In my work as a ketubah artist, I have found two types of ketubahs to be popular.

The first is the personal ketubah, which reflects the life of the bride and groom. I have painted people's portraits, homes, dogs, vacation memories, honeymoon destinations, hometowns, Judaica, and favorite icons, symbols, and foods. Each of these ketubahs is completely unique because I create each design around the personal symbols.

The second is what I call the "Art Ketubah". "Art" both because I have used contemporary artists and art forms for inspiration and because the final products are destined to become a piece of very fine art in my clients' homes.

Recently I have discovered a third type of ketubah, which I call "Art Ketubah with Personal Symbols". This is a hybrid of the first two.

So far I have made ketubahs based on the imagery of Paul Klee, Mark Rothko, Tamara De Limpikta (an art deco artist), American Quilts, Gustav Klimt, Salvador Dali, and Wassily Kandinsky. My Art Ketubahs tend to be large and intensely colorful, although I can work with any palette, shape and size. The intention of my clients in co-designing these Art Ketubah with me is to own a piece of art that can be appreciated first for its beauty and second for the fact that it is also a wedding document. Let me stress that most of my clients co-design their ketubahs, choosing the colors, size, text, and imagery. The result is a highly diverse range of ketubahs that only marginally reflect my own styles. In fact, I feel that my style is being stretched and challenged constantly by my work as a ketubah artist!

Due to their popularity, I decided to make a handful of the Art Ketubahs into limited edition prints. This is a new business that I am developing. I am constantly making new paintings to become prints.

With the hand-made ketubahs, my writing is a simple Hebrew block font, which can be hand-printed in any color, including metallic colors such as gold, copper, and silver. I have a lot of fun formatting the Hebrew and English texts into interesting shapes on a wonderful Hebrew-friendly program called Nisus Writer. I also am developing the art of Hebrew calligraphy. I can use calligraphy on vegetable parchment paper (burnt edges are popular) or on hot-pressed watercolor paper (although the writing is more even on the parchment). Calligraphy can also be done in various colors.

With the limited edition prints, I use a font called "ranana". The texts are printed in various colors depending on the image. Generally I try to blend the colors with the images.

CARE INSTRUCTIONS FOR YOUR KETUBAH

ABOUT NISHIMA

If you are now wondering, "Where does the name 'Nishima' come from?" you are posing the most frequently asked question I ever receive.

My father, an Indian Hindu, had an idea he should give his first daughter the name 'Nishi,' or a "good night" in Hindi. Nishi being a nickname, he decided to lengthen Nishi to the Japanese 'Nishima,' but to call me Nishi. As a young adult, as I was finding my deepest soul drawn to Judaism, my Jewish friends began asking me if my name was taken from 'Neshama,' or "Soul" in Hebrew. Thus, when I converted to Judaism, I reclaimed my birth name Nishima in honor of my Hebrew Soul, my Neshama.

I was born in 1969 to parents who had recently immigrated from England and India. With a Christian mother and a Hindu father, I was relatively free to explore religion and identity on my own. While attending the University of Pennsylvania, my spiritual quest led me to Judaism.

I graduated from Penn in 1992 with degrees in Russian studies and Multinational Management from the Wharton School of business. Yet I continued to search for my life's work. I soon discovered that my deepest passion and destiny was to be an artist. I continued my studies at the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Art.

I studied at the Academy for three years, receiving a classical training in drawing, painting, printmaking and sculpting.

In 1998, I designed and painted my first Ketubah as a wedding gift for friends. Since then I have worked with dozens of couples to create my original ketubahs. Recently I have been drawing upon my business school training to develop this artistic work into a true business.

I live and work in Asheville, North Carolina.

My Mission Statement

I am an artist, first and foremost. Couples have co-created some of my best designs by sharing their favorite art with me. Many of my designs are contemporary paintings which can stand alone as pieces of art.

My formal training includes three years at the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts in Philadelphia, the oldest, most classical, and possibly most rigorous art school in the United States. (It is the North American equivalent of a European Art Academy.)

Having a classical art training allows me to work in a variety of styles and media, as realistically or abstractly as my clients desire.

In the past three years, I have developed numerous ketubah designs in direct collaboration with marrying couples. As a result, I have crafted a gallery of ketubah designs that reflects contemporary tastes in art. My plan for the upcoming years is to continue developing my gallery.

I work with a comfortable number of clients, couples who are looking for personal attention. I am a small businesswoman, with a degree from the Wharton School of Business and three years of intensive art training at the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts.

In order to preserve the high-quality of personal service that each couple deserves, I commit to only a small number of commissioned orders each year (Hand-Made Ketubahs.) The sooner you place an order with me, the better chance we will have of working together!

With my Limited Edition Prints*, I strive to maintain a level of quality that I can be proud of. I personally oversee every step of production, from the range of texts that I offer to the archival paper and inks that our printers use for the artwork.

"Nishima Originals" is my business. My husband, Alon, and I do not employ anyone else. We are literally a "Mom and Pop" store. A Ketubah Boutique, if you like. We like to imagine ourselves as medieval Craftsmen (although with Mac G4s), working side-by-side in our home studio/office.

The phone number you see on the screen is our home number. When you call us, you will be speaking to either me or Alon, not a salesperson.

We are here to answer all your questions, to guide you through the process of ordering and creating a Ketubah, and even to help calm your jitters as the Big Day arrives (we were there ourselves, only eight years ago.)

I am a scholar, seeking out cutting-edge, meaningful ketubah texts. I work with a team of Rabbis, Translators and Ketubah Scholars to bring you the best, most meaningful texts.

As a Ketubah artist, I recognize that I am not only providing you with beautiful art for your home. Along with you and your Rabbi, I am helping to prepare the sacred and legal foundation upon which your marriage rests.

This is why I am committed to understanding what each text means and how each text reflects a different awareness of the joys and responsibilities of marriage.

I also understand that for many couples today, their ketubah text is a very personal and intimate "document" of their love for each other. For those couples who want a truly personal document, I can facilitate the translating of their English vows/ text into Hebrew.

In some ways, working with couples on their texts is the most exciting part of my work.

Judaism in America is in a process of dynamic growth and reinvention. Los Angles may be the prime center for at least some of this expansion. In fact, I have come into contact with four authors of Ketubah texts that draw upon Jewish tradition, remain true to Halacha (Jewish law), and respond to modern requirements, experiences, and sensibilities.

This work of examining the tradition and discovering what is relevant today is absolutely vital to the life of Judaism. Unfortunately, these exciting developments remain unknown to most Rabbis and marrying couples.