A commissioned painting starts long before the first brushstroke. It starts with a wall, a room and an idea you have probably carried for a while: Jerusalem at a certain hour, a scene of prayer, a colour that belongs in your home. If you are thinking about commissioning a Judaic painting from Chaya Koritz, this guide covers what to prepare so your first conversation with her studio is useful from the start.
Start with her existing work, not a blank page
Chaya Koritz paints original Judaic art from her studio in Jerusalem, working in acrylic on canvas and, in some pieces, gold leaf. Her subjects come from Jewish life and sacred places: Jerusalem and its stone, prayer at the Western Wall, Chasidic dance, the menorah and the Beit HaMikdash. Her page on commissioned paintings suggests the same first step as this guide: browse her collections to see her range before you describe what you want.
This matters because a commission is not a copy service. Her About page describes a self-taught painter who became a resident artist at Studio Kli, where she continues to develop an expressionistic style: expressive forms, calming palettes and touches of gold. That way of painting is what you are commissioning. Pick two or three existing works that feel closest to what you imagine, and note what draws you to each one. For example:
- Golden Jerusalem lets gold leaf shimmer across the walls and rooftops of the city in a wide 80×140 cm format.
- Circle of Faith places three dancing Hasidic men inside a radiant circle of gold on a square 80×80 cm canvas.
- Sacred Blue: A Moment at the Kotel immerses a whole scene of prayer at the Western Wall in shades of blue.
“I love the gold in this one and the calm of that one” is a perfectly good brief.
Measure the wall and photograph the room
The commission page asks you to describe the space. The most useful description is a measurement and a photo. Measure the width of the wall and of any furniture the painting will hang above, and the height from floor to ceiling. Then photograph the wall in daylight, and again in the evening with your usual lamps on.
Light matters more than people expect with this kind of work. On the pages for her gold leaf pieces, Chaya describes how the gold catches and reflects light differently depending on where you stand. A wall facing a window behaves very differently from a dim hallway, and the artist can only plan for that if she knows.
For scale, the listed sizes of her works on the site run from 70×90 cm to 100×150 cm. Kever Rachel: Where Prayers Rise is one of the largest at 100×150 cm. Picturing a listed size on your own wall is a quick way to decide whether you want something similar, smaller or larger.
Choose a subject, and say why it matters to you
The subject is the second thing the commission page asks about, and it is more than a single word like “Jerusalem”. Say what the place or moment means to you: a site where your family prays, a view you remember, a holiday you want the room to hold all year. Her artwork descriptions show how personally she approaches a subject. In Past and Present in Perfect Harmony she paints Chassidim in prayer at the Kotel with bold, contemporary colour, and describes the piece as suited to a private collection, a synagogue or a modern living space.
Bring a colour direction
Colour is the third thing the studio asks about. The site already groups her work by palette, with neutral, blue, gold and pink palette collections, which makes this easier. If your room is built around warm stone and cream, start with the neutral palette paintings; if it leans cool, look at the blue palette. Naming the collection that feels right, plus a photo of a cushion, rug or tile from the room, says more than any colour name.
Homes and sacred spaces
Chaya creates commissioned paintings for homes and for sacred spaces such as synagogues. If the work is for a shared space, say so early and tell the studio who needs to approve the design. A home commission may be one person’s decision; a synagogue or community commission usually involves several people, so allow for that in your own planning.
Ask, rather than assume
Every commission is different, so some answers can only come from the studio. Before you agree to anything, ask about the price, how long the painting will take, whether you will see a sketch or work in progress, and how the finished painting will reach you. If you live outside Israel, her FAQ explains that paintings are shipped rolled and recommends framing them in your home country, so plan for a local framer.
Your checklist before you write
- Two or three existing works you are drawn to, and why.
- Wall and furniture measurements.
- Photos of the room in daylight and in the evening.
- The subject, and what it means to you or your community.
- A palette direction from her collections.
- Your questions on price, timing and delivery.
When you have these ready, send your notes and photos to Chaya Koritz. A clear first message makes the whole commission easier for both sides.
