I have a painting in an upcoming exhibit based on Psalm 27.  The exhibit, L'Dovid Ori, will be at the Old City Jewish Art Center in Philadelphia.  It is running from September 3rd through October 27th.   You could go to http://www.jewishartcenter.com/ for more information. 

I just went to an awesome exhibit at the Yeshiva University Museum, A Journey Through Jewish Worlds:  Highlights from the Braginsky Collection of Hebrew Manuscripts and Printed Books.  There are many ketubahs, megillas and other manuscripts- same dating back to the 15th century!  If you cannot make it to the exhibit (through August 1), there is a website of all the manuscripts- with zoom options and excellent resolution. Check it out at www.braginskycollection.com

This painting, "Academy Basement", received a merit award at the spring student show.  The assignment was to paint an interior at school.  I was excited with the way the pipes and other objects break up the surface of the painting and the abstract shapes that emerge.  I loved the process of painting this and was sad when we were summoned for the final critique (and I had to stop).

I did this painting for an in-class (and out-of-class) assignment.  There were two models (the man and the woman) in the studio and we had to invent an environment.  I made the mistake of not coming to the first session with a clear idea of what I would paint.  I only knew that I wanted to do an inner-city scene with graffiti.  Ha.  There were no obviously good images on Google and I somewhat impulsively decided to use Depression Era photos as references. So my second mistake was choosing to paint something I could not easily relate to.  I felt strange painting a very serious subject, ie. poverty, which I know very little about.  Was it wrong to use images of a very sad human condition solely for the purpose of creating art?  I know that question has been asked before and I am not sure there is a real answer.  Mistake 3: I started off with the square hut right in the center of the painting.  I have since made many seemingly minor adjustments with placement and perspective.  Breaking up the surface with various panels was also important.  Another issue that is still unresolved:  The girl looks strange and out of place.  I was not using a very good reference (hard to read).  Someone suggested I remove her altogether.  I'll let you be the judge.