As an artist, I live for the story — and The Big Life Story is what my Chai series is all about. This one specific word is a Remarkable way for me to engage the full feeling of LIFE, and to express it outwards. I also use my daily prayer to bring metaphor and meaning into my studio and send it out through “Chai.” Chai affirms that it's within our capacity to be joy-filled in our lives. I saturate my pictures with color, hope, and deep modern wisdom gained from all my experiences.

Why this project? Well, I grew up believing that one day we’d all be living in a truly free society and we'd be reflecting the riches of peace and love and justice and loving-kindness. I thought we’d be there now!

I have always wanted to create art and illustrations that illuminated these values. The world of commercial illustration was smothering my soul and I was having profound and moving experiences not making art per se — sitting at my kitchen table, improvising tunes for Song of Songs and the Psalms. My world was expanding with the feeling of life, with compassion, color, and line. I knew practically nothing about Jewish practice, but I knew I wanted to explore a Jewish theme.

But Wait! Um—Graven images!

And the tropes . . . Bible stories and study houses, scholars and Chasidut, the shtetl — and now even Mr Chagall. I appreciate Marc Chagall, but how many floating brides and violinists can the world hold? I wondered what else could this be?

One day, I fell into a reverie contemplating the Hebrew word for Life — חי (Chai).

In, through, and around the letterforms, I witnessed endless possibilities! And I found one of my throughlines to explore and comment on what's important now. 

Read my interview in "Judaica in the Spotlight"