These mixed media paintings are about the presence of spirit. Hebrew letters in the Kabbalah, or mystical Judaism, are used as meditative aids, to guide one into various levels of the sacred. I began with the shapes of a few resonant Hebrew letters: the Aleph which sideways resembles a bird in flight; the Shin, which reminds me both of fire and of musical notes, and the open Mem, which reminds me of a doorway, and which symbolizes both water and womb. Later I added the Yod, a teardrop shape which sometimes means the word of G-d. To these Hebrew letter shapes I added other symbols and metaphors for divine energy: birds, wings, hands, and angels, along with "heavenly" materials like mica, metallic paint, and bells. The intent of the work, on the magical plane, is to focus divine energy on the earth. (Two paintings from this series are in the collection of Am Kolel and displayed at Sanctuary Retreat Center).
- Created: 1994
- Collections: Presence of Spirit (1992-95)