Aseh l'cha rav,u'kneh l'cha chaver.

In Pirkei Avot 1:6 we read, "Aseh l'cha rav, u'kneh l'cha chaver" -- "Find yourself a rabbi, and make yourself a friend." The folks who commissioned this piece are planning to give it as a gift to a rabbi friend of ours, and I'm very pleased.

I structured the piece around the Hebrew verse, using the "shin" of "aseh" as my fulcrum, lengthened from top to bottom and creating an allusion to the form of a mezuzah. The final word of the verse is key -- "chaver/friend" -- and so it is treated differently, cut out in the lettering style of Jewish scribes.

The piece is cut out of Arches watercolor cold press stock, mounted above a square canvas painted in glowing tones of blue; the interplay of white and blue / light and shadow really came out great.

"Number Theory: Heroes"

Just completed this piece to submit to Deloitte -- yes, my work life and art life have come together in a weird venn diagram of awesomeness.

So I made this piece specifically for Deloitte, as part of the Deloitte University project -- they're planning to decorate the campus with artwork created by the people of Deloitte. Here's what I said in my submission:

My art is a blending of traditions, using the mythos and imagery of comic books to explore themes of identity and connection to the world around us.

In this piece, which I created specifically for submission to Deloitte University, the papercut is built on a structure of the ten basic Hindu-Arabic numerals (0123456789), symbolizing the outward appearance of an organization built on – and dedicated to – numbers. But of course, Deloitte is much more than that – it is an organization of individuals, who each bring with them particular strengths and skills and backgrounds and make the organization more than the sum of its parts, and more than just about “numbers.” We are, all of us, heroes to ourselves and to others; it’s part of our shared values that we be the best we can be, and that we help others to do the same. And so the background texture for the cut is a collection of superheroes, representing our strength and diversity and commitment to individual performance, positive team dynamics, and joint success.

And yes, I do *love* where I work.

Pillars of Cloud and Firein local fundraiser auction

This Sunday (June 6) Temple Ahavat Shalom in Northridge (California) is having its annual benefit gala, which includes a fundraiser auction. Two of my papercuts will be available for bidding: "Pillar of Cloud" and "Pillar of Fire." They are both works in paper and acrylic on canvas, measuring 11" x 14". They are mounted above the canvas, so the interplay between form and shadow is more pronounced, and they've been professionally framed in deep frames.

More information on the gala is available on the TAS website here.

From the Genizah:"The Mobile Tabernacle"

Just completed a piece based on the representation of the original tabernacle (the ark of the covenant that the Jews carried with them through the desert) at Kfar Nahum in Northern Israel:


I've always loved this image -- a classic Greek style building, on giant wheels. Too ridiculous to be anything other than awesome.

I've been working with this idea for a while, and I've previously cut the whole tabernacle as you see it shown above, but this time I tried a view from the side only. Backed with a page from a book that had been destined for the genizah -- a section about the building of the tabernacle. It's a nice, simple cut -- very geometric, not too serious.