My Visual Arts

Visual arts have been part of my life for a long time in one form or another and I have always wanted to draw and paint for my own pleasure as a form of relaxation.  Unfortunately, all my study, work and other commitments had for a long time prevented me from devoting sufficient time to allow my true interest to develop and become my sanctuary.  Since 2006 I have been able to set aside some time for photography experimenting with my Nikon DSLR camera, eventually switching to the same brand full frame version perfecting the basics.

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My husband and I love travelling. At the beginning of 2020 we had the privilege of cruising along the coast of Brazil and into the depths of the Amazon before the Pandemic paralysed the world.  One day towards the end of our trip strolling on the upper deck of our ship I ran into a bunch of ladies preoccupied with painting and their general happy-go lucky chit-chat.  In my brief conversation with them I discovered they were part of a regular Watercolour and Sketching Class offered to the cruise passengers.  I joined all the remaining classes jumping at the opportunity to draw and paint again for the first time since my high school art classes.  And the rest is history as they say.

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Since returning home, our physical movements about the city and the country have been restricted due to the Pandemic. Being confined at home has allowed me to paint a lot on the weekends and share my artwork with family and friends.  The circumstances and timing were just right for me to immerse in what I have always loved.  I am grateful to my high school art teacher for providing me with the basic drawing and painting skills and introducing an entirely new world to me.  I am equally grateful to Jack Shehab, our art instructor on the ship, for his encouragement, initial instruction and inspiration. 

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Photography and painting go hand in hand as they both call upon one’s ability and skill of capturing and presenting the moment as is with, of course, a degree of personal interpretation.  I try to record these moments as photographs or paintings for what they feel not for what they look.  As I am seeking more inspiration for my paintings I am hoping to be able to visit the world outside very soon and capture it in images.  In the meantime, I look at other artists’ works and take online painting classes learning to improve my technique and develop my own unique style.  I am also experimenting with different genres and different painting methods.