"Paper Midrash" Catalog

I hope you've been down to the JCCOC to see "Paper Midrash." If you haven't yet done so, and want to see what's on the walls, donwload the PDF exhibition catalog and check it out.

"Paper Midrash" in theLos Angeles Jewish Journal

There's a nice profile of my work in the "Bloggish" section of the Los Angeles Jewish Journal; check it out here.

"Paper Midrash" Opening Reception

The reception went very well -- lots of people came out to see the work, and I was pleased to see those red dots going up to mark sales. I'll have some pix to share soon, but in the meantime here's one of me at the gallery by my friend Randy Workman.

And check out "Bleeding Cool Comic Book News" for a nice feature on the show.

"Paper Midrash" in the Santa Clarita Signal

Today's Santa Clarita Signal features a brief story about me and my show, with some pictures of me in my studio cutting. Check it out here.

The Legacy of Jacob(Paper Midrash)

My upcoming show, "Paper Midrash," includes a series of smaller works I'm calling "From the Genizah" -- named for the traditional Jewish act of burying old and tattered holy books. I rescued some books from the "discard" pile at our synagogue and have used them to new purpose in this series.

Above you see "The Legacy of Jacob," which takes its title from the page itself and is an interpretation of Jacob's dream. In Bereshit (Genesis) chapter 28 we read, "And he dreamed that there was a ladder set up on the earth, and the top of it reached to heaven; and behold, the angels of God were ascending and descending on it." Note that the word "ascending" comes before "descending" -- what does that tell us about the angels?

See this -- and more! -- at "Paper Midrash," at the Merage Jewish Community Center of Orange County from January 24 through February 27, 2010. The opening reception is this Sunday, January 24, from 2 to 5 p.m. I've posted a full catalog of works in the show in PDF format here.

And All the People Saw the Voices(Paper Midrash)

This is a piece I've titled, "And All the People Saw the Voices," after the verse in Exodus 20:18 concerning the giving of the Torah at Mount Sinai. The Hebrew word for "voices" is also the word for "lightning" -- hence the symbolism here, also representing the thunder and lightning surrounding Mount Sinai. The rabbis teach that God's voice split into seven voices, which split into seventy languages -- allowing all people across the world to understand.

It's another in my series of comic book papercuts. See this -- and more! -- at "Paper Midrash," at the Merage Jewish Community Center of Orange County from January 24 through February 27, 2010. The opening reception will be from 2 to 5 p.m. on January 24.

Luachot haBrit(Paper Midrash)

Another in my series of comic book papercuts, titled "Luachot haBrit" (Tablets of the Covenant). Yes, I've got the first ten letters of the Hebrew alphabet in there, for those of you who wish to look; the aleph is pretty easy, but the rest get more and more hidden.

See this -- and more! -- at "Paper Midrash," at the Merage Jewish Community Center of Orange County from January 24 through February 27, 2010. The opening reception will be from 2 to 5 p.m. on January 24.

Paper Midrash featured at Kirby-Vision

Please head on over to the very awesome Kirby-Vision blog of the Kirby Museum; you'll see a small feature on my work and the upcoming show, "Paper Midrash."

Updated my website!

Just gave my website a minor overhaul to reflect the upcoming show -- you can check it out at www.NiceJewishArtist.com.

The show, "Paper Midrash," will be at the Merage Jewish Community Center of Orange County from January 24 through February 27, 2010: "Paper Midrash: New Work by Isaac Brynjegard-Bialik." The opening reception will be from 2 to 5 p.m. on January 24.

Make Yourself an Ark(Paper Midrash)

Taking a break from showing the comics work I'm producing to feature this Noah's Ark piece titled after the biblical injunction from God to Noah: "Make Yourself An Ark." It's a play on the old plastic model kits I used to enjoy when I was a kid, when every piece was connected to every other piece on these spindly plastic frames.

In the piece you can see Noah and his wife, as well as their three sons and daughters-in-law. Why all the serving dishes? Because Noah had to feed each animal its own particular kind of food, in its own way. As for that glowing sphere above the ladder...? You'll have to come to the opening reception for my show and ask me in person what it means.

The show will be at the Merage Jewish Community Center of Orange County from January 24 through February 27, 2010: "Paper Midrash: New Work by Isaac Brynjegard-Bialik." The opening reception will be from 2 to 5 p.m. on January 24.