Susan Portman's Artwork

Inspired by Judaism and Jerusalem

As I sit out on our balcony in Jerusalem, overlooking the busy city, I think about the events that brought me here to this moment in time. The men in their black hats, the many colored and textured kippot, the buses whose Hebrew letters are all too familiar would have been only a storybook image to the girl I once was.

I wonder about the genetic component, the subtle influences, the sudden leap of faith that changes one's whole philosophy and lifestyle. As far back as I can remember, the beauty of my maternal grandmother's Shabbat table had an effect on me. Every Friday evening she lit her candles, sang Shalom Aleichem and then made Kiddush in English.

A rabbi's daughter who came to the United States from Sweden at the age of one, she knew no other language than English. How proud she would be to see her great-grandsons learning Torah and conversing in Hebrew. She was a widow for thirty years, spending her days praying, giving charity, and writing to her loved ones who lived far away. She was also a colorful lady who fed the birds and squirrels, made cherry pies and went to movies (only happy ones). Her life had its share of problems: the loss of two children and one not well, but she always told her grandchildren to "Have a happy heart." She lived her life with love and fear of Hashem [G-d] until the beautiful age of eighty five. It is in her blessed memory that I have reached this moment in time.

As an artist, I always felt the inner need to express myself, to produce something worthwhile and enduring. It is my constant yearning to create that which would extend beyond my own limited self, reach up and raise me closer to the infinite. Life, like art, is a creative process; a subtle and sophisticated process of self development. It can be slow and painstaking, but satisfying in the end. Whether we appreciate our own talents or not, we are provided with the special instruments needed to create, form, shape and color our lives.

Indirectly, we also shape and color the lives of our family and people in our environment.

I grew up in a time and place that did not afford me the protection of an insular and homogeneous community. The pulls and pressures of the dominant secular society were overwhelming.

In order to gain altitude, I had to go against the tide and draw from inner resources. I also owe thanks to the opportunities and individuals who helped me rise higher and gave me a spiritual lift.

My final goal was sometimes clear, and sometimes evasive, as my personal growth went through several stages and took various turns.

Along the way, I learned to adapt and to incorporate Torah directives into my own specific situation and circumstances. I worked in several directions simultaneously, all the while taking care not to disturb my family's peaceful balance and harmony, and gaining my own confidence. At the same time. I also reached out and opened our home and family to fellow travelers, Jews who were searching.

As I observe my family's growth in Torah, I realize the effort it took for my children to interrupt their college studies, go to Israel to study at Yeshiva, and then return to complete their college education. As a result, my children were able to apply their acquired Jewish knowledge to their professional fields, benefitting the Jewish and general community.

What better way to produce art than to live a Torah way that enriches our heart and soul!

Over the years I was able to complete many paintings. But with G-d's help I am still in the middle of completing the larger canvas, of a life inspired by Torah and mitzvot.

Susan Portman's Artwork

Susan received her formal art training at the Columbus College of Art and Design. She combines watercolor, gouache, ink and collage in her work. Susan has a strong interest in color and designs and how they interact and are perceived by the viewer. Her award winning paintings have been exhibited exclusively and are currently on display in synagogues, temples and private collections in the United States and abroad. Susan also gives private art lessons and workshops, and designs dolls.