Susanne Hadamitzky resolutely reaches for a thick felt-tip pen. Without hesitation, she presses the black tip so firmly onto the paper that it squeaks as she draws. Contours emerge in no time at all. "There! Elephant and mouse. Horse and pig. A lighthouse and a hedgehog," says the energetic little girl. And the title of her new work is already clear. The creative 60-year-old, who signs all her pictures "von Suse", has been painting and drawing at the Bethel artists' centre Lydda for more than ten years. She has taken part in several exhibitions and her works have even travelled as far as Japan. But this year is a special milestone in her artistic development. Susanne Hadamitzky is the 11th master student at Lydda.
She is receiving special support for a whole year. Art therapist Nele Zeis is her assistant. When Susanne Hadamitzky comes to the studio after working in a Bethel workshop for people with disabilities, she has all the colours, all the materials and all the attention just for herself for an afternoon. "It's great!" says the artist, who loves bright colours. She hurries across the room and heads for a shelf with bulbous plastic bottles. Shake, and then a thick blob of colour lands on a paper plate. Yellow. Orange. Deep green and pink. "Done!" Susanne Hadamitzky nods contentedly and dashes back with her improvised colour palette.