Elsy Menko – Artist style #1
Houses in Furaidis
My chosen – and much admired – artist is Michael Kovner (1948- ), a prolific Israeli painter of landscapes of nature, urban landscapes and portraits. He was born in Hadera and raised on Kibbutz Ein Hachoresh. His father Abba, famous partisan-writer-poet-political activist who studied art in Vilna, encouraged his son’s special aptitude for the arts and his gift of paints and brushes at an early age jumpstarted his son’s career as an artist. After his army training Michael went to New York to study at the New York Studio School where abstract expressionism was preached. On his way back to Israel in 1975 he passed through France and Italy where he was exposed to lights and landscapes of the south and Italian masters of the renaissance. This exposure convinced him that a figurative mode of painting and not abstraction would be his true calling.
In the early eighties he painted a marvellous series called ‘Houses in Gaza’, which I used as the inspiration for my quilt. I took a picture of a house in the neighbouring Arab village of Furaidis and applied his colour palette.The drab coloured house thus became an almost fauvist rendition, much like his houses in Gaza.
Cotton fabrics, acrylic paints, fusing, free machine embroidery
Artist paintings – Houses in Gaza :
Personal photo of houses in Furaidis :
FIFTEEN BY FIFTEEN 
Not an artist I know but the interpretation of the house is clearly his style. Great work.
It’s always interesting to discover the work of an artist you don’t know! Your colourful interpretation is beautiful, and I love the mix of abstract and figurative in your piece!
Beautiful interpretation of your chosen artist. I am sure you are going to have a great series at the end of November.
Excellent transposition of your photo in the style of your artist. Great choice of colours and fabrics.
I don’t know this artist so I thank you for your introduction. His paintings of houses are great for inspiration and your piece is a lovely interpretation of your photo. i love the bright colours.
I really like how you were able to transform this rather boring(color wise) building. Now it is colorful, interesting and alive!
Your beautiful, colourful quilt immediately caught my eye. I love all the small details. You transformed the rather grey picture into something that really depicted the style of the painter. I didn’t know him, but looking at his colorful work I am looking very much forward to the rest of your series. Thank you for introducing him to us.
I really like Michael Kovner. His last exhibition was wonderful. You managed to convey the message with great talent and wonderful colors.
I love the geometric shapes and the colours you have chosen to depuct them. I like the added details too, such as the washing hanging on the balcony. I look forward to the rest of your series. Well done
Like others. I am unfamiliar with this artist, but am excited to learn more of him through your artwork. The colors and composition are exciting to examine.
I love every part of your quilt. So many details are worked out very well. The colors you used are beautiful. I want to see more!!!
Your transformed your neutral colored building into a beautiful, lively and colorful interpretation of your artists style. Love all the details you included. Well done!
Love your very personal take on this artist – seems that you took his glasses to look at the buildings you saw with your eyes, great job!