This painting is about avodah that comes from love — the kind that unfolds quietly through daily life.

The city is meant to be reminiscent of Jerusalem, not as a fixed place but as a spiritual landscape. People move through its streets at different paces and in different ways. Some walk alone, some with children, some side by side. Each figure carries their own story, their own challenges, and their own personal steps of growth.

Every person has a unique path. No two journeys look the same. Yet in this painting, all movement is oriented in one direction.

Above the city, softened into the sky, the Bais Hamikdash appears — not immediately noticeable, but present. It represents the shared destination beneath all of our individual paths: closeness to Hashem. Even when we are immersed in the ordinary rhythms of life, something deeper is guiding our steps.

The trees throughout the city symbolize growth — steady, rooted, and ongoing. They reflect the way spiritual growth happens quietly over time, as we continue walking, learning, and becoming.

I used a luminous, restrained palette to create a feeling of elevation rather than drama. Layers of 24k gold leaf, mica flakes, and genuine diamonds are embedded throughout the surface, catching the light subtly and shifting as the environment changes. These materials represent the hidden sparks within the physical world — moments of holiness waiting to be revealed.

This work reflects many paths and many steps, all moving toward the same light. It is a reminder that when avodah is guided by love, every step — no matter how small — becomes part of a greater ascent.