07 Feb 2013
Posted by ketubah9999 
0 Comment 
Jessica Kraft is one of Ketubah.com’s most popular artists so I was excited to interview Kraft via email about her work, her inspirations and to learn more about her. One fun fact: Kraft, and her designs, are environmentally friendly. Who knew?
What inspires your ketubah artwork?
“My ketubah artwork is inspired by color– I use very saturated hues in vibrant combinations, and I love to work with motifs from nature. The post-impressionists and fauvist artists of the late 19th and early 20th centuries, as well as artists who explore Middle Eastern culture, like the Orientalists, have been a big influence. My favorite artist is the French symbolist Odilon Redon, and I think you can see his influence in much of my artwork.”
What is your creative process like?
“When I get a commission, I like to search through my library of images until I find a few inspirational pieces that give me ideas for color or motif. Then I work up 3 or 4 digital drafts of color and composition ideas, show them to my client and hone the design as a collaborative process from there.”
What is your advice to brides and couples when they are choosing their Ketubah?
“To choose a ketubah, I think it is important to think about the longevity of the design, and get some second opinions on your choice. Will looking at your chosen ketubah give you pleasure for decades? Is it something that speaks to your deep aesthetic preferences? On a superficial level, you may also want to think about where it will hang in your house, and what else is in that room– how will the ketubah design complement or contrast with your other possessions? And as far as the text, I do think it is important for the couple to have their personalities and preferences embedded in the language, even if it is just in a single quote or Hebrew phrase.”
Does the fact that your art is on a Ketubah affect the design? Or does the design come first?
“Usually the design is set up before the artwork in prescribed shapes, so I work around that.”
What is your favorite medium to work with?
“I work digitally, in Photoshop, and then complete the finished image in gouache paint or oil crayon. I prefer using gouache because it is the most environmentally friendly paint, and has no fumes or toxic residue.”
Your ketubah “Four Seasons III” (also available in jewel tones) was named the #1 selling ketubah at Ketubah.com; what do you think makes it so popular?
“Four Seasons is extraordinarily colorful and impressionistic, and I think its visual reference to the seasons that a tree goes through, and the gentle passing of time, lends it an eternal quality that people want to associate with their future marriages. It also just looks like it is bursting with celebratory energy — a great emotion to capture visually in relation to a wedding.”
We couldn’t agree more!
For more on Jessica’s work and info please check out her site: www.KetubahKraft.com
To purchase any of Jessica’s ketubahs go to Ketubah.com
