Artist Shares Gifts of the Seasons

For landscape artist Michal Barkai, “nice days are a precious gift.” They're gifts she doesn't take for granted, as seen in “Seasons,” an exhibit through August 26 at the Livingston Senior/Community.

The works on display are from her collection rarely exhibited outside her Livingston home.  “I show the more special works here, where I live. I want people, my neighbors, to know my work,” she says. 

Barkai’s eyes dance with excitement and she becomes animated as she talks about her work included in the two-women exhibition shared with fellow artist Rosalia Tignini Verdun from Roselle Park. 

Indeed, for Barkai, a former IT professional turned artist, art is her life. She is an award-winning landscape painter and photographer who works in a variety of mediums, including oils and pastels as well as digital photography. Her “Seasons” portfolio was recently published in the July issue of the publication Still Points Art Quarterly (http://www.stillpointartgallery.com).

Barkai became interested in creative work when she took an interior design course while living in Israel, and then expanded to a few art courses. Interestingly, she credits her former IT background and the skills it necessitated (being analytical and detail-oriented) for some of her success in art. When she’s painting, she’ll often add details the viewer may not immediately see, like people, animals or objects she feels should be in the scene. 

Those IT skills come in handy, as well, for the other, non-creative facets of being an artist. She logs in the hours she spends on each aspect of the art business, including creative time working on pieces, education, volunteering, marketing, and administrative tasks.  But her favorite part remains creating. 

“When I work on a piece, I move into the world I’m trying to capture,” she says excitedly. 

 To see more of the art of this talented resident, visit her website @ www.michalbarkai.com.  Barkai & Verdun, Two Women Exhibition is sponsored by the Arts Council of Livingston.