Why make Biblical paintings in a world where art is so rarely used to serve a religious or spiritual purpose? For me, the answer lies in the question itself. Namely, because of their rarity, the contribution that new and contemporary Biblical paintings can make is all the greater. My work is intended as part educational (to illustrate topics from the sacred texts), and part inspirational (engendering a connection with the underlying meaning of the Bible).
A Colourful Landscape of the Jerusalem Hills This new painting depicting the Jerusalem hills emerged quite quickly and spontaneously. I think the energy comes across in the brushwork. I really enjoyed doing this painting because of just that flowing feeling. It’s far less technical than a lot of my work recently, and that’s definitely liberating. […]
2 Kings 2: As they were going along and talking, behold, there appeared a chariot of fire and horses of fire which separated the two of them. And Elijah went up by a whirlwind to heaven. Elisha saw it and cried out, “My father, my father, the chariots of Israel and its horsemen! יא וַיְהִי, […]
I find gold leaf painting very beguiling. It’s because of the sheen and reflectivity, the layers and the textures that you can achieve. Sometimes it can take years to finish a painting like this. Each time I come back to it, I add another layer, until the encrusted agglomeration of cracked and riddled surfaces becomes […]
Between Heaven and Earth I made this painting a couple of years ago, shortly after finishing the Daniel painting. Inspired by the angel from that project, I wanted to experiment a bit more with angels, which is a difficult subject. The story of Jacob’s Ladder is about the bridge between heaven and earth so in […]
This is another in my series of gold-leaf, decorative paintings on the Tree of Life theme inspired by Gustav Klimt. Pattern and decoration were key elements in the art nouveau canon of Klimt’s time, as well as in the Arts and Crafts Movement that preceded it. More recently the Pattern and Decoration Movement in the […]
“Late for Shul,” is the first painting in a new series of Jewish humorous art. With these paintings, I’ll be reflecting a wide range of Jewish life by painting people, places and situations which will be familiar to many in Israel and elsewhere. Working in a simple and colourful style, I want to convey a […]
Artists have for centuries painted their visions of the Bible. Adorning churches and manuscripts across the world, Biblical artists have created powerful visual embodiments of the Scriptures, and in so doing have represented the collective consciousness of mankind. Biblical art has mostly been the preserve of Christendom, while Jewish lore forbade figurative art. Judaic religious […]
Within Daniel in the Lions’ Den is also an angel painting…..There was much debate about how to depict the angel. The final stages of this painting involved quite a lot of changes, and included adding the angel with his golden wings (gold leaf protected by shellac varnish)……now that feels better! Daniel needed his angel. This […]
This is a contemporary Biblical painting on the theme of Daniel in the Lions’ Den. It is acrylic on canvas, with applied gold leaf, and measures 80cm x 80cm. The angels are depicted as ethereal globules of colour, but I’m not too happy with this treatment. Considering making some changes – I’ll post an update […]
The Stone Gallery, run by the Marshall family in Burford, Oxfordshire, has recently opened an exhibition to celebrate their 100th year. I’m very honoured to be one of the participating artists. The exhibition features work by several artists and I have eight works on display (and for sale). They can be seen in the picture […]
