The Art of Hand Calligraphy

While many hand-painted ketubot and other Judaic art today use computer-generated fonts or texts, none can truly match the beauty and authenticity of a ketubah that is hand calligraphied. Ancient scribes used a reed or quill dipped in ink; modern writers use either fountain pens, cartridge ink pens or, the more difficult, metal nib dip pens. I always use the latter for authenticity and quality. You can recognize quality calligraphy by a text's evenly spaced letters and lines. This evenness is not only pleasing to look at, but also continues a tradition of discipline and precision of the past. I aim to capture a sense of authenticity that links a couple's marriage to the rich cultural history of the ketubah and Judaism as a whole.

I create all of my art work with metal-nibbed dip pens, lush sable brushes, rich eternal permanent black ink and artist-class watercolor and gouache. You may choose to have your work commissioned on acid-free Bristol vellum or parchment. You may also have your art adorned with 22k gold leaf, applied with medieval technique. Each piece is customized and hand painted to the specifications of the buyer. Whether contemporary, traditional, flowers, leaves, ribbons, borders, scrolls, animals, Jerusalem cityscape or a vision of your own, each design takes on a life of its own.

All prints are professional reproductions on Arches Infinity acid-free watercolor paper. Prints are framed with archival materials, and are available in every text.