- Guest Blog
Art in Lockdown
By Kaila Maltz
Corona has given a lot of us the time to explore the hobbies and interests that we may not have had the proper time to enjoy before, in our busy day-to-day lives.
It is the year of spending time at home, with family, and even alone, to explore and take the opportunity to discover new parts of ourselves.
Kaila Maltz, a creative and resourceful 22-year-old living in Maale Adumin, has really made something special out of all the free time. Studying physical therapy in university now, Kaila has always had a knack for art. As a girl, she would spend her time doodling, drawing cartoons, and taking art lessons. In high school, she was an art major, spending most of her time creatively.
"I love taking materials - whatever I can find - and making something cool out of them. Whether it’s cardboard, old bottles, or things in nature. You can make art out of anything!"
During the many lockdowns, Kaila got into the habit of collecting and painting different rocks she found, and the result is breathtaking!
"It is such a beautiful process taking something like a simple rock from nature, and making a unique piece of art out of it! These can be gifts, a book holder, paperweights, or just used for decoration. I love them – I have even started selling some of the rocks I paint. What is special about this project is that I collect the rocks from all around Israel. I get my friends to find me rocks when they travel around and try to find rocks of all different shapes and sizes."
Recently her latest art project has been face-painting with her sister for fun! As art history buffs, the two sisters decided to try something different during the ample amount of free time they had together at home, and chose famous paintings – using their own faces as the blank canvas! Paintings like “Starry Night” by Van Gogh and work by Picasso were a big hit.
"It is such an easy way to have fun, spend time, and connect with friends. And it is so cheap! For Purim, I will definitely be using some face paint to create the best costume."
Art is definitely a sure way to explore your own creativity, and as Kaila has shown us, we can actually paint anything – rocks, faces, paper, glass…the sky is the limit!
Kaila’s Purim costume tips!
"Definitely, less is more. Find an idea that you love, use a bit of face paint, find accessories that match and add to the look, and you have yourself an easy but cute costume! A few years ago I was a flamingo! I bought some pink tights, found some cardboard, painted my face a bit, and voila! Be resourceful – what you need is probably all around you!"
