My apologies for missing from my blog from the new year of 2014. The real-life grind goes on but I am going to be coming to give you an update about this exciting season in Dubai!
How have you been doing with that New Years resolution?
As for me and some folks around here the madness continues and my motivation to keep up with the race has been several this season. It all started in January when I took part in Street Art Night - city beautification project when one felt this revolutionary period in art in Dubai is something no one could afford to miss. This phenomenon does not seem to stop anytime soon for the liberalization of conducting programs like this has only made Dubai all the more sparkly with different races of people from around the world coming into the country in droves.
This is my third year of exploration and experience in the entrepreneurial world and it has been nothing but an exciting ride filled with mystery, conviction, uncertainty, learning from life's ruthless ways of wisdom-sharing, artists camaraderie, collaborations and finding the long sought after niche. Along the way, I was truly touched by some very genuinely human (yes I emphasize) human beings and some very inhuman behavior from but only a few others. But all of it have been a part and parcel of being a growing entity not losing sight of what I wanted to have at the end of 2014.
The plan to set priorities straight this year:
Resolution 1: To give a hearing to my true calling in being a realist and impressionist and taking fine art to my next level...because art to artists makes work-life not all business....but gives a sense of release and a balance to normalise living.
Resolution 2: To shift gears within my corporate offerings to remove some of my services which are beaten up and broken into a sorry commodity and to look closely at what I have as a niche offering. I have managed to lock down a couple... those which I have gathered slowly, painfully with several years of seasoning.
So now I am rather pleased to say....resolution no. 1 has been met more far beyond expectation.
And resolution no. 2 is on its way to its victory.
Here are my posts in relation to my first resolution going forward oh so successfully.
I became a regular exhibitor, also having the courage to face members of the public, holding live portrait sessions at Arte - The Artisans of the Emirates which is an art market in Dubai. I realized that my sketches were such a great vehicle to create my dialogue with many people face-to-face in the city. So overwhelming was this experience which I had dreamed of in all my years as an artist.
Almost 2 weekend days from January - March 2014 I was there getting into an artistic trance like no other. Hats-off to this very thoughtfully created group... who make us and Dubai pledge "to Go Handmade!"
Arte was one among the good samaritans who have helped me see my resolution through this far.
Following are the pictures born out of my involvement with Arte. Dubai with Arte, this season got me into the groove of making portraits by the numbers....getting to practice like this is simply a joy.
I can't express enough the enjoyment I felt in mingling with a multi-national Dubai community doing what I did, getting into split-second friendly conversations no matter what their age, 6, 16, 30, or 80. Getting a thumbs up or a couple of cheers from passers-by who otherwise would just have passed by. Everyone shared a broad smile as if to say thanks for entertaining them.
These pictures may show a bit of the flavor of my experience and an introducing to my signature style in portrait and caricature.
Besides, I was pleased to make portraits of 2 great people....
Margaret Thatcher and Nelson Mandela soon to be available as limited edition prints.
I have never enjoyed live-sketching like this before in Dubai!!
Truly no 2 people were from the same region.
The past 2 weeks I made portraits of 2 Africans, an Indian child, a Jordanian child, a Lebanese chil and portraits and caricature of many people who send in pictures. If faces that passed by were so portrait friendly as in good posers....I was pleased to give a portrait to them free like this Egyptian Child.
and even a 5-minute portrait of my pet daschund which quickly got bought by a second-grader "Deniz" who looked at him like eye-candy.
It was a small struggle to part with my first portrait of Robbie yet I was pleased to hand it to little Deniz who I knew would treasure it dearly.
Here is his picture.
However I made a new one of him soon after. :o) Shall post it here for you as soon as I can.
I was also very pleased to re-introduce a couple of oil paintings (in flesh & blood) from my personal collection which I painted back in the 1980s and 1990s, shipped in from my home country.
I couldn't believe they have been with the household as silent companions for more than 20 years.
She is the product of my study of one of the great masters Rembrandt
This bear family piece made in July 1994 was inspired by the impressionists.
So the season this far was something to treasure....
Today being the start of the Art Week in Dubai the March fever hasn't stopped just yet.
I am waiting for another artistic trek this weekend.
Wait till I uncover what, where and who were here when I blog about it next week same time.
The only thing I wish is I had an extra self to help me take part in the bubbling events in store for artists right now.
Keep an eye on this space....because posts of it all are going to be rolling in regular succession. I have been bitten by the writer's bug once again ;o)
So long until next time!
