Custom Painting for Toronto School Chapel
A new painting for the school chapel at Leo Baeck Day School. According to the school Rabbi, this new painting “provides us not only with a powerful visual when we face the Ark, but a new teaching opportunity as well."
The Meaning Behind the Artwork
The chapel painting design is based on a deconstructed star shape and an abstracted summer landscape. A glimpse of nature and the outdoors is seen under the transparent triangles.
The original stone surface was a slightly transparent white. Thin layers of paint allow light to shine through the painting. The texture of the paint surface also changes the way the light and colours look from different angles.
Color Meaning in my Painting Art
The main artwork colours are yellow and blue, the school colours (as requested by my kids). Subtle hints of deep reds and soft purples are included to symbolize spirituality, wisdom and strength (the traditional art history associations for red and purple). The green in the landscape represents nature, harmony and growth.
I was very happy to be invited to create a painting for this Toronto School Chapel. See more images here of the painting installed in the chapel. Below is a short video of the painting viewed from different angles installed on top of the Torah Ark. In the video you can hear the school children singing “Oh, Canada” in the background. A very patriotic, truly Canadian video soundtrack!Thank you, Leo Baeck!
I’m so very honoured to have my artwork included in this sacred and spiritual school space. I hope that the Leo Baeck Day School staff and students enjoy this painting.