About the Artist
Miriam Moriah Gottesman was born in Jerusalem in 1969, the youngest of five children. From an early age she loved to paint. Her late father was a renowned artist in Paris specializing in portraits, in the '50s. Since making aliyah in 1960 he devoted his time to research and no longer painted. However, the home in which Miriam grew up was like a painting gallery with art work lining the walls. Though Miriam never saw her father paint, and since he passed away when she was only 18, she never really learned from him. But each painting on the wall was like an art lesson for her. In this artistic atmosphere, she began to sketch and paint on her own. Her father observed her first steps as an artist and before his death in 1987 he told her he believed in her potential. That for her was a great source of motivation to follow in his footsteps in the world of art. When Miriam had to choose a direction in the professional field, she was torn between her two loves: art and science. She chose the latter and has been teaching science and math for over 20 years, while, independently, developing her artistic talent.In 1993-94 she attended an art class taught by Mrs. Sarah Weitzman of Jerusalem, acquiring the basic techniques of oil painting. And for a few months in 2008 she participated in an art class under the direction of Mr. Tzvi Avraham of Beit Shemesh. During her "free time" while raising five children, Miriam advanced in a self-taught manner by devouring art books, watching videos and visiting art museums in Israel and abroad. Apart from her painting and teaching, Miriam is a certified shadchanit (match-maker), a qualified personal life coach, and a guide for parents on their children's education. To broaden her horizons, Miriam is learning non-conventional medicine (K.H.T. ), and is also qualifying as an analyzer of children's art.
Miriam and her husband Jay, a dentist originally from NY, have four boys, including a set of twins, and one daughter. They have resided in Beit Shemesh since 1993.
Painting for me is…
A gift from Heaven, the power to turn an empty white canvas into a living entity that can convey a message.In contrast to abstract art, the success of figurative art lies in its ability to faithfully reproduce reality, and thus constitutes a fascinating challenge. Particularly in portraiture, the artist must succeed in not only painting the exterior features of the subject accurately, but must also capture his essence, his personality and inner world. In my eyes this is the highest level of art.
I consider painting a mission which enables me to express my ideas and feelings (or represent other people's ideas and feelings) and thus make a contribution to the betterment of society.
I pray daily that the Almighty will grant me the inspiration to transform my challenging gift into a fulfilled mission.