Who Knows One?[singlepic id=18 w=229 h=300 float=]

This digital print illustrates the joyful Passover song, “Who Knows One?”.  It is both a colorful design and a teaching tool.  The images are based on my own interpretation of the verses, as follows:

 One is The Lord, symbolized here by the burning bush.  When Moses was called by the bush, he was also told “Take off your shoes for the ground where you are standing is holy”.  Thus, the sandals.  Note that the bush has 13 leaves – this will be explained in verse thirteen.

Two are the tablets that Moses brought down from Mt Sinai. It is told that when we stood at Sinai, the mountain hovered over us.

Three are the Patriarchs, who dwelled in tents both when wandering and staying in place.  Abraham was visited by three angels, Isaac was saved by a ram, and Jacob dreamed of angels going up and down a ladder.

Four are the Matriarchs, represented here by pomegranates.  The pomegranate is often used to symbolize fertility, abundance, and blessing.  In Judaism, it also represents the 613 commandments.  The Matriarchs, both past and present, are responsible for passing all of these commandments on to their children, ensuring the continuity of the Jewish people.

Five are the books of the Torah, joyously dancing as if it were Simchas Torah.

Six are the orders of the Mishnah, represented by six bound volumes.  There are actually many more, each densely inscribed, in a fixed order, with the wisdom and commentary of many sages.

 Seven are the days of the week, also translated as the days until the Sabbath.  The Mogen David (Shield of David, or Jewish Star) has six points surrounding the Sabbath scene in the center.  Just as this star is a graphic representation of the Jewish people, so the Sabbath is a major Jewish cultural identification.

Eight are the days to circumcision. Elijah the Prophet is said to attend every circumcision, and there is a traditional chair set aside for him.  The hamsa is lucky charm that was placed over a baby’s crib to guard it from the evil eye.  Here, seven hamsas surround the Chair of Elijah, with the eighth one on the chair bearing the word “chai”, for “life”.

Nine are the months to childbirth. Judaism uses a lunar calendar, so that months are literally moons.

Ten are the Commandments.  Here they are illustrated with their numeric values.  The lion is the symbol of the tribe of Judah, and the Jewish people in general.

Eleven are the stars in Joseph’s dream, when he dreamed his brothers all bowed down to him.

Twelve are the tribes of Israel, and each of their names was engraved on a different stone, and mounted in gold to form the breastplate of the High Priest (Ex 28:17-21).  The identity of the stones have been variously translated.  Here, they are (from left to right): carnelian, topaz and smaragd (rock crystal); carbuncle, sapphire, emerald; jacinth, agate, amethyst; beryl, onyx, jasper. (trans. of Dr. J. H. Hertz, Pentateuch and Haftorahs, 1971).

Thirteen are the Divine attributes (Ex 34:6-7). They are shown here as thirteen leaves on a tree, under a tallit.  The “Tree of Life” is a metaphor for all of Torah; the tallis for worship.  The number thirteen is also the numeric sum of the Hebrew letters in the word “echad”, which is “one” , which makes a complete circle back to “one” where we started.

This explanation is included with every copy.

Digitally printed with archival paper and ink, the colors will last a lifetime.  I  supervise each step of the printing process, to insure the trueness of color and resolution.  It is framed under acrylic or glass with an ivory museum mat and a gold frame.[/margin]

Print image size:13 x 17   Cost: $54 + $12 s/h   Additional prints to same address are shipped free.
Mat and frame size (frame width not included in measurements): 16×20  Cost:: $135 + 20 s/h

A Woman of Valor[singlepic id=19 w=264 h=300 float=]

The original artwork from which this lithograph derives was commissioned by the Mayo Clinic Women’s Cancer Program. The verses chosen are from Proverbs chapter 31.  The idea for this work was to create something that would be comforting and cheerful, that women of all nationalities and faiths could appreciate, and that would celebrate the strengths of women.  The design is laid out like a patchwork quilt, a skill traditionally associated with women, and the paintings in the corner link in a circle, a feminine symbol.  On the top left, a bluebird guards her nest in a cherry tree, while sheep graze in the background.  On the right, a teapot stands for hospitality, with a bowl of cherries that reference the bird painting.  In the lower right, a modern business woman’s laptop, with diploma and maps in the background.  Note the coffee mug has the same pattern as the teapot above.  In the lower left, a spinning wheel, representing an ancient female craft. The bookshelf echoes the books beside the laptop, and the view of sheep out the window brings the viewer back to the bird in the top left.  In addition, there are the phases of the moon, paper doll cutouts, and images from the verses themselves.

The techniques used were gouache painting, quilling  to form shapes such as the grapes and wheat, and gilding with 23k gold.  The lithograph was printed with archival paper and ink.  It is framed with an acid-free mat in cream, and a gold-toned wood frame (not shown).  Custom framing is available on request.

A paper with all of this information is included with each copy.[/margin]

Print image size: 16 1/2 x 20 1/4   Cost: $45 + $16  s/h  Additional prints to same address are shipped free.

Mat and frame size (frame width not included in measurements): 20 x 24     Cost: $145 + $20 s/h

Flights of Fancy
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This piece was originally created for a gilding exhibit. The balloon is made primarily of quilling paper, some edged with 23k gold, but then I inserted plastic “cameos” .  The balloon is about 2 1/2″ in radius.  The goose basket is  quilling and gold leaf over paper.  The dragon is 23k gold leaf over textured paper, glazed with gouache paint.  The castle is made of different papers woven and shaped, covered with 23k gold, aluminum, and copper leaves.
The background was painted with gouache and watercolor on torn paper.  The glass used for framing was covered with “bricks” using the technique of verre eglomise, or reverse gilding on glass.  They are made with variegated metal leaf, hand etched and backed with glaze.  The entire piece is framed with a narrow gold shadow box molding. This won the “People’s Choice Award” at the Bristol Art Museum “Air” show in 2010.

It is approximately 14″ x 16″, and 4″ deep.

Right now, this is in the Museum of Gilding Arts in Pontiac, IL (see “News”  above.  )  It is temporarily not for sale.

Tzedakah (Charity) Box
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I made this box from picture frame moulding.  Inset in the lid, under glass, is the word “Tzedakah”, in 23k gilt-edged quilling. The word “tzedakah” is commonly interpreted as “charity”, but it also can mean “balance” and “justice”.  A tzedakah box, where money is put aside for the poor, was once considered so important that it was actually built into a house or a piece of furniture.  Donations were always made before the Sabbath, and at certain holidays and celebrations, as well as at random times.

In this box, the sides of the inner compartment are covered with decorative paper, and the bottom is suede.  It measures 5” x 8” x 4”h
Cost: $125 + $8 s/h

Song of Songs
“I am my beloved’s and my beloved is mine” comes from the “Song of Songs (6:3)”, ascribed to Solomon.  This phrase , also shown here in the original Hebrew, “Ani l’dodi v’dodi li”, is part of the traditional Jewish wedding ceremony.

The original watercolor was digitally reproduced by the giclee process with archival ink and paper. A few updates were made to the giclee to increase legibility and highten colors.  It was then ornamented by hand with 23k gold leaf, with both raised and textured styles.  Each picture has been gilded individually and uniquely, and only a small number will be made.  It is surrounded by double acid-free mats in cream and a pastel shade, and a gold-tone wood frame.  Framing will vary slightly depending on artist’s whim.  Price includes packing and shipping within the US.