"Mighty Masada (Israel)" by Karla Nolan, palette knife oil painting

 It was a once in a lifetime trip for me, I'd always wanted to go to Israel and "see the sights", see old friends, see distant cousins.  We were able to travel to Jerusalem, the Golan Heights, the Upper and Lower Galilee, the Dead Sea, and Masada.  You simply must go if you can, we felt safe the entire time and it was truly magnificent.  The story of Masada is incredible, I'd suggest you learn about it if you can.

"Mighty Masada (Israel)", 8"x6" palette knife oil painting on canvas panel, $48 includes s/h in continental U.S., Paypal accepted, contact me for more information at KarlaNolan@gmail.com

"Traveling Up to Masada, Israel" by Karla Nolan

Well, my art blog is in Israel as of late.  I enjoyed going there so much, my expectations were high, and they were more than met!  My husband and I took an English speaking tour with about 18 other fellow travelers to the Dead Sea and Masada in the springtime.  Oh, it was hot and humid!  I cannot imagine what summer must be like and I'm used to hot but dry weather in Colorado during that season. 

We took a very large gondola up to the top of the mesa, where the Jews committed suicide en masse rather than lose their lives, literally and figuratively, to the Roman army.  It was either kill themselves or the women would be raped, the children and children enslaved, the men slaughtered.  I guess they felt little in the way of choice.  How horrible! 

The skies were blue and cloudy, with a bit of a haze overhanging the plains and hills below, the rocks were ochre, sandy, beige -- and the gondola was packed with other tourists and Israeli schoolchildren, ready to exit and explore Israel's past. 

"Traveling Up to Masada, Israel", 8"x6" unframed palette knife and brush oil painting on canvas, $95 includes s/h in continental U.S., click Paypal button below or write me at KarlaNolan@gmail.com for more information

As always, thanks for looking!

Greetings from Fort Collins, Colorado!

http://www.KarlaNolan.com

"Winged Residents of Masada, Israel" by Karla Nolan

Israel is such a fascinating land.  The desert is vast, there is such an ancient feel to it.  When we traveled there in the spring, we signed up for an English speaking tour of The Dead Sea and Masada.  Our guide was Emmanuel, a gentle blue eyed, white haired man who must have been in his seventies and had given tours for decades.  We hiked all around after riding to the top of Masada in an enormous gondola.  We looking down from the mesa top to the flats and hills below, seeking out the sites the Romans set up for their campsites from which they would begin their campaigns to drive the Jews from Masada.  As we walked around, I noticed that the birds seemed to own this place.  There were many Israeli school groups, a number of other tour groups, such as ourselves, and then those birds, sitting on the rock walls as if they were waiting for you to come to them and take their photographs.  Naturally, I did just that!  They were willing subjects, posing as if they were paid to do so. 

As we traveled about from spot to spot on our tour, my thirst increased.  I gulped my water and refilled the bottle a couple of times.  At one point, several of the other tourists and I noticed that Emmanuel had not broken a sweat nor had he drunk anything.  I approached him about this, asking how he managed to get through an hour without any fluids.  His reply:  "I am a man of the desert".   I was amazed by this man and his knowledge of his desert and the Holy Land.  What a thrill it was to be there and I would encourage any and all to travel to Israel if you possibly can. 

"Winged Residents of Masada, Israel", unframed 5"x7" palette and brush oil painting on canvas, $70 includes s/h in the continental U.S., Paypal, write me at KarlaNolan@gmail.com for more information 

As always, thanks for looking!

Greetings from Fort Collins, Colorado!

http://www.KarlaNolan.com