience the same thing when I stroll through the alleys of Jerusalem - the simple, stable and ancient stones makes me feel "good in my soul" and I feel a part of this place, belonging and connected. On the other hand, when I am in a museum or an exhibition, it feels different - I see wonderful paintings and immediately I want it, wow, I also want to paint like this painter or like this painter.

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The painting begins long before I hold the brush. In the second stage, I devote much thought to how to express the idea in an original way that will add an interpretation to a familiar thing, and only then will I go to perform (sometimes even dream at night about what and how to draw).

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The painting itself, I draw from the imagination, without a sketch. Paints in many layers, starting with the background - fills the entire canvas, and then begins to layer after layer from the distance to the nearest.

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I do not "draw" on the canvas but rather "put" the paint on the canvas with a short brush stroke and wide brushes. Uses many shades, and after I like the general picture, moves to thinner brushes and begins to be precise. At this stage, I use accurate photographs of the objects in the painting. I really like this stage of detail. I would like to mention my additional work in the field of Judaica - this requires full concentration and precision, the paintings are usually small, and I use the thinest brushes, gentle brush strokes and thick hair. The parchment of course.

In general, each painting can continue for weeks or even months with many breaks between stages, and between each "pause" the picture hangs in a visible place to observe and see what can be improved.