About Me

Born in London in 1963, I studied architecture at Manchester University and Kingston Polytechnic. My artistic journey began in a deeper way after a soulful sojourn in the Sinai desert. I began painting majestic landscapes of the mountainous terrain, populated by tiny figures who were on their own spiritual odysseys. Later I emerged as a Biblical artist, as these landscapes transformed into more illustrative, narrative works on Old Testament themes. I’m now looking to combine my love of landscape and architecture in new work which shall appear here soon. I really need to be painting, drawing, or making something every day. Living in Israel since 1993, I love being by the sea, which is not far from where I live with my wife Lili in Raanana, and son Ariel (born 2006).

Artist CV

Exhibitions

2024               River of Life Fellowship, Moab, Utah (permanent exhibition of my complete Torah series)

2021               Royal Society of British Artists, Annual Exhibition, London

2018              The Stone Gallery Centenary Exhibition, Burford, Oxfordshire

2016              Association of British Naïve Artists, Annual Exhibition.

2014             Israel Association of Illustrators, Raanana.

2012              Center for Conservative Judaism, Jerusalem.

2011               Brodt Center for Jewish Culture, Tel-Aviv.

2010             Hod VeHadar synagogue, Kfar Saba.

2008             Expo 2008” the Jerusalem Theater.

2007            Dizengoff Shopping Centre, exhibition of The Sunshine Monkeys, a cartoon fantasy, Tel-Aviv.

2005              “Open House” exhibition, Municipality of Ra’anana, Israel.

2004            Elizabeth Gallery, Ra’anana, Israel.

2003            Oklahoma Restaurant, Herzlia Pituach, Israel.

2001            Ben Uri Gallery, London

1992            Royal Institute of British Architects, London (competition exhibition).

 

Books Illustrated

2023             Introducing the Old Testament, by Rolf A. Jacobson and Michael J. Chan, Baker Academic Publishing, (story artwork).

2022            The Upper Room (international Christian periodical), (cover artwork)

2021             Remembering the Unexperienced, by Stephen Campbell, Bonn University Press. An enquiry into trans-generational collective memory and the revelation at Sinai (cover artwork).

2019            Redeeming Relevance in the Book of Leviticus, by Francis Nataf, Urim Publications, Jerusalem (cover artwork).

2018            Growing in God’s Love: A Story Bible, by Elizabeth F. Caldwell, Carol A. Wehrheim, Westminster John Knox Press. (Cover artwork and story illustrations).

2016            Redeeming Relevance in the Book of Deuteronomy, by Francis Nataf, Urim Publications, Jerusalem (cover artwork).

2016            Erzähl Es Deinen Kindern (Tell it to your Children) Children’s Bible  Volumes 1 – 5, by Bruno Landthaler and Hanna Liss, Ariella Books, Berlin. (Cover artwork and chapter illustrations).

2010            Three Men in a Boat, by Jerome K. Jerome (adaptation), Burlington Books

2009            A Foreigner in Australia, by Fiona Smith, Burlington Books

2005            A Sense of Danger, by Tracy Simmonds, Burlington Books

2003            Sanouk and the Elephant, by Maureen Reynolds, Burlington Books

2003            A Foreigner in New York, by Ramon Ybarra Rubio Burlington Books

2002            A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur’s Court, by Mark Twain (adaptation), Burlington Books

2001            Danger at Shark Rock, by Pauline Francis, Burlington Books

2001            A Foreigner in Britain, by Ramon Ybarra Rubio, Burlington Books

1983            Modern Jewish History, by Robin Spiro, (unpublished project)

1982            Quy’s Journey, by Louise Morris – privately published – an English language reader for Vietnamese refugees.

 

Newspaper Cartoons and Illustrations

2016            The Jerusalem Post – illustration for article by Gideon Sylvester

1995-97       The Jerusalem Post and The Jerusalem Report – illustrations and political cartoons

1993             The Independent and The Daily Telegraph – political leader-page cartoons, with Peter Waddington (writer)

Inner and Outer Landscapes

The landscape can be a depiction of our own emotional world. When I was going through a period of depression, I was naturally drawn to the barren landscapes of the desert. Painting these harsh, inhospitable but majestic vistas helped me rebuild my inner world. By embodying my inner state in my art, I was able to see and feel not only how dark it was, but also how strong.  Over time, my inner world became more alive, and as a result, the art I was making became more colourful, more populated, and more human. The Exodus story is a symbol of deep psychological transformation: Wandering the desert for 40 years is the agent for the birth of a nation. Likewise, perhaps, my own most difficult ‘desert period’ eventually gave birth to my more colourful work as a Biblical artist.

“The psychological rule says that when an inner situation is not made conscious, it happens outside, as fate.”

~ Carl Jung: Aion, Christ: A Symbol of the Self, pages 70-71, para 126.

You can read an interesting approach to connecting with the unconscious via the landscape at this link:

https://bradwcarr.medium.com/exploring-the-inner-landscape

You can see some of my current work on my Originals page.

Below: Abbas Pasha, (dawn in Sinai). 120cm x 160cm, Oil on Canvas (2002). 

Note the two tiny figures sitting around their campfire at the bottom of the wadi, making their morning coffee.

Sinai landscape painting, Abbas Pasha