My environment
I am a Jerusalem artist and I live in the land
of the Bible. Being an artist is a very important part of my personality and I
cannot imagine being in any other profession. I was born and raised in the
U.S.A., specifically Colorado and Arizona. Jerusalem has been my home since
1985. The spiritual, cultural and political history, together with the biblical
sources, create for me an ideal environment as a fine artist who reflects the
ever-sharpening focus of biblical, national, and international events. My
multi-faceted impressions of living in the land of Israel and Jerusalem as well
as the developments of the past three decades are naturally portrayed in my
work.
My roots
Since early childhood I have always been an artist. My
style is a combination of influences from the Italian masters of the
Renaissance, particularly Leonardo DaVinci and French masters from the
Impressionistic period, specifically Paul Cezanne. In addition, I had the great
privilege to work as an apprentice under the French composer Darius Milhaud and
his wife, learning the art of set design for opera. In the four years I worked
with the Milhauds, they introduced me to the Parisian Cubists who would really
guide me in developing my style and the way I compose drawings.
My passion
I have always had a passion for the outdoors, for nature and for the reflections
of God as seen in his Creation. I have sought to find the beauty in life around
me and struggled to express that beauty. Somehow I know that human beings can
never imitate the beauty of Creation, but as an artist, I believe that I can
participate in the understanding of the divine creative process. Painting in the
land of Israel, the land of the Bible, the Holy Land, is an on-going encounter
with the paradoxes of beauty, tragedy, and sorrow along with the anticipation of
a future hope. I may never have the answer to this land’s yearnings, but I am
sure that my visual contributions help people gain a wider and more open
perspective... to help people to look heavenward.
My studies
I love learning and
enhancing my professional abilities. In addition to being an artist, I studied
and completed the course in Israeli tour guiding at Hebrew University and in my
work as a guide I specialize in biblical tours of the Land, prayer tours, and
spiritual pilgrimages. I am now studying for a Master’s degree in the Second
Temple period and my intention is to complete a PhD. I have authored a book
called Golah v’ Geulah “Exile and Redemption,” a meditation with paintings,
texts, and commentary.
My work and themes
My experience as a fine artist ranges
from private and public commissions to group and solo exhibitions. I have
exhibited in Israel, U.S.A., and Europe. I have worked in oils, watercolors,
drawing media, mural painting and mosaics. My latest work involves high-quality
limited-edition prints known as "Giclees" which capture my deep love for high
color quality. The principle themes in my paintings are biblical and historical
as well as biblical landscapes of the land of Israel and biblical narratives. I
have expressed these themes in a “series” form such as, “If I forget you, O
Jerusalem,” a prophetic proclamation of God’s end-time purposes for Jerusalem.
“The Gates of Jerusalem” is an intercession for the Old City of Jerusalem.
“Israeli Landscapes” is a series concerning the Restoration of Israel. “The Life
of Jacob” series depicts the dream and struggle of Jacob, as well as Israel in
the end of times. “Exile and Redemption” depicts Israel’s wanderings through the
1900 years of Exile ending with the Holocaust, the return to Zion, the
apocalyptic end of the age events, culminating in the final Redemption of
Israel.
I have painted the “Compassion of Jesus,” a series depicting God’s love
and mercy for broken and needy people and the “Prophets” a prophetic series of
some of the prophets of Israel. The “Twelve Tribes of Israel” is a view of
Israel in the Messianic Kingdom, and recently the “Feasts of Israel” depicting
the biblical Feasts of the Lord. My studio is home-based and my gallery is in
the heart of Jerusalem.