First peek: "Reuben" papercut detail

Just a teaser, really -- but I keep getting requests to see what I'm working on. So here's a small detail close-up of the "Reuben" papercut I'm working on now. It will be the first of a series on The Twelve Tribes.

"Paper Midrash" at Temple Ahavat Shalom: Photos From Class

I had a great time studying midrash and cutting paper in these two sessions at Temple Ahavat Shalom; my thanks and praise go out to our participants, who created some very nice work in the few hours we had together. Here are a few photos from today's session.

D.I.Y. Paper Midrash at Temple Ahavat Shalom

No fees, no reservations -- just show up!

Sketchbook leaves

Happy Tu B'shevat! This is from my sketchbook; I'm currently at work on the first design in a series based on the Twelve Tribes.

Happy Tu B'shevat from Nice Jewish Artist

Homage to Chagall's "The Violinist"

I created this as a submission for a music-related competition -- designing little artworks to represent various categories in an online music archive. This is my homage to Marc Chagall's "The Violinist" (see below), for a category of music called "American Klezmer."

Torah restoration "before and after" photos

My synagogue, Temple Ahavat Shalom, is currently restoring a 350 year-old Torah (details here); I couldn't resist sharing a couple of "before and after" photos showing the great work our sofer is doing. (Click the images below to see them larger.) The best part? Everyone at the synagogue gets a chance to write a letter in the Torah!

Hanukkah Double-Down

Just enjoyed my first (and probably last) Hanukkah Double-Down.

Recipe: laterally slice a jelly doughnut in half, insert one oversized latke, and enjoy -- it's like all of Hanukkah in one neat little package!

"Koufax" prints now available

I have a limited edition of 18 signed and numbered "Koufax" prints available -- archival giclee prints on Swiss archival watercolor stock. Print size is 20x16, including a 2" margin. If you're interested, let me know (before they're all gone) and we can talk price and shipping (as needed).

Koufax

I've completed the "Koufax" papercut commission and delivered it this morning -- I'm really pleased with how it turned out. I'm SO happy with it that I'm producing a limited edition of signed, numbered prints -- just email me with your contact information if you're interested in purchasing one. Click the pic above to see a larger image.

The piece is a single sheet papercut, backed with archival elements to represent the life and career of Sandy Koufax. It features clips from “The All-Star Story of the Dodgers,” a 1979 comic book published by Stadium Comics, as well as other baseball memorabilia.

The papercut is a triptych of shofarot, a symbol of Yom Kippur, the Jewish day of atonement. Koufax famously sat out game one of the 1965 World Series because it coincided with Yom Kippur. Why three? The number three reappears contantly with the blowing of the shofar; the Torah commands us three times to blow the shofar, and we are commanded to listen to it three times. There are, as well, three different shofar blasts: tekiyah, shevarim, and teruah; the different sounds of these blasts are reflected in the different patterns of each of the shofarot in the papercut.

The shofar on the right is composed of baseball bats, the natural browns reflecting the coloration of the shofar. At left is the “Dodger Blue” shofar; Koufax played his entire 12-year baseball career for the Dodgers, first in Brooklyn and then in Los Angeles. This shofar reflects that history with pieces of his uniform, stats about his career and records broken, a cheering crowd, and other elements. The shofar in the center includes images of Koufax on the mound, doing what he did so well: Koufax was the first major leaguer to pitch four no-hitters, he was named the National League’s MVP in 1963, and he was the first three-time Cy Young Award winner in baseball history. He was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1972, the youngest former player to receive that honor, and in May of 2010 he was included in a group of prominent Jewish Americans at the first White House reception in honor of Jewish American Heritage Month.

Hag Hanukkah Sameach from Nice Jewish Artist

Here's wishing you all a Happy Hanukkah! This is a shot of a Hanukkah papercut from a few years back -- taken in my house, in the frame, so forgive the shoddy repro quality (I think you can see my hands holding the camera in the reflection!). The Hebrew reads, "Nes Gadol Haya Sham" (a great miracle happened there).

"Koufax" papercut is nearly done -- enjoy this teaser!

Here's a real sweet detail shot of the "Koufax" papercut I've been working on; I'm really excited about finishing it up (soon!).

The original will be available for purchase, but also -- for the first time ever -- I'll be making available a limited edition of signed and numbered archival giclee prints. Details coming soon.

New papercut in development... Enjoy these teaser shots!

Here are a few early shots from while I was on cutting out the structures:

And here's a shot of it as I start to add in the backing. If you look closely, you'll find a hint about the final piece.

Completed commission: Aniversary Tree

This is the completed "anniversary tree" commission I just completed and delivered.

Created in celebration of a 25th wedding anniversary, the husband commissioned the work as a surprise gift for his wife. The trunk of the tree starts out as two colors, which mingle and intertwine as the tree grows, become inseparable where the leaves start to branch out. Within the leaves are the Hebrew names of the couple's three sons.

There are a few comic pieces thrown in (that's what I do, after all) but this is mostly backed with colored art papers.

Commission in progress: Anniversary gift

This is a detail from a commission I'm working on right now. It's a surprise anniversary gift from husband to wife, and (at his request) an arboreal piece, with the Hebrew names of their three children worked into the greenery.

"Tower of Babel" papercut incorporates comic speech bubbles

I never posted a photo of the completed "Tower of Babel" papercut that was in my recent show at Brave new World Comics -- and so with this post I remedy that situation.

It's composed in a shape reminiscent of a ziggurat, with a winding outer path that ascends to the top of the tower. The background is made of assorted cut-up speech bubbles from various comics, all chosen to reflect the theme of confusion, disorder, and emergent chaos that comes with the destruction of the tower.

Bereshit/Genesis 11:1-9

And the whole earth was of one language and of one speech. And it came to pass, as they journeyed east, that they found a plain in the land of Shinar; and they dwelt there. And they said one to another, "Come, let us make brick, and burn them thoroughly." And they had brick for stone, and slime had they for mortar. And they said, "Come, let us build us a city, and a tower, with its top in heaven, and let us make us a name; lest we be scattered abroad upon the face of the whole earth."

And God came down to see the city and the tower, which the children of men built. And God said, "Behold, they are one people, and they have all one language; and this is what they begin to do; and now nothing will be withholden from them, which they purpose to do. Come, let us go down, and there confound their language, that they may not understand one another's speech."

So God scattered them abroad from thence upon the face of all the earth; and they left off to build the city. Therefore was the name of it called Babel; because God did there confound the language of all the earth; and from thence did God scatter them abroad upon the face of all the earth.

The first ever (?) steampunk papercut: "Brave New World"

I'm happy to share a photo of my latest papercut with you, made as a gift for Portlyn and Atom!, the fine folks who helped bring you my latest show at Brave New World Comics. It's about them, so there are no doubt a few references that may go over one's head, but I believe the piece is nonetheless aesthetically pleasing. It includes bits and pieces of:

X-Men 179
OMAC
Ultimate Secret 3
Ultimate Extinction 3
White Tiger (trade book)
Superman 330 (1978)
Hulk 280 (1983)
Marvel Team-up 40 and 46 (1976)
ROM 27 (1982)
Fantastic Four 233 (1981) and 282 (1985)
Avengers 229 (1983)

"You did WHAT ... ?!?" featured on Proxart Blog

There's a good feature on my work and the show at Brave New World Comics on the Proxart blog today -- enjoy!

Free Sukkot "How To" Poster from Nice Jewish Artist

I made this poster a few years back as a fun instructional guide on "how to hold and wave the four species" -- feel free to download, print, distribute, and share (as long as you credit it to NiceJewishArtist.com). Just click on the little image on the right for a full-size, high-res JPEG sized 11x17 inches. Happy Sukkot!

Happy Sukkot from Nice Jewish Artist

Happy Sukkot! We B2s are busy getting our sukkah into shape, looking forward to a week of harvest fun; how about you?

The two shows are going well. We've already sold most of the work at Brave New World Comics, gotten a lot of great traffic at the Finegood Galley, and have gotten some good press. I thank you all for your support and interest. If you've been hoping to have a chance to own one of my comic book / papercutting mash-ups, this is your chance -- come on down to either one of the shows and check out what everyone's talking about!