Mazal tov!

Here's the happy couple signing their ketubah — mazal tov to Michael and Michael!

Latz-Simon Ketubah: Mt. Rainier, Victoria Falls, and Metzada

 

This week I finished my latest papercut ketubah, and I've just heard that the couple received it... so now I can share some pictures here on my blog!

As with all of my ketubot, I spent some time talking with the couple to get a sense of who they are and how to represent them at this time in their life together. They told me about their love of travel and their love of Israel, about where they've been and where they're going.

The entire ketubah is sheltered with a stylized hupah of the Seven Species, and under the text are three "heights" that represent their lives: Mt. Rainier (lower left), Victoria Falls in Rhodesia (lower right), and Metzada (directly under the text) -- you can see close-ups of the landscape images below. The backgrounds are composed of handmade textured papers, maps, some old science and nature books, and -- of course -- some comic books.

And what a great coincidence that this ketubah -- for two fine Jewish gentlemen -- should be completed the same week that President Barack Obama declared his support of marriage equality!

As always, click on any of the pix (above or below) to see them larger.

The Cooper-Poster Ketubah

I couldn't be prouder of the ketubah I just completed for David Poster and Rebecca Cooper; it's the one I've been sharing details from here on the blog, and now I'm letting you see the whole thing (click on the pic to see it larger).

The overall look of the ketubah is based on a deco aesthetic, to reflect the feel of the Palais Royale, where they will celebrate their wedding; this can be seen in the decorative borders, the patterned style of the imagery, and the English calligraphy style.

The Torah portion from the week they were married is Parashat Bo, which describes the preparations our ancestors undertook in Egypt prior to the Exodus, which we now celebrate as Passover. Specifically, the mezuzah is discussed, and that is represented as an abstracted door frame around the ketubah, built out of traditional wedding verses from the book of Jeremiah: “It is still heard in the land of Judea, and in the street of Jerusalem: the sound of celebration and joy, the voice of the bride and groom.” This shape also represents the hupah under which they were married.

The main imagery is based on the seven species, described in the Torah, in the book of Deuteronomy: “A land of wheat, and barley, and vines; of fig trees and pomegranates; a land of olive oil and date honey.” This is a traditional Jewish motif, selected to illustrate David and Rebecca’s love of cooking together. The colors are warm and organic, reflecting the natural world.

B'ruchim ha-ba'im.

I've decided to start documenting my artwork with this blog -- just a small record of bits of pieces as I go about creating papercuts, paintings, and other art. Today: a detail from a ketubah I just completed that features a "seven species" motif; this is a palm tree, representing date honey.


All work on this site is copyright by Isaac Brynjegard-Bialik; see more at my website.