walk like egyptian!

this was inspired - i kid you not- by the news. ancient egyptian archaeological findings in wild wild arabia. I've had ancient art forms in the back of my mind for some time, this might just open a flood.

continous contouring again, i did a quick hand sketch then slapped some color with ps, that took ages. :s

little books for little ones

I made these postcard size pieces for a little book event.

I marbled these papers some time ago, mounted them on watercolor paper. Im all out of india ink so i had to make do with black acrylic :s

I was too hasty mounting the blue one, so it bubbled up some. I still think its the prettier one but bubbles are bothering me, might just send the pink.

* will tell you more if i make the deadline, had an awfully late start.

tweet tweet!

messing around with birds. tweet, tweet!

word of wisdom: mess around on the right type of paper. darned if u don't end up liking the mess on the crappy copy paper, then u'll just want to kick ur self!
I'm too far gone to learn but save ur self!!

Layla

posting this piece slipped my mind.

If you've been following you know by now im crazy about Qais layla poems. Naturally there's no competing with the Majnoon's first hand accounts, still Bahraini poet Qassim Haddad does it so beautifully.
The poem i used here's one i particularly love "aan Qais" from Haddad's book "Akhbar Majnoon Layla"

عن قيس
عن الهوى يسكن الدار
عن شاعر صاغني في هواه
عن اللون والاسم والرائحة
عن الختم والفاتحة
كنت مثل السديم استوي في يديه
هداني إليه
برئت من الناس لما بكاني إليهم
زها بي وغنوا الأغاني بأشعاره
فما كان لي أن أقدر هل أشعلني أم طفاني
سأقول عن قيس
عن جنة بين عيني ضاعت
عن هواء أسعف الطير واستخف بنا واصطفانا
عن كلما هم بي تهت فيه
وباهيت كي نحتفي بالمزيج
غن العشق تلتاع فيه الحجاز
ويشغف في ضفتيه الخليج
سأقول عن قيس
عن حزنه القرمزي
عن الليل يتبع خطاه الوئيده
-


*Acrylic

my darling angel

more contouring. Digital this time.
its so much easier to keep your hand steady on paper, a more natural feel.
continuous contour, well sort of, i cheated a little :p
*i miss this little angel. <3

lines!

well what do u know, i'm finally befriending my pencils an pens. not a hint of color in sight!
black's the it color! being a color freak that's quite the quantum leap.

this is very.... zen in a milk your creative juices sort of way.
lines lines lines, how i love you lines!

* p.s. yea,yea, i know, super excited. blah blah blah...

Showing in Lebanon!

Im happy to have my work take part in the The House of Frida Exhibition.
The House of Frida is an art event that will be celebrating the art and life of mexican artist Frida Kahlo. It's to take place in Beirut, Lebanon over the span of 2 monthes. Offical opening is on 22nd October.
The event is put together by VAPA Association. and curated by art curator Sama Hawa.

organizers are hoping to turn Roof68 to a Beiruti version of La Casa Azul or the blue house Frida's home in Mexico.

next paragraph/update i nicked from events facebook page:

We would like to inform you that the gathering for artists contributing to the House of Frida event will take place on Saturday October 2nd while the official launch of the event and opening ceremony will be held on Friday October 22nd (by invitation only). Kindly contact us to book or purchase your tic...ket for the event following the date of the official opening (October 22nd).

We would like to thank you for your perseverence and hope to see you there.
Kindly note that we will update you soon with the list of contributing artists and partners of this event.

Best regards,
VAPA (Visual & Performing Arts Association)

Place of the event:
Ground 68 - Ground Floor – Al Shami Building – St. Louis St. – Achrafieh – Beirut – Lebanon

Contact details:
Email: vapaorg@gmail.com
Mobile: 03-466764

the watercolorist in me

16.5*22.5 inch


- Doing this piece so wetted my appetite for large watercolors.
Sometimes I'd do a watercolor and think I really could give up other forms of media for this.
Seems there's a watercolorist locked inside who needs more space. to paint & to grow.

little ballerina

this little ballerina has a story.
this was inspired by a little girl (not so little now) of about 8 or 9 years, who asked me if her clothes made her look fat!
That really blew my mind as i hadn't realised till then, how crucial an issue weight struggles and body image have become to girls even at such tender ages. It's disheartening to think that our weight obsession (healthy or otherwise) in the adult world is robbing them of their childhood, of giving tea parties and playing ballerinas...

Lorca!

.

verde, que te quiero verde.
(Green, how i want you green)
*my heart skips every time i read this verse.
this is from federico garcia lorca's "Romancero Sonambulo" or "Dreamwalker Ballad"

من "أغنية السائر في نومه"

خضراء لكم احبك ايتها الخضراء
ريح خضراء، غصون خضراء.
والقارب فوق البحر
والحصان فوق الجبل.
وهي تحلم في شرفتها بشرة خضراء، شعر اخضر
وعينان من الفضة الباردة.
خضراء لكم احبك ايتها الخضراء.
وتحت قمر الفجر
كانت الاشياء ترنو اليها
ولكنها لم تككن قادرة على ان تبادلها النظر

Reading Related Art

when I'm reading, my hands sometimes itch so badly for paint i just have to put the book down and draw.

Eid Mubarak

I've been the slacker & not posted a thing here for a while, i haven't stopped painting though.
will update u soon inshallah.

Frida III

my hands were itching to tune up - or down- this painting.
luckily i didn't regret going back to it.
this time its really finished.

Frida II

pulled an all nighter to finish this one up...
I hadn't planned on using so much black, especially not with here flair for flowers and bright clothes, but with all the physical and emotional burdens she juggled regularly it seemed appropriate. like her self portrait where her rib cage's wide open and a metal column passing through her. beneath all here bright strong facade was a whole lot of dark heavy chain to be maneuvered with every step. dark colors, came naturally in the painting, an unconscious choice really.

* acrylic on canvas

ted & teddy

this little piece i painted a while back (how long is a while? :p)
ref courtesy of wetcanvas.

* oil on canvas panel

Frida

it's been a while since ive felt inspired.

* work in progress

universal ain/ عين كونية

never got around to posting this piece finished.

*acrylic on canvas

ع

call of the sea

As i was reading Moby Dick at the time, a sea painting seemed appropriate.

-Acrylic on canvas
18*24 inch

في ذكر الجنة

I've been beyound lazy when it comes to posting.
this paintings' been finished for quite a while.

Acrylic on canvas
18*24 inch

* ....إي والذي نفسي بيده إن في الجنة لخيلاً