9/6/13
I think I will have a show on Thursday, ofcoarse, only if Miss Fatima Ba Azeem keeps her apointment. Miss Hiba told me that I will have two exhibitions, and the second one which had the theme of Mothers' Day, but after my first exhibition (which was a really good start for me by the way) I painted an old-fashioned "Mothers Day Exhibiton" Poster for that day. But when I called her the day or so before, she said that they will be using their gym and that I cannot come. I requested her to use any other wall space or anything but she apologized saying she had no space. I still respect her for the way she introduced me to the parents and kids on my first exhibition and I cannot blame her for not informing me before hand because she did not have my number (by the way, I thought it might be better off without my number so she won't suddenly change her mind and tell me bad news like that :P)
About three months, a sudden and fatal flood and a massive "Jawazatphobia" later, I got my first gig. We met the woman, me and mom (who should be there to make me look like a 'non-fraudish' thing and be there to save basic etiquette mishaps I might fall into again). After rolling around the mall searching for an apparantly non-existant place called 'Fanateer', we find her, Miss Fatima. The way they described her to us in the Red Sea Mall Management office (yes, I intruded into there to with mom and a camera with my drawings and also few artwork at hand), is quite different from her in person. She appears stern but encouraging and doesnt act like the 'just-acquired-the-power' type of woman, who I have dealt with or heard about before. On our way inside her gallery, we see an amazing Philipino artist working on his piece. I just continue to walk and I show her my pictures and explain their meaning to her in a monotonous, serious-wanna be voice. I also tell her that I can do sand art and she was like, 'Really?'
This woman was very impressed and I am like, 'Yeess', kind of hesitating on the inside because I am not really good. My mom says that I better learn more first but she Miss Fatima that it is okay, I can come and perform anyway. Shealso said that I can learn fro the artists who will come there for the coming month, bring my artworks on an open-exhibition day and yes, it was a biiig bounty wrapped in one bouqet. Dad must be pleased about the 'me learning' bit. I am excited about EVERYTHING!

Now, I want to prepare bussiness cards, the basic sand art show, the equipment, draw and paint some more stuff maybe, and be prepared inside and out.. it's showtime! hahaha...

16/6/13
Today, I cried and begged to mum to go to Red Sea Mall even though dad couldn't come to take us. First thing I did was go upstairs and reach the Khal Alkhalili place with my sisters. I greet Sultan, my first sand art student who was sketching some 'penwork' on his corner, and the artist who helped me fix princess Diana's eye then head to Miss Fatima, the art director to submit my Mangas. This is the first time I draw a Manga knowing that I am drawing a Manga but she chooses three from the four drawings I show her. But she tells me that I should frame them and bring my other drawings. Suddenly, she wants to mix both the Manga and the general exhibition in one and the submission deadline is extended to Tuesday (SO I cracked mom's head head to come here and all that for NOTHING! ..but I play it cool with her like I did not make an effort to come today).
I then tell her that I will learn from who is available there (the Philipino artist was absent). Me and my sister head to the calligraphist. He writes my name and my sisters in beautiful and hardly illigible Arabic writing. I rally want to infuse calligraphy into some of my paintings to add a Middle-Eastern edge to them. The calligraphy artist also writes my sister's name ( after some passerbyers wrote this girl's name for her in Arabic, like I don't know how to!)
This man asked me if I was a Muslim .
I said no.
Christian?
Yes.
But you are wearing a scarf...
I give him excuses on that and that I wear and remove my scarf alternately. It sounds weird but I do. When I am cold or want to appear respectful (yes, in where I leave in, a woman wearing a scarf is thought to be respectful), I wear scarf for that purpose. Or when we are outside where a Hai'a member could arrest me for not doing so. I don't wear scarf when i want to look pretty, or when I am just uncomfortable or so. Anyway, I don't think Arabic calligraphy is just for Islamic writings and I want to learn a skill that is not my favourite but undeniably unique and beautiful. Something good to infuse into my drawings, I think.

19/6/13
16 days are left for the workers here to 'correct their status' but many people can do nothing but wait outside in their embassies in the scorching sun...Our statuses are not corrected but we are still 'free' enough for our mother to go to an engagement party and for us to go to Red Sea Mall for me to study 3-D drawing from Mr. Dany and submit my paintings (which the general supervisor liked and kept :) She said she will exhibit all of them as there are not many people participating. She took a picture of my egg shells one. 'The home crew', the people who we always find there, including the employee's young daughter (who I find lucky for being able to live in an art environment like that), Nowaaf, a sketcher, Sultan, a pen-sketcher (who drew the fish out of fish out of fish....story!), a pro calligrapher and a pro sketch artist named Dany (who was the teacher today).
Firstly, Red Sea Mall seem to be obsessed with pictures. Are they trying too hard to prove that they are doing something? People of some levels of art skills came to benefit from Mr. Dany, who is the best in the place. We were bombarded with flashes and more flashes from cameras trolling around in many angles, capturing any progress we make. It must have been hectic for Mr. Dany (who is a very humble self-taught artist) to teach in that environment. The second problem was the language barrier. I was the only girl from the girls bunch who knew English well enough and Mr. Dany cannot speak Arabic well...I tried to act like a sort of translator for both sides without sounding arrogant or show=offy in the middle of your lesson. Another problem was my eyesight. I keep telling my family that my eyesight isn't that bad but seeing someone who is drawing lines as he is drawing curves is really not healthy. I drew my thermos well though. And there was this really funny and sweet Syrian lady who kept making me, the girls packed next to me and the boys sitting on the other side of the room, laugh again and again. She was just hilarious and very friendly at the same time. While I was drawing, I was also thinking about the problems happening in her country right now, all the dying children and women and the refugees, lining the borders neighbouring Syria. She probably gets the chance to laugh with strangers here and goes back home to mourn for her dying countrymen as their pictures flash on her screen...It is sad even for a non-Syrian to see.

24/6/13
That was the day I performed for the third time in Red Sea Mall. Big surprise 1: The CEO of Red Sea Mall (The guy I was waiting to talk to when I intruded into their password-protected management office. I wanted to try to convince him to have a large speed-painting of like PSY, in his iconic music and have interactive music and all that. It would have been a good idea if I was very good at that and did not mess up in my Arabs Got Talent auditions doing a small-scale version of what I was thinking to do. Plus it would have been expensive)
BIG Surprise 2: I was featured with my pictures and name in ArtGulf newspaper and one Jeddah website! ANd I was one of the 22 participating artists in the general exhibition that I was openening with my sand art. It was kind of surreal and my work was seen in two places in that area but I don't want to be carried away as my father says. Here a lot of things are for the show and for the pictures. We, men and women, are the actors and actresses with scripts and differing levels of roles on a big Saudi Stage. A little of what is called success is real 'genuine' success. It is easy to get caught up in all the flattery and camera flashes that make you feel like some sort of celebrity. I don't know what to believe until now but I want to keep my ears open to listen to what the critics say about me (I found one until now: One is an adult artist and one is the young son of the gallery's employee who told me directly that my previous story was better than the one I did then)
I like all the people who praise me and want to learn from me; people there are sweet but I'd benefit more from those who think otherwise.
B.T.W: That guy, the one I was waiting for, was the General Manager of Red Sea Mall.


...I am writing a book/diary about my life here in the country I live in.. so please follow up, this is just a little fragment so follow up?