Adam Greenberg and "Resilience"

Last night was the big event at Temple Ahavat Shalom; Adam Greenberg came and spoke for a couple of hours, and then spent time chatting with folks and signing stuff.

I sat with him and talked about "Resilience," and the meaning behind it, and he seemed very pleased. He shared with me that his perseverance is inspired by the history of the Jewish people, by our refusal to buckle under – by our tradition's lesson that we must not give up, no matter what stands in our way. He liked hearing about the parallels I drew between his story and that of Joseph, who overcomes a nearly constant barrage of obstacles and comes out on top.

He couldn't have the original – that was commissioned by a friend, and it's going to hang in his home – but Adam has print #10 of the limited edition, and I hope he enjoys it.

I still have a couple of giclée prints from the set available for purchase; only 12 were made, and they're archival ink on archival watercolor stock. Signed and numbered by me, and signed by Adam Greenberg as well. And a portion of the proceeds are being donated to Temple Ahavat Shalom, a non-profit organization. If you're interested, drop me an email.

"Greenberg" papercut featured in 2013 Jewish Currents calendar

I'm pleased to share with you the news: my "Greenberg" papercut has been featured in the 2013 Jewish Currents calendar, now available for purchase on their website. The calendar features works by more than 60 artists and writers, includes listings of Jewish holidays and significant historical events.

Jewish Currents is a progressive Jewish bimonthly magazine that "carries on the insurgent tradition of the Jewish left through independent journalism, political commentary, and a 'countercultural' approach to Jewish arts and literature." Which I think is pretty sweet.

I was going to make a parenthetical reference to Jewish Currents' unique spelling choices, but on second thought it deserves more than a passing glance. As we all know, Hebrew words are not always easily spelled in English; there are just some sounds that don't "translate" – hence the December dilemma of how to spell Hanukkah (Chanukah, Hanuka, etc.). How does Jewish Currents spell it? Khanike. I imagine it's a nod to an older, more classical American Jewish pronounciation – very Ashkenazic — and also outspokenly different than everyone else's efforts. Worth a look, for sure.

More information on "Greenberg" can be found in my original post here.

Working hard (as opposed to blogging)

I've been working pretty hard lately -- four commissions at present, and preparing for a show this September in San Rafael, California. And also getting ready for my oldest daughter to become a bat mitzvah ... so yeah, pretty busy. I'll be posting some photos soon -- and sharing info on the show as well. In the meantime, I hope you're stocking up on gefilte fish and horseradish... Pesach is almost here! Here's a photo of a Passover-themed commission I completed last year as a portrait of baseball legend Hank Greenberg, "The Hammerin' Hebrew." (You can read more about it here; you can find out about ordering an archival giclee print by emailing me at isaac[at]nicejewishartist[dot]com.)

Completed commission: "Greenberg"

This morning I finished my latest commission -- it all came together in exactly the right way, and I'm very pleased with the result. Handed it over to the gentleman who commissioned it, and now I'm free to share it here.
Nicknamed “Hammerin’ Hank” or “The Hebrew Hammer,” Hank Greenberg played primarily for the Detroit Tigers as a first baseman, and was one of the premier power hitters of his generation. My "Greenberg" is modeled on his 1934 Goudey baseball card (see below).


More than a great baseball player, he was also a great man. One of the few ballplayers to give a warm welcome to the Brooklyn Dodgers’ Jackie Robinson, the majors’ first black player in many years, Greenberg is known for a story involving a collision at first base with Robinson. After colliding with him, Greenberg whispered a few words into Robinson’s ear, which Robinson later characterized as “words of encouragement.” Greenberg had advised him that the best way to combat the slurs from the opposing players was to beat them on the field. Robinson later said: “Class tells. It sticks out all over Mr. Greenberg.”

Greenberg was acting in accordance with the words of our tradition: to pursue justice and promote freedom, for we were slaves in the land of Egypt. We read these words every year in the Passover haggadah, which is why the papercut is backed with elements from two traditional haggadot: the 1949 Shulsinger Brothers’ Haggadah of Passover and the 1958 H. Levitt Publishing’s Haggadah for the American Family.

Greenberg’s jersey is composed of key selections from the seder, while his face and hands are made up of scenes showing Jewish life in Egyptian slavery. The Jewish people are made of our stories — we are our history — and so too is Hank Greenberg in this papercut.

UPDATE

I'm making prints of this papercut available for sale, with the kind permission of the gentleman who commissioned the original. The prints are 16x20 giclee prints on archival watercolor stock -- and they are spectacular. Please email me if you're interested in acquiring one.