The “Israeli Art Scam”

While I am doing research on the Internet it came into my mind that it might be a good idea to create a new series about art scams. Especially artist beginners tend to step into those traps which can result in costly mistakes. Not everybody is “blessed” with a certain basic suspiciousness but rather “punished” with a naive trust in people and would never think of organized betrayal.

I do not want to get into details about human weaknesses such as ego and vanities these people prey upon nor do I want to accuse good people’s good will to help others which is shamelessly exploited, being also the reason why these criminals will always find victims. It’s a shame! I am going to post just randomly what I find. You can decide what to do with it. Maybe the one or other story is new to you.

I stumbled across an incredible story in an article from the Calgary Sun published in 2009 that might not be new to you but if you haven’t heard about it yet it might be worth for you to read.

If it weren’t so disgusting to exploit again the kindness of people I would say this is really inventive. I am amazed again and again about the criminal energy some people seem to inherit without end:

“Gillian Butler suspected she was being scammed by a con artist, who claimed to be an art student from Israel.

Still, the Cochrane woman fell prey and spent $360 for a pair of reproduced canvas paintings, because she wanted to help impoverished students supposedly on an exchange program to Calgary from Israel. ” Continue to read here

~

A similar story was published in 2006 by the Star News Group with a slightly different touch:

“BERWICK and Pakenham residents may have unwittingly become embroiled in an international moneymaking art scam.
Over the past month young people passing themselves off as Israeli art students have been knocking on doors in the area offering original oil paintings at discount prices.

Berwick resident Melinda Cranston said the friendly appearance of an ‘Israeli art student’ who knocked on her door initially allayed any fears she had about inviting her in.
“A nice young girl knocked on the door with a folio of oil paintings. She looked harmless and said the paintings were for sale to help students at a university in Jerusalem,” said Ms Cranston.
“She said there was an exhibition opening in Sydney where the paintings would sell for $1500 to $3000, but she was happy for us to pay between $150 and $250.” Continue to read here

~

One Year…

Today is a sad day of memories: my mother died one year ago and I miss her awfully. I often talk to her in my head but I wished I could tell her all those little stories, good or bad, that happened throughout the year as I always did in the past on the phone at least once a week or while visiting her in her house, although not so often. But this is not possible any more and I miss it.
I even miss our little quarrels from time to time, her shaking her head while I did or said something she could not understand or agree to, I miss her humour which never left her, not even in her darkest hours and her hearty laughter from time to time. We had a lot of fun together despite all those dark hours.

My Mom loved her rose garden. Roses were her passion and she could indulge in reading about them, studying them. Her rose garden is gone now and so she is. I hope she’s got a huge rose garden now with all those beauties of the world. If I only had had more time with her – there is never enough time…

Mama – where are you? I love you so much…

~

An Update on the new Painting – The Gathering (WIP)

Here is finally an update on painting #4: The Gathering. The models are Willy – in the background with his wonderful whie cap and his funny face. The second head I am currently working on is Emma, mother of Willy and the third one is Joey, Willy’s little brother.

Emma is rather a nondescript and petite little pigeon at first view but if you watch her for a while you will realize that she has quite a personality. She is very brave and courageous and is not afraid of defending herself and her babies from much larger pigeons, especially cocks. A pecularity are her eyes which somehow have an Asian touch – I hope I could demonstrate this in the painting. Emma also has a wonderful collar of iridescent little feathers, whose strong metallic shimmer appears only in full sunlight. These feathers alone are inspirational for any painting…

.

.

The Gathering – new Painting from the Pigeon Series (WIP)

I promised you some update on my next painting project. Here it is The Gathering – first wip of the progress of this painting. This time I changed to a vertical format and I decided to go with a red underpainting due to the nature of the new work – a rather dark colour palette.

The models here are Willy, Joey and Emma, the mother of Willy and Joey. Willy and Joey were the first pigeon babies to be “born” on our balcony – both were very sweet and it was a new experience in my life which I never would have missed. You can read about this all in the Pigeon Tales.

The face that is shown here is Willy, a very sweet pigeon with a white cap and white wing feathers. He is also still living on our balcony with Winnie, his mate and sister. Yet currently he is very sick with a PMV (paramyxovirus) infection and hospitalized inside of our appartment. I only can hope that he will recovery completely one day again and join his mate again…

Our pigeons are currently my greatest inspiration. To really show their personalities, their beauty, intelligence and mystic power is the intent of this series.

and btw

a truly HAPPY NEW YEAR to everyone!!!!

.

Working on the next: The Gathering

I am currently working on the next painting for this new series and it will be called The Gathering. It will take some time though until I can present some wip – so you may see what I am up to.

Currently I am still spending a lot of time with my 3 sick pigeon family members: Pina, Willy and Jimi who are very dear to me. They need to be handfed 2/3 times a day, given fluid by a syringe, I need to clean the boxes several times etc. etc. But they are making progress – sometimes 2 steps forwards and then comes one backwards from time to time. But the direction goes right.

My new series is therefore getting quite a new dimension – I am living with pigeons, caring for them, dreaming of pigeons and working with them. And they are a big joy in my life despite all the work and time I need for them right now…

New Painting “Rain Dancer” from the Pigeon Series is finished

The third painting of the pigeon series is finished. Rain Dancer is on the frame and has been signed and scanned. I think if I had painted especially this one on a much larger canvas it would have been much more impressive. But currently I don’t have the space for really large canvases.

I am quite happy with the result although there are always bits and pieces which could have been better. There is always the chance for improvement on the next one.

Enough words – everything about this piece has been said already – here is the finished painting now and some details:

.