Ruth Kestenbaum Ben-Dov

Paintings and Words

Small Galilee Landscapes 2020-2022

Ruth Kestenbaum Ben-Dov painting landscape from her studio balconyFor years I have been painting the landscape from my studio balcony, in Eshchar in the Lower Galilee region of Israel. Working from observation while trying to capture the changing light and color at specific times of day demands immediacy and concentration. Thus these small landscapes are exercises in awakening, presence and wonder, illuminating and cultivating the work on larger and more complex paintings taking place within the studio walls.

Many of these paintings continue the 20X24 cm format of past years (like those at the end of this post) while with others I experimented with other formats and sizes, as well as with different surfaces: in addition to stretched linen canvases, I worked on linen on wood panels and directly on wood panels.

קיר גלריה עם הרבה נופים קטנים תלויים בגבהים שונים.

Installation view, small Galilee landscapes in the exhibition Pulse at Mirvach Gallery, Kibbutz Harduf

Here is a slideshow of selected works, and below are all of the paintings with their details. 

Interested in purchasing works from the series? Write me at ruthkbd@gmail.com for details
(note that the paintings marked “private collection” are not for sale)

Purple shadow cast on pinkish earth tones, with bright green trees in the foreground

Oil on canvas, 2021, 20X24 cm/8″X9″, private collection

Valley with pinkish earth tones and greenery forming an archlike shape

Oil on canvas on wood, 2021, 20X24 cm/8″X9″

Diagonal slope in the foreground with hazy mountain and village in the background

Oil on wood, 2022, 14X20 cm/5.5″X8″, private collection

Pointillist-like brushstrokes in muted tones reveal diagonal slope and rocky mountainside

Oil on canvas, 2021, 20X24 cm/8″X9″

Very similar to previous image, with darker purplish tones

Oil on canvas, 2021, 20X24 cm/8″X9″, private collection

Nighttime view with lights from Karmiel and Deir El-Assad

Oil on wood, 2021, 12.5X30 cm/5″X12, private collection

Path and hillside in muted earth tones with dark brushstrokes defining trees

Oil on wood, 2021, 12.5X30 cm/5″X12

Nighttime view with lights from Karmiel and Deir El Assad

Oil on wood, 2022, 12X30 cm/4.5″X12, private collection

Rocky valley with a hint of two hillsides in the bottom corners.

Oil on wood, 2022, 12X30 cm/4.5″X12″

Pinkish earth tones sprinkles with green brushstrokes define valley.קטע מתוך צלע הואדי, כתמים ורודים-חומים עם נקודות ירוקות המייצגות שיחים

Oil on canvas, 2020, 13.5X20 cm/5.5″X8″, private collection

Meeting of three hillsides in pinkish earth tones

Oil on canvas, 2021, 20X24 cm/8″X9″, private collection

Hazy winter view with hints of path and trees

Oil on canvas, 2020-2021, 20X24 cm/8″X9″

Light path crosses the composition diagonally, surrounded by rocky terrain.שביל כתמתם חוצה את הציור באלכסון, בפינה רמז לאתר בניה

Oil on canvas, 2021, 20X24 cm/8″X9″

Nighttime view with swatches of lights and shadows on diagonal path, with city lights above

Oil on canvas, 2021, 20X24 cm/8″X9″, private collection

Hazy light winter view, with dark image of tree left of center

Oil on canvas, 2021, 20X24 cm/8″X9″

diagonal bright hillside dotted with trees, in the background hazy grey mountainside with hints of buildings

Oil on wood, 2022, 18X18 cm/7″X7″

Early evening scene defined by low-contrast lights and shadows

Oil on canvas on wood, 2021, 18X24 cm/7″X9″

Purplish shadow at left creates archlike shape, defining rocky descent into valley

Oil on wood, 2022, 20X24 cm/8″X9″

Diagonal hillside at foreground, light-colored mountain range and sky at background

Oil on wood, 2021, 19X20 cm/7.5″X8″

Light-colored diagonal path with brushstrokes defining dark green trees on either side painted on pink-earthtones

Oil on wood, 2021, 10X24.5 cm/4″X9.5″, private collection

Dark hillside, behind it light hazy mountain range and sky

Oil on canvas on wood, 2021, 10X24 cm/4″X9″

Cloudy winter scene with two trees at foreground

Oil on wood, 2022, 8X24 cm/3″X9″, private collection

Light tones reveal cloudy winter landscape with path and trees

2021, oil on wood, 10X24 cm/4″X9″, private collection

White and grey tones describe cloudy winter scene, trees and hillside.

Oil on wood, 2021, 10X24 cm/4″X9″, private collection

Dark hillside, behind it light mountains in clouds

Oil on canvas on wood, 2021, 10X24 cm/4″X9

Mountains at sunset with muted blue, orange and purple tones

Oil on wood, 2021, 8X24 cm/3″X9

Light purple and orange sunset above silhouette of mountain, with hints of roads scratched in the paint

2021, oil on wood, 14X20 cm/5.5″X8″, private collection

Section of mountain leading to valley, in muted earth and green tones, with beige lines indicating dry waterfall

2021, oil on canvas on wood, 15X19 cm/6″X7.5″

Brushstrokes in orange, white and dark green created image of hillside sweeping diagonally from upper right to mid-left.משיכות מכחול כתומים לבנים וירוקים יוצרים מדרון סלעי היורד מימין לשמאל

2021, oil on canvas on wood, 8X20 cm/3″X8″, private collection

Close view of mountainside in muted earth and green tones

2021, oil on canvas on wood, 13.5X20 cm/5″X8″

מדרון אלכסוני עם צבע דשן, ברקע רמז לרכס שרוי Dark diagonal hillside with brushstrokes of thick paint in foreground, clouded mountainside in background

2021, oil on wood, 14X20 cm/5.5″X8″

Diagonal dark hillside in foreground, light mountainside in background with hint of town and village creating diagonal in opposite direction

2021, oil on wood, 14X20 cm/5.5″X8″, private collection

Dark hillside in foreground slopes diagonally from upper right, light pinkish mountainside in background

2021, oil on canvas on wood, 8X20 cm/3″X8″

Dark mountain range at bottom, above it light blue sky filled with light clouds

2021, oil on wood, 7X20 cm/2.5″X8″

Pointillist brushstrokes in pinkish earth tones, purple shadows and greens, create image of rocky wall of valley, with hint of bright trees in foreground

2022, oil on canvas on wood, 7X20 cm/2.5″X8″

Composition dominated by diagonal hillside made up of pink and green brushstrokes

2021 oil on wood, 7X20 cm/2.5″X8″

Wintery light landscape of diagonal slope shrouded in clouds

2021, oil on wood, 5.5X20 cm/2″X8″

Dark mountain range, above it cloudy evening sky

2021, oil on canvas on wood, 8X24 cm/3″X9″

Hillside and valley in greyish tones

2022, oil on canvas on wood, 8X24 cm/3″X9″

Bright and dark greens on pinkish background describe wooded slope in pre-sunset light

2022, oil on canvas on wood, 14X20 cm/5.5″X8″

Bright peach-colored earth and greyish purple shadows in arch-like shape show Hilazon Valley descent, with hint of hillside in lower right-hand corner

2021, oil on wood, 8X20 cm/3″X8″

Bright-colored hillside with dark green brushstrokes of brush and trees, with light grey mountains and clouds in background

2022, oil on canvas on wood, private collection

Hillside, shadows, rocks and trees in muted tones and choppy brushstrokes, with dark slope and trees in foreground at bottom

2022, oil on laminate, 10X16 cm/4″X6″

Dark nighttime landscape with dots of city lights, and dark blue cloudy sky above

2021-2022, oil on wood, 18X18 cm/7″X7″

Two hillsides meet in olive green and earth tones with darker mountainside in background

2022, oil on wood, private collection

Interested in purchasing works from the series? Write me at ruthkbd@gmail.com for details (note that the paintings marked “private collection” are not for sale)

Photos: Dror Miler and Alon Levite

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