It is only a twenty minute bus ride but a world of difference! Batyam - in hebrew means 'daughter of the sea ' is a coastal (beach) town that suffered some socio-economical problems and had to wait until the 90's before reconstructing both its reputation and its sites. Now it is a place where some Tel Avivians also choose to live because it is cheaper than Tel Aviv and still real close to the city. During the last few years the entire promenade along the beach has been renovated and it is a pretty sight! However, I do not go to Batyam for the sightseeing but for sculpture! This is where my atelier is or more exactly the atelier I share with 10 other israeli sculptors. I was lucky to be invited to join them after one of them (Dror) visited my exhibit at the gallery and really liked my work. All of us are figurative artists and every Wednesday we have a model sitting for us. The nice part is that it costs nothing -or almost - we each pay a monthly fee of about 25 euros and this covers the costs for model, coffee, tea, cookies... I feel a bit like being back in Haarlem where I used to work in the same sort of environment. I spend all my Wednesdays in Batyam at the atelier and I love it!
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