Shawn Stearn's career as a ketubah artist came about simply becuase he got married. Love has long guided the 28-year-old artist, who met his wife, Lisa Sherman, in high school.

"The sanctity of marriage is something I hold close to my heart," says Stearn, who sells bearings and motors for Ithaca, N.Y. based Emerson Power Transmission."

"I relate to the amazing feelings between a bride and groom. The ketubah becomes a symbol of the couple - Jewish mysticism adds incredible spiritual interpretations such as equating marriage to the creation of a new universe."

Growing up in Oak Park, Stearn watched his father putter with acrylic paints. When he dropped the hobby, his son picked it up.

At the University of Michigan Stearn produced 2,000 T-shirts for "Hash Bash." The money he made from selling T-shirts bought his wife's wedding ring and part of their honeymoon. For his 1995 wedding, Stearn designed a ketubah with watercolors on cold-pressed, 90-pound paper.

Six hearts encircle a Jewish star, carrying symbols representing the fluidity of life: sun and moon, man and woman, doves, and the Hebrew phrase, "ani l'dodi v'dodi li," which means "I am my beloved's, and my beloved is mine."

Because he was nervous about his wedding, that marriage contract was the most basic he's done. Yet guest liked it so much, they asked if he could do one for them.

Stearn charges up to $2000 apiece, representing 40-80 hours of intense work. He uses Jewish symbols to represent sacred blessings, flowers and leaves for renewal and circles to signify an unending connection.

"There's so much you can do, bring personal touches into it," like the Red WIngs logo for a hockey-crazed couple or the city skyline where the couple lives.

When he's not selling automotive components or painting wedding contracts, stearn makes matrix art in vibrant colors, which is part of the diplay at Arthouse, the Berkley gallery that he co-owns with sister-in-law Terri. They feature only Michigan artists.

Article by Lynne Schreiber