Catriel Efrony

My favorite painting teacher.

It is a funny story how I met him in Sfadt (Tzfat) (Safed) Israel, 2006.

I was on a tour with my temple trying to give my son a meaningful Bar Mitzvah so we went to Israel and spent 12 days touring the ancient cities.

What a great thing to do. ... and I am sure that in a few years, say 20, my son will awaken his consciousness and realize we were given and gift of this trip together.

Meanwhile I learned a few things. First I am a Cohen as told by my father as told by his and so on. This means that I am descendant of the high priests. The only people allowed to cross into the sacred zone where the arc was kept. Now i tell you this becuase during our trip it became Sabbath while visiting Sfadt. This means that everything shuts down. Their is nothing to do and no where to go. A strange thing for an American. Well, I was not going to let this stop me. I had a free day and wanted to walk the city. I rustled up the guard, Schlomo who is practicing to be a rabbi. He just happens to wear a rifle as all kids his age must join the army. Its kind of refreshing and liberating at the same time. These kids grow up and reach their full faculties during the army years. Meanwhile Schlomo was no too pleased with me. He said "Steven it is Sabbath, you can not draw and paint on Sabbath" I said "but Schlomo I am a Cohen!" Now this is not a light statement since I was in the hold land with a man training to be holy. A Cohen in the holy land is like being the president of the united states. this carries much weight. So he said "Steven it is written, if a Cohen tell you to do the wrong thing you should not follow him". It was a mexican standoff. so I walked and he followed not too happy with me.

We stumbled upon the artist colony and sure enough just as I suspected they were all busy enjoying. I am intentional not saying working. Afterall these are artists and working was never part of the plan.

It was a perfect sunny day. I made friends with a Russian fellow. He could speak Russian and Hebrew. Luckily my guide could speak Hebrew so I was able to borrow or rent a canvas and paint. What a total joy this was. Deep in a foreign country, with a full day to just paint my heart out. I decided then and their I was staying a few extra days. The Russian fellow was an impressionist. I felt he was a very nice fellow but he was painting to survive and surviving by painting not very forward thinking work. It was already deeply explored in my mind. But I liked him and he was pleased with my interest and excitement. A kindred soul able to speak through a visual dialog.

Later I walked some more and stumbled upon a genius. Catriel Efrony. This fellow was painting the a kind of soulful journey using the bricks which are what makes Sfadt Sfadt. If you have ever been to the red rocks in Colorado you would understand. Their is something about sand stone formations that echo peoples faces and other images. His work is the epiphany of the city. It is like water flowing through the rocks and creating a pool which reflects the place but creates something else. Something unique.



When you speak about Catriel Efrony you need to use terms like shape and color, story telling and heritage. A timeless journey. One that never ends. but if you focus on the mechanism you completely miss the point. One word describes his work "Poetry". A lifetime achievment of ease and willfullness. Each painting is a visual poetry, the most direct path to communicating on multiple levels all at the same time.

You can not achieve a conversation like this with any other medium. Certainly not as easily as Mr. Efrony does with just acrylic paint and canvas. the closest medium would be metaphysics. Can you imagine entering these spaces? It is a world of mysterious shapes but somehow when you add the brilliant color and step back it all makes sense.

As I mentioned I stayed a few extra days. I stumbled upon the synagogue where the kaballah was expoused to the world. It is a simple place and the images within are sadly understated. Maybe that adds t o its charm but it did not inspire my work plus i did not want to paint inside the temple where the people praying might misinterpret my being there. I did not want to feel uncomfortable or worse out of my boundry.

I learned jsut a little bit about the Kabbalah during the lecture about htis place. It focused on light, pure light. Something about a light that escaped. Some kind of allegory dealing iwth light. As a painter you can imagine my interest as light is the discussion all the time. and once again I see this allergory and a threom a proof of what I have thought all along about painting. It teaches you to see. Not like a sharp shooter but to see with the minds eye. something intangible and something I have chased my whole life.

more on the kabbalah...

Now just arund the corner from this building there is a tall stairs and a small park. Not like a park you have evere imagined but a home that had its roof fall during an earthquake and converted into a park with a fine piece of iron work and a simple arch. Behind my interest in the place was looking for the place to set off my Bar Mitzvah boy painting. Here I saw a "stairway to heaven" with an arch perfectly suited to set off the Bar Mitzvah boy in an ecstatic state of torah worship. What I did next only "mad dogs and Englishmen" would consider. I set up my easel right at this spot for four days. I painting it 4 times. the first 2 were terrible. Flat and boring. I needed inspiration and association with greatness. I sought out Catriel and begged him to work with me for a few days. It was a very funny and ackward time but I was insistent and he finally relented. I created my setup and brought it to his studio. I placed my work on his easel with him over my shoulder. I watched the master at work during the day and help as much as I could. I think it was therapeutic for him as well... yelling at me "Steve open up, let the paint drip and run" In the end I had my masterpiece and bought one of his. I am truley grateful for htis time wiht him and consider this short period one of the most important in my painting career.

Pictures of Sfadt, Israel



A close up of a wall showing the flat facing stone used everywhere is Sfadt,
Followed by the side of a building in yellow (golden) light.
This magical city changes from purple (cool) to golden (warm) everyday depending on the time.
And their are many colors in-between.



Here is an image of a wall under construction, you can see it is double sided with rocks and a hollow center which can be filled for strength.
Followed by an image that shows the quaintness of the tight walkways all over the city. It is truly a medieval architecture designed solely for foot traffic.





More colors and shapes




A collection of Catriel Efrony paintings
notice how they reflect the city.



Blowing a jazz like horn in an ancient city. ... or is is a trumpet like the one that fell and city wall?



Morning for Rabin. The day after he was shoot.



A landscape. The clouds echo the local building rocks just as every other aspect.

here is a link to more of his work - Catriel Efrony
Tel: 04-697-1541
Artist quarter, TZfat 03-522-9592

Jaime's Bar Mitzvah Joy, 2004 Sfadt Israel, Shoosty

Photos of "Stairway to Heaven" during different times of day.


Stairway to Heavan, 2004, Photo by Shoosty

Tags: Catriel Efrony, Isreal, fine art, shoosty