Who are the people in your neighborhood?!?

ok - you hear the words - and if you are anywhere close to my age - middle aged bliss that is - you grew up on the beloved Sesame Street. I loved it - I looked forward to every new day of Big Bird, Ernie and Bert and of course THE COOKIE MONSTER!!!! I was thinking about that the day I created this little canvas. I had in mind a child whose parents might have grown up the same way as me and might want something a little funky to decorate their child's room with. I used digital images of vintage stamps and Israeli advertising posters that kinda answers that question...if you are in Israel that is...and your street is Rechov Ben Yehuda! This collage is created on an old hebrew language workbook pages with vibrant colorful images that just POP off the canvas!!

No Running With Scissor: Cutting Edge Judaica

Hey - I'm Debbie Gorin and am starting my first foray into blogging.

I create mixed media judaic art peices that are intricate and funky. Though I am back in NY now - for a lifetime I lived in Atlanta, GA where I raised 3 great kids. Two of them off and flew ( made aliyah) to Israel and the youngest is in HS. I remarried to an amazing incredible guy almost 9 months ago and moved to NY. While I lived in Atlanta, I was art teacher and art director extraordinaire. I was immersed in art completely and I loved my students...ok....flash forward..living in NYC...new job....office manager for a mental health outpatient clinic - not exactly a creative position. which brings us to today - I needed an outlet for all my loves: history, jewish heritage studies, the land of Israel and art, art and did I mention art?!!

I do alot of research in creating my artworks - digitizing illuminated manuscrips 800 years old, kettubahs 400 years old and combining it with vintage stamps and israeli advertisements - cutting (YOU SEE THAT WHERE THE SCISSORS COME IN!!!!) them into homes and buildings that dot the landscape of Israel.

Sometimes I paint the backgrounds, or collage using old manuscripts - the pic above is called "The Mystical City" - each stamps or image is chosen carefully to correspond to the theme. Occasionally I throw in Pirkei Avot ( Ethics of our Fathers) which is basically a series of quotes handed down by the leaders of generations explaining the code of behavior and practices the Jewish nation should live by. Check out http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/pirkei_avot for more info. I used an old discarded toy megillah that my husband salvaged and brought home from synagogue one day. I try to make sure not to use materials that have the name of G-d in it as a point of respect.

I enjoy playing around with a variety of materials...that's the key - playing..when I play things come out great - when I'm worried or have to complete a commision is when I start having problems. So...I put on music and yell at myself to RELAX and some things clicks - don't you love it when things start happening!

Come join my trip into create Judaica that is anything but the usual...welcome to no running with scissors - judaica on the cutting edge!

Check out my site on Etsy @ www.etsy.com/shop/norunningwithscissor

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