אילנה שודרון-מינקוב

I have been painting in the art class in Montefiore Quorter for a number of years. Every week, on the way to the studio, I would pass through the backstreets amongst the garages, small stores and workshops. I absorbed the atmosphere of the bustling streets and the neglected, grey gloomy buildings for some years. I observed the same view from our studio window.

One day, I suddenly noticed that on one side of the studio window, there was a brightly colored curtain, while on the other a side, a dark curtain and... I had an inspiration!

Suddenly, I very much wanted to paint both these curtains and the panorama reflected between them and I could not comprehend how I had not seen this previously. This vista gave me an immense incentive to paint.

However, I neither wanted to nor could paint the ashen gloomy colors of the houses and, knowingly and intentionally, I added an imaginary colorful tint, a little fantasy and, in some of the paintings - almost the hue of a dream. I knowingly beautified the houses, giving them a rich, vibrant and more cheerful colorfulness than in reality.

For almost year, with much enjoyment I painted that window, with the two curtains and that same urban panorama reflected between them, again and again. I felt that I was celebrating with the paint and, sometimes, I felt that I could continue painting the same theme almost infinitely.