Your Art

This art work is a silk wall hanging, around 19 x 36, commissioned by the famous poet Jill Levy, who wrote a poem entitled "Your Art," and had this vision of her work and my art work working together to create this work of art called "Your Art." I think it works, don't you?

Speaking of Hebrew Calligraphy...

Have you seen my instructional book on Hebrew Calligraphy? Here's a direct link to see it on my web site. The cover is below. If you click on the web site link, you can view a few pages. It's on sale through my web site for the holidays for $15.00 (or email me to purchase).

It's a complete how-to book, with practice pages included in the book. A great gift for the creative Jewish person or Hebrew learner in your life! I also have two gift bags which include my instructional book, a calligraphy pen and pen nib, and a bottle of ink, regular $36.00, now on sale for $32.00. Please email me if you're interested.

Calligraphy on Silk

To prepare the silk, so the calligraphy letters won't spread, I apply a layer of Jacquard's No Flow mixed down with some water. Then, I thicken up the silk dye with some Pebeo Soie Thickener. I've got a template underneath the silk for placement of the letters (and so I don't forget any). I use a flat brush, creating thick strokes with a flat stroke, and thin lines with just the edge of the brush.
This Hebrew calligraphy is the traditional blessing said when one adorns a tallit, or Jewish Prayer Shawl: "Blessed are You O Lord, our God, King of the Universe Who has sanctified us with Your commandments and commanded us to wrap ourselves in tsitsit."
The calligraphy in the context of the almost-finished prayer shawl.