"Paper Midrash" at the JCCOC --Thanks for a great show!

The JCCOC show is now officially over, and it went very well -- thanks to everyone who suported me, came down, bought work, etc.

Keep your eyes on this web site, as I'll soon be announcing some details on the pieces that *didn't* sell during the show and are still available for purchase. In the meantime, you can check out the show catalog on my website.

"Paper Midrash":Miriam's Well and Jerusalem

Two more pieces currently on display at the "Paper Midrash" show through February 26 at the Merage Jewish Community of Orange County.

On the left: "Spring Up, O Well"; on the right: "Jerusalem." And both of these pieces are already sold -- if you want to buy something before the show is over, head down to the gallery and check it out! More details at my web site.

Paper Midrash:Fountains of the Deep

“In the six hundredth year of Noah’s life, in the second month, on the seventeenth day of the month, all the fountains of the deep came bursting through, and the windows of heaven were opened.” (Bereshit/Genesis 7:11).

This is a different take on Noah's Ark -- different for me, at least. Instead of focusing on the rains falling from above, I'm looking at the waters from below. In verse 7:17 we read, "the waters increased, and bore up the ark" -- and so it is here. Still finalizing the colors a bit, but it's pretty close to complete. And check out this detail shot.


Comics fans, be on the lookout for work by Jack Kirby, John Romita Jr., Alex Ross, Steve Ditko, and more -- pieces of The Punisher, The Avengers, Spider-Man, Superboy, Aquaman, Batman ... oh, so much good stuff!

If you like this and want to see more like it IN PERSON, please go check out my show called "Paper Midrash" at the Merage Jewish Community of Orange County through February 26. More details are available on my website.

Photos from the"Paper Midrash" Opening Reception

Just wanted to share a few pix from the opening reception of "Paper Midrash" a few weeks ago. The show is on through February 26 at the Merage Jewish Community of Orange County, and there are still some pieces available for purchase -- if you haven't been down there yet, check it out! (And thanks go out to RJW, who snapped some of these pix!) The first one below is a composite I made of two photos -- Hockney, look out!

"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.

The Big Fish(Paper Midrash)

Here's a Jonah-themed piece I created, and am still trying to figure out what to do with. Pardon the lack of good grammar there. While Jonah was sojourning in the big fish (or whale, if that's the way you interpret it) the fish gives him a big tour, showing him all sorts of water-related things -- represented by the patterns and comic textures you see here. This "Big Fish" is going to be in my show somehow.

"What show?" you may ask.

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.

The Flood(Paper Midrash)

This is actually a piece from about a month ago -- another in my series of comic textures. This time, using them to convey the deluge from above as Noah pilots his ark along the raging seas. My favorite touch is the "sploosh" you can just see peeking out from behind the ark.

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.

Burning Bush(Paper Midrash)

Last week I finished up this "Burning Bush." I've used comics textures sparingly here, and tried to build some real heat in the center of the bush. The flame burns, but does not consume.

Now I just need to get these photographed better -- it's harder to convey the impact of the papers and colors on film (at least, for me).

Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil - final(Paper Midrash)

Here's the final version of the tree -- all done except for framing, and then it'll be ready for the show.

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.

Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil(Paper Midrash)

This is a blurry (sorry) detail shot of the "Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil" I just cut for my upcoming show. In it you can see how I'm using bits of comics for background texture, as I'm doing in a lot of pieces for the show. The idea is using the mythology of comic books as a foil for the stories of the Jewish people.

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

Tree in Progress(Paper Midrash)

This is an in-progress look at a tree I'm working on. If I finish it, you'll see this and more at my upcoming show at the Merage Jewish Community Center of Orange County: "Paper Midrash: New Work by Isaac Brynjegard-Bialik." The opening reception will be from 2 to 5 p.m. on January 24, 2010.