A Drawing Journey Along the Length and Breadth of the city of Beer Sheva
Beer Sheva, the capital of the Negev desert, is one of the most ancient cities in the world. A historical water well which is located in the Old Quarter is associated with the biblical narrative of Abraham. The Old Quarter is a beautifully preserved ancient Ottoman city. Beer Sheva is today a modern city of 250 thousand inhabitants that houses leading cultural institutions in Israel which are world-renowned. The desert that blossomed in the spirit of the country’s founder David Ben-Gurion adds spectacular beauty to the city. The book presented here summarizes dozens of illustration tours that tell the history of the city, its beauty and the multicultural spirit of its inhabitants.
Prologue
Beer Sheva is in my eyes a wonder that stands at the entrance of a desert and displays everything that a painter would like to tell in his language of lines and colors. The ancient merges with modernity, Zionism merges with vision, the desert yellow shades serve as a contrast to the blue shades of the sky and Be’er Shava lake water. Beer Sheva also has the beauty that stems from unique cultural excellence. In addition to high-tech, science and medicine, chess, music , theater and sports stand out. And so I found myself holding my smart phone and my digital pen and walking around the entire length and breadth of the city and stopping again and again to illustrate what I see. While drawing I talked to dozens of residents who helped me better understanding the human aspect of Be’er Sheva life.
I started the illustration journey from the north of the city through Reger Avenue. As someone who traveled to Be’er Sheva often already in the sixties, it was exciting to see the original houses of the first residents of the city, the impressive growth of Ben Gurion university and Soroka hospital and the beautiful hall of stage artists. It was interesting to notice the architectural attempts of the greatest architects in Israel to adapt the construction of buildings in Be’er Sheva to the hot desert climate. I was impressed by the renovated and beautifully preserved old city, by the modern construction in the new neighborhoods, by the beautiful squares, the impressive high-tech area and above all from Nahal Be’er Sheva lake near the old Turkish bridge.
I hope I managed to convey through my paintings the beauty and joy of the city. I am convinced that the residents of Beer Sheva live in a painting.