Hebrew Letters
A favorite activity of mine to do with young ones is to have them choose a favorite letter and turn it into something else.
My example is my "Dancing Koof."
Growing up, I went to Hebrew School 4 days a week.
I loved it. I especially loved the Hebrew letters. My friend Ellen (z'l) & I used to write notes to each other in public school using Hebrew letters as a code-- just in case the notes'd get intercepted.
As I got older I played with the letters as artistic forms.
In 1983, at a planning meeting for a Jewish Feminist Conference in the San Francisco Bay Area, it was acknowledged that the existing poster that the group had wasn't woman-y enough.
I thought I might be able to come up with something... I went into the next room and came exited a few minutes later with this Alef.
It was part of my process of "coming out" as an artist.
...and Forms
I don't know what came first-- the forms or the letter play. They are intimately related.
The water colored "Dancing Figures" are celebratory.
The evolution of the five forms recognize a process of "Emerging" from a shut down state of being to one of readiness to engage with the world.