Coloring fun

Casablanca's annual book fair happened a few months ago and Othman and I got it together enough make it there this year (usually we find out about the dates a few days/weeks after it's finished). It's a massive affair and for this girl who gets anxious in crowds it's quite an ordeal. This time we managed to make it in and out, shoving our way through the masses of people, in under 45 minutes, so that made the adventure less overwhelming. What did we buy? Oh not much... just $40 worth of coloring books! 

One was a gift for a friend, two are for painting that I've only experimented with so far, and I got this mandala coloring book that I've been loving. Working on one of these as I watch a show is a great way to spend a relaxing afternoon.

I've had fun playing with different color combinations, as that's one thing I know I need to work on with my art; I have a hard time knowing what matches and how many colors to put. The fact that I'm coloring all of these with only a 12-pack of Crayola colored pencils limits my choices and makes things easier.

Forgive the lopsidedness of these pictures— it's hard to photograph a book that barely stays open! 

If you've ever thought about buying an "adult" coloring book but haven't made the plunge yet,  I'd recommend going for it. You may find it fun, relaxing and rewarding like I do, or at worst if you decide coloring isn't for you, you'll be able to hand it off to a friend or coworker who does enjoy it and they'll like you all the more!

2015 in review

A lot of people had a crappy 2015, at least that's what my Facebook newsfeed and the news in general seem to show. I, however, was not one of those people.

photo

I started 2015 with a much-needed and much-appreciated job change. I developed career opportunities and got some interesting new experiences as the spring went on. Othman and I also got to travel around Morocco a bit to some pretty inspiring places.

In the summer, I spent a wonderful two months with my family in their new home. It was truly a wonderful summer, full of close and extended family, sunshine, walks, beauty, celebrations, and joy.

Upon my return to Casablanca I got the job opportunity of a lifetime and started working at an international school, where I have been so fulfilled and happy. The difference in my personal life is huge, and my home sees a happier me much more often nowadays.

2015 was a year of portrait photography for me. I was able to experiment and explore with lots of different subjects and settings, and loved every minute.

Painting was another theme throughout the year, as I focused on trying out new techniques and subjects while developing my skills.

Othman and I gained new friends who we now can't imagine life in Casablanca without.

Though we're back in Casa as of yesterday, we ended the year in France, and had a holiday filled with family, children, and smiles.

Throughout the year I was able to rely on my caring, patient, and attentive husband for all the support I needed. 

It was a year full of changes, full of love, and full of life. Here's hoping that 2016 brings ever more of each of those.

Studies and paintings

Lately when I paint I've been making studies before I paint on the canvas, to give me guidance and help me with my choices. It's been working pretty well, aiding me to go from an idea to a polished final product. 

This study I did at when painting with a friend a while back, experimenting with different techniques in order to know what worked and looked best. (O added the pencil sketches as an idea.)

The final result is one of my favorite paintings I've ever done. I'm not sure why I love it so much, but I do!

A couple of weeks ago I read in some corner of the internet that master American painter Georgia O'Keeffe painting not only her famous (infamous?) flowers and skulls, but also landscapes. I hadn't ever known that, so I googled to learn more, and came across this painting.

I simply fell in love with it; the layers and colors and surrealism just drew me in. I showed it to Othman who immediately said "You should paint one like that! You could do something really cool with it." I agreed, and not long after made this study, aiming not to copy but to make something inspired by the original.

Last Sunday and this morning I worked on the largest canvas I've ever painted on (it's still not huge but mine are usually smaller than a printer paper, while this one is significantly bigger), and this came out.

The colors look more smooth in real life, but the camera makes them look kind of choppy.

Thank you Ms. O'Keeffe!!

Two gifted paintings

I love painting.

I also love giving gifts. So giving paintings as gifts is something I've done a lot in the past few years! (This blog contains 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 instances of that!) Just last week I completed two painting projects for two different friends. Each painting was specific to each friend and happily for me both were well received.

I paint the way I cook. When I have either the need or the desire to paint or cook something, my first stop is Google. Just like I search for recipes including the ingredients I have in my kitchen, I search for a project or an idea that matches the sort of thing I want to paint. In both instances I look at many models and my final product comes out as an amalgamation of what I saw and what comes from my own head.

While the main idea for this painting came from the internet, I did it in my own way with my own reasons. I was experimenting with the background as I went along and am happy it turned out as nice as it did! I gave it to a friend who had a birthday a few days ago, and whose native country has trees that lose their leaves in the fall, unlike here in Morocco. Thus the fall-colored cut up bits of wrapping paper "leaves" in her painting.

 I found a melted-crayon version of this painting online, whose idea I loved, but whose execution wasn't the kind of project I was going for. So I made this whimsical but evocative painting with my acrylics for a friend who appreciates the meaning behind it.

Since I found my love for painting a few years ago I've been developing my craft a lot, and with each new painting I explore new techniques and themes. Going through the "my paintings" tag on my blog to find the instances of gifted paintings above showed me how I've moved from very rigid or rather sloppy paintings to being able to have more control in recent projects! It's quite satisfying to see. One way or anther, painting is lots of fun and I'm already debating what my next project will be!

1, 2, 3 paintings!

Having been working freelance at five jobs since January, I haven't really started or finished any big painting projects lately. This one from back in the winter looks very different from when I started, but it's not done yet. I want to work on the highlights and possibly change the background a bit, but I just haven't been able to get around to it.

Before, from January...

and after!

However I have done a couple small painting projects recently! This first one I did on whim one day... I started  with the brown color and let it develop from there— I didn't have a clear idea of what I was painting at the start. But sometimes that's the best part. Othman really likes it, but I'm ambivalent— it was really just me experimenting with techniques.

The second project I started and completed yesterday. Othman got me four little mini canvases last Christmas, and from the start I knew I wanted to write a word with them. A while back I came up with a background idea and tried it out, but in the end I didn't like it at all. 

So yesterday I got them out again to start over, wanting to make a gift for my friends Jessica and Ahmed and their lovely little Noor. I'm very happy with how it turned out!

These were actually featured in a photoshoot I did of their family today... stay tuned for those photos!

Apartment art

As we travel Morocco on various mini-vacations, one thing Othman and I never fail to bring back with us is at least one piece of original art. We never have a large budget, but find a lot of pleasure in decorating our home slowly with pieces of art (bought directly from their creators the majority of the time) that each have a story and find a place on our colorful walls.

Joining our Moroccan art are various pieces from other sources, including France, Brazil, and the US, many having been given as gifts. There is even a painting from me! Conspicuously missing is the season series my sisters and I collaborated on last summer. I'm saving them for our next place, which will be chosen partly on whether it has enough kitchen wall space to accommodate them!!

For the purposes of this post I've focused simply on art that hangs on our walls. If I included other media—hand woven blankets and carpets, little sculptures, etc—there'd never be an end to this post.

The entryway:

This piece was acquired at the last Pages event, from the talented Moroccan
pop artist Mouad Abou Lhana, who is based in the north of Morocco.We fell in
love with his style and decided we couldn't leave the night without something!

This came from the streets of Essaouira during the 2013
Gnaoua Music Festival and is the largest painting we have.

I rotate different works of art, often my own paintings,
in this funky display case. Currently it holds a piece I
commissioned from my talented little sis Isabel last
Christmas, 2014.

This is the one painting of mine that is constantly on display, and is
the first I ever did, back in December 2013! See my post here about it.

The living room:

While we have lots of wall space in our living room, there
aren't any previously made holes for nails, and due to the
brittle quality of the paint we hesitate to make any. So these
two paintings, done on inside sections of cement bags, are
taped up and are the only ones. They are our most recent
acquisitions, purchased in Assilah a month ago. The artist
himself spoke to us at length about the symbolism behind
the figures,(two women in front of a window in the further
painting, and Gnaoua musicians in the closer) and we spent a
long time talking art with him in the morning sun.

Seeing as they're hard to see above, here is a better view of the two paintings!

The hallway:

These both have special places in my heart. The top was bought
on the boardwalk of Agadir during our New Years 2012 trip, and
was the first piece in our collection. The figures are traditional
Gnaoua musicians.
The second we got during a rummage sale in the spring of 2013
from a young Moroccan girl who painted it herself directly onto
the glass. If I remember correctly she was 10 years old, and the
 moment we bought it she phoned her mom half-screaming with
excitement that she had just sold her first work of art ever. We
both sincerely hope that she continued!

This lil guy is from Essaouira as well, and we got it during
the same music festival as above. It hangs right between
the kitchen and the second bedroom, and its vibrant colors
make it a favorite of mine.

The extra bedroom:

Gnaoua seems to be a theme in the art we buy, and this is again
from Essaouria, but from an earlier trip during New Years 2013.

This comes from Othman's family home, and was
done when he was only a preteen during a family trip
to Paris! He loves the misspelling that turns "Othman"
into "Hothman," and we keep it up for a good giggle.

Seeing as that was already on our wall during our mini-honeymoon to a
theme park in Minnesota called Valley Fair in August 2013, we thought
sitting for a caricature together would make for a fitting companion!

This is an old keepsake from Brazil, a doodle-turned-gift
from an ex of a cousin of mine, who was an artist. I've
always found it fascinating and have kept it for a long
time—I received it back in 2008!

Our room:

Another lovely I commissioned from Isa last summer, 2014.

Finally, a treasured handmade wedding gift from a good friend of my
mom's. It hangs above our bed and reminds us what our home is built on.