Plains man paints in Israel

A Plains man traveled to Israel to take in the sights of an ancient country, but he took time out to give a group of special needs kids a painting lesson.

Artist Dave Williams spent almost eight hours in the village of ADI Negev-Nahalat Eran in the Negev Desert of Israel teaching children to paint. Rather than painting in a formal class setting, Williams had his session on a sidewalk in the shade. "I believe there was a misunderstanding because I prepared for a class setting and they thought I was there to paint for them, so that is what I did," said Williams, who was part of a group of military veterans that visited Israel and Jordan. Williams departed Montana on Aug. 31 and arrived back home last Monday.

"It was a good trip because of the people I traveled with and met along the journey," said the 61-year-old Williams, who was invited primarily because of his association with Joint Operation Mariposa, a nonprofit organization in Sanders County that helps veterans through art. The trip was hosted by the Montana Veterans Association, an organization that consists of the heads of veterans groups throughout Montana, including influential military supporting individuals that reside in Montana, according to Williams, one of two Navy men in the group of Army, Air Force, National Guard, and Marines.

One of the primary reasons Williams wanted to go on the trip was that he would be spending time in ADI Negev-Nahalat Eran village teaching art to the kids. "This is a one of a kind village for individuals with special needs. These people maintain their own environment and live their best lives from what I seen. Their families live with them and they are allowed to live out their lives at peace and in harmony," said Williams.

This was Williams' first time he was asked to paint with special needs kids and he said they were inspiring. "My art for a brief moment transcended language, culture and age to make people smile, not to mention that I had the privilege to have inspired an awesome 8 year old artist," said Williams, who has used his art talents again and again to get an awareness to veterans in need and he's also spent countless hours teaching painting to adults and children. He's planning to teach art to children in the Philippines later this year. Williams ended up doing four acrylic paintings during his time in Israel, including one for the village and one for Major General Doron Almog, the founder and architect of the village.

In Israel, Williams said that an Oscar winning filmographer, Errol Webber, recorded his interactions with the people at the village. One girl named Cline and her mother showed up. After he explained who he was and why he was there, they left, but a short time later, Cline returned with her own easel and canvas.

"Now mind you, there is a language barrier between us because she speaks German and I speak English, but we managed to make the connection despite that," said Williams. "She pointed at the sky on my canvas and moved her hand back and forth using her fingers like bristles of a brush. I smiled and taught her how I painted my sky and the clouds that were there," he said. In painting the mountains of the Negev Desert, Williams demonstrated how he mixed the sand at their feet into the paint in order to make it thicker and rough looking. "The painting I created here was created so that a visually impaired resident could touch the sky, a mountain, and a tree as art," said Williams.

Williams said he had never experienced an interaction like his time at the village and it will be a vivid memory for the rest of his life. "It was a good trip because I had the opportunity to meet the people of Israel and Jordan," said Williams "I was also reminded of how lucky I am to have been born in this country."