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by Yaeli Vogel

A Designer’s Input

I am always intrigued by the nuances of design and how interior decorators create atmospheres. I once asked a designer friend, “How do you do it?!” And she asked me back the same thing! So I guess we are all built (or learn!) to do our thing. But seriously, there are so many choices! There is transitional, modern, rustic, or rustic chic, combined with a bit of french country, contemporary, traditional, eclectic, etc....are you following? So which one are you? Can you pick a style and stick with it? I love them all and if I could, I’d design a home of each, for every one of my moods(please). So…thank G-d for these blessed designers who enrich our homes and make our homes look like an extension of ourselves. I’m in awe of how a good designer can literally capture a person’s personality and dreams and lay it out through color, texture, and furniture choices. In honor of all those awesome designers out there, I asked a few prized designers for their thoughts and input on the art of incorporating ART into their fine homes. To frame or not to frame?Yes! Float the frame at the very least. It’s a great finished look. (Yali Katz) What’s your go to frame color?There is no universal frame color which complements all art pieces; the room tones need to be taken into account. As a general direction, light art pieces stand out with darker frames, and dark art gets even bolder in a lighter frame. If I had to select one color which is the most complementary, it would be a black frame, which consistently makes art seem more vivid.(Susan Strauss Interiors)Does art need to match the decor?I believe that art need not match the décor, but it can if you want. While art is actually a separate component and layer to designing a room, it is one of the most important elements in making a room personal. But above all, the rule is: there are no rules with art—that’s why it’s called art. (Michelle Gerson interiors)Does big art make a room look larger or smaller?It would obviously depend on each room and what elseexists in the room. I think any space can handle any size art if you do it right. For example, if the room is small and you decorate it with a very neutral pallet (and there is a wall in the room that can handle a large piece of art) I would go big and bold all the way and make a statement. For a really large room, even a large piece of art can get lost. Instead, sometimes it's nice to have a gallery wall or a picture light above the art to highlightthe piece. (AlizaGabay )What’s your take on a gallery wall?I love a gallery wall! I think it can be the focal point of a room when done correctly. Usually I would create a gallery wall in a casual space like a Family Room, Den, or even a second floor open hallway. It’s important that the area be more clean and monochromatic in design as opposed tobusy with mixes of many patterns and varying objects. Let the gallery wall shine and be the main focus. To do that,use similar frames with matching color mattings for a cohesivelook and choose a grouping ofartwork that willrun along the same theme. Vary the heights and sizes for a more interesting overall vignette. Be sure to tape out your plan beforehand to be sure it’s balanced! (Esther Ben Hamu)Keep it simple or many paintings throughout the home? Many artworks! Every piece adds personality.(@tkdesigns) How does your client know when the piece is right?When a designer is confident that she has found the perfect piece for her client, her job is now to encourage the client and reassure the clientthatit is the right piece. Hopefully the client hired a particular designer because s/he likesthe designer’s taste and trusts her judgment! (Esti Felder)

by Yaeli Vogel

A Little Bit Goes A Long Way

This morning was tough. I wasn’t feeling up to painting or doing much. I finished breakfast and played with my almost 3 year old - He’s home with me for a few days till his camp starts and while his brothers are at their camp, I’m trying to take advantage of our time together. But then he went to take a nap and all I wanted to do was...well, do the same thing! Take a nap. I thought ahead to that moment when I’d wake up and have a full and unchecked to do list & it didn’t seem worth it to me today. (Sometimes, it is worth it) but today I knew I’d feel bad when I woke up. Instead of “starting” to work, I just did a little bit unofficially without any expectations. It was relaxing knowing that even if I painted two strokes on the painting, I was doing! Well, before I knew it, I turned around and everything I had set out to do, got done. And best of all - it was fun! I continued working on this image that’s photographed, which is a new piece that will be printed for the Succah and got to start another painting for Succos. I also uploaded a video onto YouTube and IGTV, signed & packaged a few prints and all I have left is the post office. I’m realizing that sometimes our “to do” lists discourage us more than help us. When I was so tired and saw everything I set out for the day, I just wanted to blink and have it all disappear! Sometimes, simply writing one or two things down get us to really do those one or two things and once we’re pumped, inspire us to go ahead and do further. Maybe we should start leaving spaces in the list and fill them in with things once we’ve done them. Hmmm, what do you think? Happy Doing! Yaeli

by Yaeli Vogel

B'Achdut

If you look closely at the people praying, you'll find that not all of them are in the same type of dress. Yet, they are all there, praying to the same G-d. Our G_d. It is such a beautiful thing to be apart of a nation. A great nation. When all is said and done, we are here for one another, giving all we can to each other. but why do we have to wait for those moments? Lets love, accept, forgive, and pass no judgement now. Let's look inwards, not to see our faults but to see our strengths, and use that to empower ourselves. When we feel good, we can make others feel good as well. That's what these people who are praying, represent. A feel good, accepting, loving happy for one another people.

by Yaeli Vogel

How do you paint at home? All day?

As an artist I spend a lot of my time painting. Alone. Even if there were people around me, I have to paint in private, where it’s quite, and where all I can hear is music and my thoughts. Hermit much? I think so! Although, before days like this, I was out every single day at my day job, which was teaching. It was a very social environment and as an active social person I truly enjoyed connecting with my colleagues. But that’s where it ended. I was craving something different for myself. I knew I had something else to do. I remember telling my family and friends that I was quitting and going to start painting. They looked at me like I had gone mad! “But you’re not going to interact with anyone on a daily basis..” was one of the many things I heard. I should have been nervous but I didn’t seem to be bothered by it. I just knew I was onto something and it would be ok. And thank Gd I didn’t care! Firstly, because as the saying goes: “Man plans and Gd laughs” - we can plan and plan, but in the end we don’t know how it will all play out. I didn’t know at the time, that I’d have an active account on Instagram where I would get to interact and meet incredible people on a daily basis! Many relationships have formed due to that platform alone. And secondly, when there is a strong voice inside, it overrides daily inconveniences. It definitely can be challenging at times to be alone for hours at a time, but the whole picture works for me, and I’m so satisfied doing it. If something doesn’t seem to match up with your family or friends lifestyle, but you know somewhere inside you that you’d be fine, than find it in yourself to have the courage to do it. Whatever it is - big or small. You will thank you.

by Yaeli Vogel

Less selfies, more focus

While I truly enjoy the likes of social media I cannot say the same to the all the photos that come along with it. Allow me to explain. You probably wouldn't have heard me say this a few years ago, but painting every single day did have an affect! If I want the painting that I'm working on to present itself in the way that I envision, well then, I must give it my all. I have to focus all of my energies into what's in front of me. I go inside. I try to use my peripheral vision to see what I'm not seeing, or turn away from the canvas, and look back at it, to gain insight as to what stroke to put down next. Painting, for me, is an internal game. (Yes, this takes energy. Almost like a workout.) I get so carried away by the moment, that all time seems to stop. Then after many hours, I stand back, and what stares back at me, is all of that energy and focus. Sometimes I want to "story" the process but I truly forget, getting so lost in the moment, and think to myself when I'm done - shoot! I should have clipped that! That's also how I feel while at social events. I love people! I want to connect and say hi. In an awesome way. Where you can really leave feeling connected, even if the conversation was 1.5 minutes. But... selfies seemed to replace that. A selfie became the connection. It connects us somehow, sure it does. But, as a high maintenance kinda girl, I don't buy it. Selfies are fun! But first, let's focus our lens, and truly connect.

by Yaeli Vogel

What Are Your Sources of Inspiration

I used to get so overwhelmed by this question. Almost scared. How do I answer? What should I say? Will what I say be sufficient? Will my answer define me as an artist? These thoughts would flood my mind, each time I was put on the spot. I could’ve just found a base answer and pulled it out each time it needed to be used, but I didn’t. It wasn’t authentic enough for my artistic soul. And so I would say this and I would say that - esoteric, perplexing art words which truly meant nothing to the and probably left the listener wondering even more. (although, not such a bad and thing either) What I’ve come to realize on my painting journey thus far, is that inspiration is so overrated and freeing my mind is EVERYTHING. There is a constant bombardment of information, ideas, and inspiration all over. The world is full of it and it’s getting fuller every single day. What I see happening is that, when I relax, put the phone down, take some time to think and rest, the inspirations just swipe past me in thought. I must be aware of their ever so slight movement and grab them by the horn. Many times, the ideas will come right before I doze off and ill remember it when I wake up and then will enter it into my notes. Other times, there is no clear direction when I begin an art piece. It will start as purely subconscious, laying on strokes and color. As I move along, the inspiration meets me on the way. It happens each time! So what I’ve come to understand, is that us as humans, need to chill. We don’t always need to know. We don’t must have answers, but we have to allow ourselves to hear. To become vessels of learning and growth. When we are in a calm state like that, true inspiration festers about. And in the meantime, when asked this question once again, of where do you get your inspiration for your artwork? Ill simply respond with “I get it from myself.”