"Art Lishma"---Paint Your Own Pottery
Everyone Can Be an Artist in Tzfat
Visiting Tzfat is a wonderful experience for people who want to explore the Old City's lanes and alleys, sightsee in the Old Synagogues, and browse in the galleries of art and Judaica. Yet "what to do" always remains a frustration for visitors who want to be more active, especially groups and families with children. After all, when you're 10, how many synagogues can you gaze at?
That's where Art Lishma comes in. For the Sake of Art studio allows individuals and groups to come in, create a piece of art in a fun and creative manner, and receive it at the end of the activity.
Art Lishma is the brainchild of Adam and Tamar Bodenstein, a young couple who moved to Tzfat two years ago to work as program coordinators for the Livnot U'Lehibanot Israel Experience Program. After a journey to New Zealand with their young daughter they returned to Tzfat to open Tzfat's first Paint Your Own Pottery studio. Neither Tamar nor Adam are trained artists, but that is just the point of their studio -- everyone of all ages and artistic talent can enjoy producing a beautiful piece of art by which to remember their experience in Tzfat. The Bodenstein's love the vibe of the "artistically Jewish" Tzfat and this love is reflected in their studio. Eighty different pieces of pottery are offered to paint including a wide variety of Judaica pieces, kitchenware, decorative objects, and children's themed pieces.
For the Sake of Art
The Art Lishama studio is located in the Bodenstein's home, an old Tzfat Ottoman-era structure on Keren HaYesod Street, just below the main Tzfat Old City-Artist Quarter parking lot. They work in conjunction with other local potters and ceramicists who have provided some of their own handmade work for the studio's selection, as well as advice and assistance in starting.
They chose to call it Art Lishma because in Hebrew, Lishma means "for it's own sake". The idea of the studio, Adam explains is "to provide people with the opportunity to have fun through doing art on their own".
How it Works
Adam explains how the process works:
"1) Choose a ceramic piece of your liking from over 80 choices.
2) Sketch your original design with a pencil. Art Lishama has many stencils, ideas, and examples to help if you need. (or just skip to painting if you prefer)
3) Select your paints from over 20 different shades and colors.
4) Paint your piece however you like, we are happy to help with different techniques for different outcomes.
5) After you've finished, we fire your piece in our kiln to create a shiny, finished piece of pottery.
6) Pick it up a few days later or have it sent to you in the mail."
Adam and Tamar invite anyone from age 4 to 120 to participate, and say that it's especially attractive for individuals, groups up to 30 people, families, birthdays, wedding showers, and more. The project takes from half an hour to an hour and a half, but it's also possible to spread it out over the course of several days.
To participate in Art Lishma, contact Tamar 050-472-7792, artlishma@gmail.com
