Joseph's Coat: Stage 2

Tel Aviv Pizza Co.

9" x 12"

Ink on Paper

Driving into the City

9 x 12

Sketches of Students: Jovani, Jazmin, Ambraya & Carliey

Jazmin

Jovani

Ambraya

Carliey

Hanukkah Tree

Guessing: 24" x 48"

I ended up using a canvas that I had sitting around for a couple years. 

This was done on a whim. 

Commissioned - Chicago, IL

Moses' Fury" Finished

Moses' Fury: "Destroying the Golden Calf"

30" x 40"

Oil on Canvas

(drying the top & bottom)

Sketches of students

Queen Esther

Queen Esther

12" x 18"

Ink on Paper

The Art of Chaim Livchitz

Walking into the home of Michael and Luda Livschultz was better than going to the Art Institute.

Their home is a living museum of the works of Chaim Livchitz, Michael's father. 

"The gallery was designed specifically for this painting, " Michael said. 

The man on the left holding the candlesticks is Chaim, my mother is in the red dress on the right, I modeled the clarinet player, my wife, the lady above the Rabbi on the left. He used family and friends as models. "This is a very sad painting, when it was in my sculpture studio I had to cover my father's work with white sheets so that I could focus on my work." "It is like reading poetry, everything for the first time. Each time. How can someone work when you have these paintings staring at you?"

"Misha", with his father overlooking his shoulder. 

"For every painting, he did studies."

This is the east side of the gallery. Inside the room to the right is filled with hundreds of more works of art. He simply has no space for it all. Entering the room, looking up to the left in the rafters, 100 paintings or more stacked side by side. Up the ladder, frames, and to the right, shelves of smaller hand painted portraits and scenes. 

A picture of his mother leans against the wall on the floor, behind the white basket.

His own sculptures on the black pedestals. 

The bookshelf inside the closet also holds black and white photography.

The photo on the bottom is Michael's father Chaim and his mother in the 1990s.

"This painting was used by a professor at a University to teach figurative painting."

The painting on the bottom is a smaller version of a larger work. 

The original was bought by a museum and is located in Minsk. 

The original is about 3 times the size. This piece is a study of the original that was commissioned. 

At the time, Jewish artists and Jewish art was not allowed. This was the first piece that was allowed to be debuted because it was commissioned. "The people flocked to see it."

"Can you tell the difference?" Michael said.

"Yes, the left one is your father's, the right one is yours." I replied.

"Yes, how did you know? We painted this side by side. He put me in the picture. "

Misha's dining room table. 

"One summer, for three months, it took my father to paint this. He spent 2-3 hours per day working on this with a palette knife."

"This is the last painting my father ever painted. Two weeks before his death."

In Misha's sculpting studio he points to the wall...

"See the palette at the top? That was the last palette used by my father. The photograph was taken 12 hours before he died."

Buffalo

9 x 12

Ink on Paper

Whodat: birds on a limb

Moses' Fury: Stage 2 with Palette

1. Tablets surrounded by fire... as it destroys the golden calf.

2. People trying to run away from their sins. 

3. Moses' hands stationary.

Thoughts:

1. More definition on human forms.

2. Show greater depth somehow.

3. Hands.

4. Cliff edge.

Tool of the day: Palette knife. 

King David: Psalm 11

"Psalm 11"

8.5" x 11"

Ink on Paper

א  לַמְנַצֵּחַ, לְדָוִד: בַּיהוָה, חָסִיתִי--אֵיךְ, תֹּאמְרוּ לְנַפְשִׁי;    נודו (נוּדִי), הַרְכֶם צִפּוֹר.	1 For the Leader. [A Psalm] of David. {N} In the LORD have I taken refuge; how say ye to my soul: 'Flee thou! to your mountain, ye birds'?
ב  כִּי הִנֵּה הָרְשָׁעִים, יִדְרְכוּן קֶשֶׁת,    כּוֹנְנוּ חִצָּם עַל-יֶתֶר-- לִירוֹת בְּמוֹ-אֹפֶל,    לְיִשְׁרֵי-לֵב.	2 For, lo, the wicked bend the bow, they have made ready their arrow upon the string, {N} that they may shoot in darkness at the upright in heart.
ג  כִּי הַשָּׁתוֹת, יֵהָרֵסוּן--    צַדִּיק, מַה-פָּעָל.	3 When the foundations are destroyed, what hath the righteous wrought?
ד  יְהוָה, בְּהֵיכַל קָדְשׁוֹ--    יְהוָה, בַּשָּׁמַיִם כִּסְאוֹ: עֵינָיו יֶחֱזוּ--    עַפְעַפָּיו יִבְחֲנוּ, בְּנֵי אָדָם.	4 The LORD is in His holy temple, the LORD, His throne is in heaven;{N} His eyes behold, His eyelids try, the children of men.
ה  יְהוָה, צַדִּיק יִבְחָן:    וְרָשָׁע, וְאֹהֵב חָמָס--שָׂנְאָה נַפְשׁוֹ.	5 The LORD trieth the righteous; but the wicked and him that loveth violence His soul hateth.
ו  יַמְטֵר עַל-רְשָׁעִים, פַּחִים:    אֵשׁ וְגָפְרִית, וְרוּחַ זִלְעָפוֹת--מְנָת כּוֹסָם.	6 Upon the wicked He will cause to rain coals; fire and brimstone and burning wind shall be the portion of their cup.
ז  כִּי-צַדִּיק יְהוָה, צְדָקוֹת אָהֵב;    יָשָׁר, יֶחֱזוּ פָנֵימוֹ.	7 For the LORD is righteous, He loveth righteousness; the upright shall behold His face. {P}

Reflection on the Pond: Study

Reflection on the Pond

16" x 18"

Pastel on Paper

Joseph's Coat of Many Colors

"Joseph's Coat of Many Colors"

8.5" x 11"

Ink on Paper

Moses' Fury: Stage 1

30" x 40"

Oil on Canvas

This idea originally came in the form of an ink drawing about 18 months ago, maybe longer.

It's been in my mind for a long time and needed to be realized.

Right now, the dilemma is:

1. How to show depth standing on the ledge of Sinai.

2. How to show the people scattering from the flames, maybe they should just fall off the canvas metaphorically into a pit, because they died anyway.

3. The fire. How should it look? It resembles the sky in Starry night a bit, and somewhat like a bouquet of roses. 

4. The hands should be realistic. 

5. His feet, I still think he'd see the tips of his toes standing on the edge. I don't think Moses was a hefty man with a belly so fat he couldn't see his feet. 

Musical Peacock

"Musical Peacock"

9 x 12

Ink on Paper

Wildcat Design for Student Shirts

9 x 12

Ink on Paper

Dancing on the Mulberry Tree

9 x 12

Ink on Paper

Forest in Paris

"Forest in Paris"

18x24

Pastels

King David and the Mulberry Trees

This is just an idea for a painting.

Samuel II Chapter 5.

David was hiding among the Mulberry trees and God told him to wait until the dancing of the angels could be heard atop the trees before he would defeat the Philistines.

This is just a rough sketch.

Fluttermorphosis

"Fluttermorphosis"

8.5" x 11"

Ink on Paper

Yo-Yo Ma

Yo-Yo Ma - Bach Cello Concerto

8.5"  x 11"

Ink on Paper

Tealips

"Tealips"

8 1/2 x 11

Ink on Paper

The Old Clock

"The Old Clock"

8 1/2 x 11

Ink on Paper

Temptation of Eve: Random Stages

Original Drawing: Eve taking the fruit from the tree.

(5 years ago)

Second Drawing: Adam and Eve reaching for the fruit.

Stage 1: First layer of paint. I didn't like where the hands were, so eventually it changed.

Stage 2: I thought she might stay as a silhouette, but instead I added color later.

Hr head is larger here, which I felt was much better. 

Stage 3: Giving light to her face, hair, shoulder, and hands. Lightening up the foliage, and a change in the position of her hand. 

Stage 4: Adding more color to her skin, shaping the fruit, the eyes,  and adding more leaves.

Stage 5: Adding shadows, glowing skin, more definition in leaves, and painting the hands.

Stage 6: Adding yet more definition to leaves, the collar bone, hair, and corrections on the shape and coloring of the hands. 

Stage 7: Paintings the sides, finishing hands, touching up the face and the fruit. 

Leonid is holding it up for me. I snuck a photo. 

Me with the painting. (although I see one error, I'll fix it quickly next week).