“Nishmas” is one of the most personal paintings I’ve ever created. It was born from the words of my favorite tefillah — Nishmas Kol Chai — and especially from the pasuk that describes how even if our mouths were filled with song like the sea, our tongues with praise like its roaring waves, our eyes shining like the sun and moon, our hands outstretched like eagles’ wings, and our feet swift as the deer… it still wouldn’t be enough to thank Hashem for all the kindness He has done for us. I wanted to paint that feeling — the overwhelming, limitless gratitude that Nishmas expresses. A gratitude so deep that the natural world itself becomes the language of praise. Every element in this painting comes directly from the pasuk: the powerful waves representing a voice full of endless song the eagle soaring across the sky, wings spread in devotion the deer leaping with effortless grace, symbolizing our eagerness to praise the sun’s radiant beams breaking through the clouds, filling the scene with golden light the gentle suggestion of the moon woven into the sky’s shifting tones. The entire landscape is in motion, alive with energy — because true gratitude is alive. It moves, it rises, it overflows. I used 24k gold leaf to bring that spiritual radiance into the painting, so the light doesn’t merely sit on the surface; it becomes part of the emotion, the prayer itself. For me, Nishmas has always been an anchor — a tefillah that reminds me how much beauty and goodness Hashem showers into our lives. With this piece, I wanted to give visual form to that truth: that no matter how much we try to thank Him, it could never begin to match the vastness of His kindness. My hope is that this painting brings a sense of awe, uplift, and heartfelt gratitude into the space it lives in — a reminder that every day, in ways seen and unseen, Hashem continues to bless us beyond measure.
