About me
I feel like I was born with a paintbrush in my hand. Since I was a little girl, I have been painting at every opportunity including during class (please don't tell my teachers).
I feel like I was born with a paintbrush in my hand. Since I was a little girl, I have been painting at every opportunity including during class (please don't tell my teachers).
Over the years, I have been trained by painters Asher Rodnizki, Batya Geffen, and others. Being mostly self-taught, I have continued to be inspired by different painting styles. I love the depth, accuracy, and tricks of light and shadow in Rembrandt's paintings. At the same time, I am also drawn to the Van Gogh's rich Impressionist style.
Over the years, I have been trained by painters Asher Rodnizki, Batya Geffen, and others. Being mostly self-taught, I have continued to be inspired by different painting styles. I love the depth, accuracy, and tricks of light and shadow in Rembrandt's paintings. At the same time, I am also drawn to the Van Gogh's rich Impressionist style.
At different times in my life, I have painted in different styles, usually a subject that interests me or a personality that I connect with. For example, when I read about Rabbi Michael Dov Weissmandl זצ"ל, I was amazed and impressed, so I expressed my feelings of respect for him in my painting.
This is also the case with Rabbi Moshe Feinstein זצ"ל, Rabbi Yekutiel Yehuda Halberstam זצ"ל (the Kloyzenburg Rebbe), and others.
While I was raising my 12 children, I wrote and illustrated children's therapy books. I have illustrated more than a hundred children's books, and I considered it a special mission to bring quality illustrations to the then new-born world of Jewish children's books. It is significant to me that I was able to create sweet paintings for Jewish children that were no less engaging than mainstream children's books. I also published "Shuki"—an illustrated children's computer program that teaches the Alef Bet and the Jewish daily timetable for children. Today my books are sold on Amazon and selected bookstores throughout the Jewish world.
While I was raising my 12 children, I wrote and illustrated children's therapy books. I have illustrated more than a hundred children's books, and I considered it a special mission to bring quality illustrations to the then new-born world of Jewish children's books. It is significant to me that I was able to create sweet paintings for Jewish children that were no less engaging than mainstream children's books. I also published "Shuki"—an illustrated children's computer program that teaches the Alef Bet and the Jewish daily timetable for children. Today my books are sold on Amazon and selected bookstores throughout the Jewish world.
Illustrating children's books improved my sensitivity and skills for the dynamics inside the composition, interactions between the image elements, and the body language of characters and cartoons. All that time, I missed my old love and I wanted to go back to the artistic painting and indeed in the last few years I have returned to artistic painting in oil or watercolors. I create custom-made specialty portraits and unique paintings to capture individual and family lore, and to honor those people, events, and ceremonies that make us uniquely us.
I take great care and have utmost respect of watercolors because they are not forgiving. Once you have touched the paper with a paintbrush, you cannot change your mind and cover up the color. Therefore, it is necessary to apply the colors with discretion and careful planning.
I love the intense contrast in working with watercolors—contrast between the lights and the shadows and contrast between the typical spread of watercolor and the accuracy of the brush. All of this adds to the dimensions of strength and depth of the painting.
I take great care and have utmost respect of watercolors because they are not forgiving. Once you have touched the paper with a paintbrush, you cannot change your mind and cover up the color. Therefore, it is necessary to apply the colors with discretion and careful planning.
I love the intense contrast in working with watercolors—contrast between the lights and the shadows and contrast between the typical spread of watercolor and the accuracy of the brush. All of this adds to the dimensions of strength and depth of the painting.
Painting the Lubavitcher Rebbe's portrait took about a week, but it was after 16 years of growth and introspection. It was important to me to leave a lot of space, but to be clear about the focus of the painting, when everything else fades away. The transition from the cold colors to the warm ones express the personality of the Lubavitcher Rebbe—a personality that lovingly combined love, warmth, and lofty virtues with clear and rational leadership.
Painting the Lubavitcher Rebbe's portrait took about a week, but it was after 16 years of growth and introspection. It was important to me to leave a lot of space, but to be clear about the focus of the painting, when everything else fades away. The transition from the cold colors to the warm ones express the personality of the Lubavitcher Rebbe—a personality that lovingly combined love, warmth, and lofty virtues with clear and rational leadership.
As for oil paintings, it is impossible to describe the intensity of the experience. I can stand for seven hours straight on my feet and forget about everything else. I don't feel hungry or thirsty, and I don't even feel my legs. Only a sublime delight and a joy of creation. When I finish my daily work, I sit back on my chair completely exhausted. I look at the painting and don't understand how it came to be. It's not possible that I painted it. I'm not capable of that. It is the Almighty who created it through me, and I was just the vessel. I cannot properly describe the intensity of the experience
As for oil paintings, it is impossible to describe the intensity of the experience. I can stand for seven hours straight on my feet and forget about everything else. I don't feel hungry or thirsty, and I don't even feel my legs. Only a sublime delight and a joy of creation. When I finish my daily work, I sit back on my chair completely exhausted. I look at the painting and don't understand how it came to be. It's not possible that I painted it. I'm not capable of that. It is the Almighty who created it through me, and I was just the vessel. I cannot properly describe the intensity of the experience
Aside from the paintings I create with my own imagination, I also paint by commission. Institutions have commissioned paintings for the president of the institution or to show gratitude to a donor. When I receive such an invitation, it is important for me to hear about the institution and its activities, to connect to their heart, to the meaning of what they do in a broad sense, with a human perspective, and for the coming generations.
When I'm asked to paint a portrait of a cherished family member or well-known and interesting personality in order to commemorate his memory in painting, I am interested in hearing the stories behind that person and to hear about the history from different perspectives. It is important for me to hear from someone who knew him so I can get an impression beyond the cold technique, and to express it in the painting.
When I paint a commissioned piece, it is important to me that it starts with a personal connection. Because more than anything else—more than the colors and the brushes, I work with people and for people.
