Harrison, NJ: Two Brothers Turning Every Corner
My painting Harrison, NJ was inspired by a lifetime of exploring the world alongside my brother, Mitchell.
We grew up in Newark, New Jersey, rarely more than a few steps apart. We had a way of finding adventure wherever we were, even in the most ordinary places.
One of those adventures began on our first day of Hebrew school. Instead of going to class, we slipped away and spent the morning wandering through the neighborhood. Somewhere along the way, we met a duck.
We named him Goofy.
The next day at lunchtime, he was waiting for us. And the day after that, he returned again. Soon it became our secret routine. We would turn the corner, and there he was, waddling toward us like an old friend who had somehow become part of our lives.
To us, it felt completely normal.
Years later, our adventures carried us through the mountains of Guatemala.
The landscape changed with every mile. Open valleys gave way to dense forests. Walls of green surrounded the road, enormous leaves brushed against the windows, and bright wildflowers appeared in unexpected places. Sometimes we talked. Other times we simply watched the landscape unfold, sharing the quiet of the journey.
When I stand before Harrison, NJ today, I do not see only a landscape. I see the feeling of movement and discovery that has followed us throughout our lives. I see the endless greens, shifting light, and unexpected colors of those roads through Guatemala, but I also see two boys who once skipped Hebrew school to follow their curiosity and meet a duck named Goofy.
For me, it is the story of two brothers who kept exploring together, carrying the same curiosity from the streets of New Jersey to the mountains of Guatemala and every place in between.
