"O Beroe (Beirut), root of life, nurse of cities, the boast of princes..., twin sister of Time, coeval with the universe..., land of justice, land of laws ..., hall of lovers, star of the Lebanon country..."

Nonnus of Panopolis, AD 450

Our Beirut. Many have tried to define you, but you eluded all definitions.

Many have tried to mold and discipline you, but you broke all molds, defied all rules. 

A perennial city of many faces, many pasts and many presents. 

"Constant yet changeable... always there, yet never twice the same." Robin Fedden

Our Beirut. 

A music box whose characters came to life as a kaleidoscope of sights and a medley of sounds, then simply forgot to stop.

A wise matriarch and a frivolous youth.

A biography and a tale.

A hub for reality and a field of dreams.

A glimpse to the past and a vision of the future.

A moment and an eternity.

A harmonious clash of the expected and unexpected, its deep roots anchored to the heart of humanity and its soul... from the beginning of times.

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Our Beirut. All of these and so much more...

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​​Featured in this mixed media art piece is a photograph of Beirut in the early twentieth century, architectural salvage pieces, an antique brass plate, and a patchwork of shapes, textures and colors reminiscent of a now faraway land.

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Dimensions: 4ft (height) x 2ft (width); Piece already framed in dark grey wood. Frame not shown.

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PIECE LOOKING FOR A NEW HOME.  CONTACT ME IF INTERESTED.

I could never express it better: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cE9-W1nTWyw

"From my heart a greeting to Beirut, and kisses to the sea and the houses, to a rock that is like the face of an old sailor.

She is from the people's soul, a wine... She is from its [the people's] sweat, bread and jasmine...

You are mine, You are mine. Oh embrace me, you are mine." Joseph Harb

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Here is to you Beirut!

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​Featured in this mixed media art piece is a photograph of Beirut in the early twentieth century, architectural salvage pieces, an antique mirror, and a patchwork of shapes, textures and colors reminiscent of a now faraway land.

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Dimensions: 4ft (height) x 2ft (width); Piece already framed in dark grey wood. Frame not shown.

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PIECE LOOKING FOR A NEW HOME.  CONTACT ME IF INTERESTED.​

According to historians, the ancient temples of Baalbeck, which go back to the end of the third millennium B.C., lay under deep rubble for centuries. Still, when they emerged, their splendor and majesty were intact-a testament to their strength and character; a salute to the forgotten hands and souls that built them rock by rock; and a monument to the limitless power of men and women working hand in hand for a common goal. 

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From mere rocks to wonders of an ancient world. As the saying goes, "A pile of rocks ceases to be a rock when somebody contemplates it with the idea of a cathedral in mind."** Someone once did, in a place called Baalbeck, and the wonders live on to tell the story.  

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* Marty Rubin

**Antoine de Saint-Exupery

Dimensions: 2ft (height) x 4ft (width); Piece already framed in dark grey wood. Frame not shown.

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PIECE LOOKING FOR A NEW HOME.  CONTACT ME IF INTERESTED.

I had written these thoughts back in 2001 and titled the piece "A Safe Harbor." I encountered it a few days ago and reread it. So much has changed in our lives since then. I now have answers to some of the questions I once pondered, and many more unanswered questions, thoughts and feelings. But, the words still rang true so I decided to dedicate them and my new mixed media artwork to those early days here in America. Here it goes:

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"A trip to Lebanon this summer. The countdown has started. The excitement is mounting. 

Yara is eight, Tina is six, and memories of the last trip two years ago are still ever so vivid in their minds. Why wouldn’t they be?

There, they played… and played… as if they'd never played before.

They welcomed each sunset as the birth of the first night and awaited the next sunrise as if they’d never seen the sun before.

They felt home… safe… branches of a sturdy, shady, and fruitful tree.

They wondered every minute how come people they’d never met before loved them so much,

how come all the houses were their homes, and many forbiddances were … no more.

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How come you left your country mommy and daddy? Why did you go there to America? Here are our people, our home…. Lebanon the village, the family, and childhood friends… Lebanon the generosity and hospitality; the giving land and starry skies… Lebanon the songs and dances and good times… Lebanon the stories you tell us at bedtime and we say “tell us more mommy, tell us more”…

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I often wonder what my babies’ lives will be like.

Will their past and future, like ours, belong to different worlds?

Will they be like us, boats that have lost their anchor and wander endlessly between two destinations, one estranged and one a stranger…

Will they be like us, “chameleons who straddle two worlds”*…

Will those old photographs of their childhood when they visited grandma and grandpa and the whole clan be dumped "like a deck of orphan cards"*, fading memories of a lost world that once was but is no more…

Will they one day be back to Lebanon… but never feel home again?

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God knows this would break my heart…

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Why we left is not the question anymore… We are thankful either way.

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Chameleons we will always be, you and me,

A true home we may never have again…

But let us please have a destination for our kids, an island between those two worlds…

Let us defy the laws of time, be it only… one generation at a time.

We can only do it together…"

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*Samia Serageldin

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Dimensions: 2ft (height) x 4ft (width); Piece already framed in dark grey wood. Frame not shown.

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PIECE FOUND A NEW LOVING HOME.

One of the most beloved Lebanese traditions is the sobhiyeh (in reference to morning)-the almost sacred morning family get together around a fresh pot of coffee or nescafe and whatever sweets are available around the house. When I was a young child, the task of making the coffee for the weekend sobhiyeh was my dad's. He arranged 5 coffee cups and saucers on the rectangular colorful plexi tray and proudly carried it to the balcony or the family room where my mom, my two younger sisters, and I awaited in our PJs and robes. We children were served a few diluted oversweetened drops, which went a long way towards making us feel important and adult-like. Today, sobhiyeh continues to be sacred to both my husband and me... We just terribly miss our beloved parents' faces and their warm voices around us. Often, we call them and connect over the wires and across the continents. Despite the difference in time zones, my mom often makes a pot of coffee as if to join us. Sobhiyeh on one side of the world, maswiyyeh (in reference to the evening) on the other... and the cherished tradition lives on... This mixed media art piece celebrates the sobhiyeh days of our childhood. Featured in it are traditional miniature brass Arabic coffee pot and cup, and a circular hammered brass tray. My accompanying folk poem in the Lebanese dialect breathes images and nostalgia.

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Dimensions: 2ft (height) x 2ft (width)

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PIECE FOUND A NEW LOVING HOME.

In the days of old or actually in the days of not so old, the waterwell or 'ain was the source of potable water for local villagers back home. They lingered in its proximity waiting to fill their jugs and jarras with the flowing life elixir. They exchanged the news of the day, the notable and the trivial, and-a conversation would not be complete without it-well, some gossip of course. Over time, the 'ain became the prime social gathering place for the locals in these small communities. Many a young man and woman met there, and here is how the story went: "A chance encounter, then a flush, and a blush, then a wink, and a smile" 'a tareeq el 'ain, then the start of a lifelong journey together. If only waterwells could talk... 

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Featured in this mixed media art piece are a framed print of a young woman walking by the 'ain and several antique feminine accessories. My accompanying folk poem retells the beloved story.

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Additional credits: Framed aquarelle print by famed French artist George Cyr; unattributed English quote inspired from a piece by the famous Egyptian poet Ahmad Shawqi.

Dimensions: 2ft (height) x 4ft (width)

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PIECE FOUND A NEW LOVING HOME.

"That they may have life and have it more abundantly"

"​Far, far above the waters
Of the deep blue sea, 
Lies the campus of the College,
Where we love to be.
Far away behold Kanisah!
Far beyond, Sannin!
Rising hoary to the heavens,
Clad in glorious sheen.
From Iraq or from Arabia 
From the banks so green
Of the great Egyptian river
Or from Palestine;
From the waters of Abana
Lebanon serene,
We salute thee, Alma Mater!
Oriental Queen.
Hail to thee, our Alma Mater!
We would ever be
Worthy children. Make us faithful, 
Faithful e'er to thee!
Whereso'er the land that calls us,
E'en across the sea,
We'll salute thee, Alma Mater,
Hail! O Hail! to thee.
 

Chorus:
Look before us!
Shout the chorus!
See the banner wave.
AUB in thee we glory;
Make us true and brave."*

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*Anthem of the American University of Beirut, my beloved Alma Mater

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Dimensions: 4ft (height) x 2ft (width); Piece already framed in dark grey wood. Frame not shown.

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PIECE LOOKING FOR A NEW HOME.  CONTACT ME IF INTERESTED.

This mixed media art piece celebrates the typical Lebanese village architecture with its sculped arches and stone walls, and the succession of mountains and valleys that form the surrounding breathtaking landscape of Mount Lebanon.

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Featured in this piece are a print of a local villager on his terrace overlooking the valley; handsewn traditional sherwel and 'abeyeh; a ladder crafted from a Lebanese cedar tree; stones from the mountains of Lebanon; and other artifacts. It tells of bounties and crops, of dusks and dawns, of bird songs and starry skies, of simple times and simple pleasures, of hard labor, gratitude and contentment, and so much more... 

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Additional credits: Aquarelle print of man resting on terrace by famed Lebanese artist Moustafa Farroukh; "House overlooking the valley" poem by Dima Suki; "Khedni" poem by Rahbani brothers; "Khedni" calligraphy by Akram Sleiman

Dimensions: 2ft (height) x 4ft (width); Piece already framed in weathered barn wood. Frame not shown.

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PIECE FOUND A NEW LOVING HOME.  

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This mixed media art piece is a homage to the laborers whose sweat and blood are mixed in every handful of our Lebanese soil. 

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For the love of family and the service of their sacred land, they had no problem bowing their heads, bending their backs and mixing with dirt. But they would not do it for anyone or anything else. On the occasional reprieves when duty did not call, they straightened those backs, washed the dirt off, attended to their wounds and scratches and put their heads right back up. As soon as they adorned their spiffy starched outfits*, placed the absolutely essential headdress, twisted their moustaches and grabbed their favorite masbaha, each probably stretched several more inches in "pride height." Making a living and attending to a family's every need were hard indeed; they were men enough to admit it. But very little that is worth anything in this life comes without perseverance and hard work. That they knew, and proud of their hard labor and sacrifices they were. It did not matter what their stature or material worth was, their sweat and blood were mixed with the earth on which they stood, and that was the measure of real men.

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*The piece features a typical traditional male outfit from yesteryears: The sherwal-baggy trousers inherited from the Ottomans who ruled Lebanon for several hundred years, a shamleh (fabric waist wrap), a lebbedeh (wool headdress), and a masbaha (rosary). It also features an antique inlaid rifle, a gun powder metal box, inlaid wooden shoes and other tools and accessories.

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Additional credit: Folk poem by Dima Suki

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Dimensions: 6ft (height) x 4ft (width)

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PIECE FOUND A NEW LOVING HOME.

"We shall not cease from exploration
And the end of all our exploring 
Will be to arrive where we started 
And know the place for the first time. 
Through the unknown, unremembered gate 
When the last of earth left to discover 
Is that which was the beginning..."

T. S. Eliot

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Is it our path that leads us home or our home that leads our path? 

No doubt it is both. We start our journey at our parents' home, then take our individual paths in life in search of our own... Often, we realize that we have come full circle.

Honoring the home that leads our path, its ways and its values, which remain forever alive in our immigrant hearts and minds.

To Lebanon, with love

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Dimensions: 6ft (height) x 5 feet (width); material: Canvas; Piece already framed in weathered barn wood. Frame not shown.

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PIECE FOUND A NEW LOVING HOME.

"... a creation made by man's hands, sweat and breath, in a perfect encounter between the elements of Air, Fire and Earth... a desire to believe only in the perpetuity of these ancestral traditions, in the delicate strength of this patrimony."  Tania Mehanna

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Lebanon boasts a plethora of local traditional crafts, which have their roots in early history, having developed and evolved to meet the basic needs of daily living.

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This mixed media art piece and my accompanying folk poem honor the hardworking artisans of Lebanon, who, over long generations, sculpted and weaved and molded and sawed. It honors our rich cultural heritage-witness to our history, tie to our identity, bond to our past, and-undoubtedly for me-a really precious source of inspiration.

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Additional credit: Aquarelle print by famed Lebanese artist Moustafa Farroukh.

Dimensions: 2ft (height) x 4ft (width)

PIECE FOUND A NEW LOVING HOME.

"Seek ye counsel of the aged for their eyes have looked on the faces of the years and their ears have hardened to the voices of Life." 

Kahlil Gibran 

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This mixed media art piece is a tribute to old age, its wisdom and its humbleness. Featured in it are a framed print of an elderly sheikh and a little boy-presumably his grandson; an aquarelle of an old village home facade; an antique pocket watch and antique eyeglasses; a brass magnifier; a crystal rosary and a miniature carpet. My accompanying folk poem expresses nostalgia over the ephemerality of life, as we grow "too soon old and too late wise."

Additional credits: Aquarelle print of elder and young boy by famed French artist George Cyr; unattributed quote in text by Benjamin Franklin

Dimensions: 2ft (height) x 4ft (width)

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PIECE FOUND A NEW LOVING HOME.

This mixed media art piece sings the praise and glory of the beloved Lebanese flag. Featured in it are the print of a mother mending the flag under the watchful eye of her little girl; a handmade metal cedar tree-the prideful symbol of Lebanon; books from famed Lebanese authors; an old mending kit and other artifacts. My accompanying folk poem echoes the reverence and allegiance exuding from this heartwarming tableau. A country's flag is so much "more than just cloth and ink" as was once said. Indeed it is.

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Additional credits: Aquarelle print of woman mending flag by famed Lebanese artist Moustafa Farroukh; metal cedar tree by Tina Suki

Dimensions: 2ft (height) x 4ft (width)

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PIECE FOUND A NEW LOVING HOME.

We so often yearn for home... our homeland, the place of our birth and the home of our childhood memories. It always amazes me how I could have been away for decades and that place still holds the very same special meaning in my heart. It does not matter that it changed, and I did, that it grew older, and I did. Its place in my heart was meant to live on... and it did. I so often yearn for home. Over the years, I have tried to go back as often as I could, but at times when life held me tight in place, I've learned that listening to a masterfully played piece of oud is my fastest way home. ""Ah, music," he said, wiping his eyes. "A magic beyond all we do here!""* Magic indeed. Food for the heart and soul. 

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This mixed media art piece is a homage to the oud, the oldest and most cherished of instruments in our part of the world-and its beautiful music. It is a homage to the master artisans who craft it-tirelessly bending, molding, inlaying, gluing, staining, polishing until their treasured creation comes to life; and to the musicians who skillfully and effortlessly extract the magical sounds. 

They never knew they were dispensing soul medicine.

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As my accompanying folk poem says, "Y'demlak hal bahha ya 'oud... inshallah dawm tehla w tjoud. Ysallim dein elli hemlook, w sammaaouna l'han mlouk."

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*J. K. Rowling

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Additional credits: Watercolor print by Lebanese artist Ghazi Toutounji; folk poem by Dima Suki; calligraphy guidance by Monther Yousef.

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Dimensions: 4ft (height) x 6ft (width)

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PIECE FOUND A NEW LOVING HOME.

"Earth does not belong to us. We belong to Earth." Chief Seattle

Earth's bounty has forever blessed the lives of the Lebanese villagers who relied on it for daily sustenance and long-term subsistence.

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Featured in this mixed media art piece is a print of a female villager baking saj bread-a typical staple of the mountains of Lebanon-and a myriad of local utensils and ingredients. My accompanying folk poem celebrates Earth's bounty and those local ingredients which, generationafter generation, have taken centerstage on the traditional Lebanese table and shaped its bountiful delectable offerings.

Additional credit: Aquarelle print of woman baking bread by famed Lebanese artist Moustafa Farroukh.

Dimensions: 2ft (height) x 4ft (width)

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PIECE FOUND A NEW LOVING HOME.

This mixed media art piece is a homage to the quintessential Lebanese hospitality. It was inspired by a journey off the beaten path, to a remote village nestled on a mountain, a striking old red door and red windows, and the comforting memory of warm hospitality and a cold sweet nectar on a hot summer day. 

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My mom and I.

Another trip.

Another destination.

Another discovery in the heart of Lebanon.

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We strolled along the old souk.

An ancient barber shop whose master practiced his half-a-century old skill on his lone gray-haired client. 

A dim shoemaker store exuding scents of leather and glue. 

A busy haberdashery with mismatched boxes and weaved baskets overflowing with buttons, ribbons, threads, and other sewing knick knacks. 

The village grocery with colorful, neatly manicured stalls and dangling displays of seasonal fruits and vegetables-Earth's freshest offerings.

A makeshift idle youth hangout, boasting a billiard table, a few bottles of alcohol, and handmade ice cream in the midst of eclectic surroundings and painstakingly collected traditional antiques.

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Wait a minute. Did I say antiques? We went right in. "Could I take some pictures?" I asked, brandishing my big camera and an even bigger smile. Pictures I snapped, while we were treated to two much craved cups of coffee and the elaborate history of the village and its people-compliments of our very extrovert host. Goodbyes made, we moseyed on leisurely, the road and scenery leading our footsteps... left after the house with the green fence, another left after the waterwell, then up and down the steep winding road to the village staircase. Suddenly, my eyes fell on an imposing, traditional style home, with a bright red door and red windows--the type that has no chance of escaping the keen eye of my camera. As I was snapping a picture, the door opened, leading the way to a middle-aged man and a teenage boy. They had seen us approaching from the window. They thought we were foreign tourists, me with my camera and my mom with her trendy backpack and charming straw hat. They invited us in for a refreshment. The lady of the house appeared and insisted we go in. So we did. We always cherish these adventures and the friends we make along the way. The inside of the spacious home was humbly furnished and told stories of a good old past. Our hosts' faces and hands told of hard labor and endurance, their eyes of contentment and peace. Our hostess disappeared for a few minutes and came back with two crochet-dressed glasses filled with a fragrant golden nectar--homemade apricot sharab (sherbet). We exchanged small talk. It turned out we knew their cousin from the States. Talk about a small world! We left after a little while, sharab recipe in hand, sweet refreshing taste of the drink and the hospitality in our mouths and hearts.  

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We will always remember the house with the big red door and windows and the amazing hospitality of its owners and their village people. And it will live on in this piece inspired by them and created in their honor. 

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Additional credit: Folk poem by Dima Suki

Dimensions: 2ft (height) x 4ft (width); Piece already framed in dark beige wood. Frame not shown.

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PIECE LOOKING FOR A NEW HOME.  CONTACT ME IF INTERESTED.​

Ask a bunch of Lebanese about the size of their country's population, and you will no doubt get widely varied numbers. Not surprising, given the almost 90 years that have come and gone since the last formal census of the population, and the wide influx and outflux of people that accompanied them. 

But ask them about the size of Lebanon, and chances are, most, if not all, will proudly blurt the magic digits: Ten thousand four hundred fifty two. 

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Ten thousand four hundred fifty two units of something deeply meaningful to each and every one of those God knows how many individuals that call themselves Lebanese. Indeed, not withstanding the chaos, uncertainty, loss, pain and struggles each of us has inevitably known and lived at some point in our lives as a result of being Lebanese, these always remain, as if by Godly edict, ten thousand four hundred fifty two units of bountiful earth and heavenly charm, of rich history and colorful heritage, abiding traditions and enduring family ties, of optimism, creativity, resilience and love of life.

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This mixed media art piece is a tribute to home, those ten thousand four hundred fifty two square kilometers of earth that must have once wandered from the sky and lost their way back.

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"May there be abundance of grain in the land; on the tops of the mountains may it wave; may its fruit be like Lebanon; and may men blossom forth from the cities like the grass of the field!" Psalms 72:16 

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Dimensions: 2ft (height) x 2ft (width); Piece already framed in weathered barn wood. Frame not shown.

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PIECE LOOKING FOR A NEW HOME.  CONTACT ME IF INTERESTED.​

Snapshot from casual onlookers: A rectangular wooden box. A few eclectic articles of clothing. Some feminine accessories. A pair of gold embroidered shoes.

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She long accepted that reality, but as she patiently hangs on the wall facing the entrance, respecting the confines lovingly chosen for her, she eagerly awaits the occasional romantic dreamers or perspicacious minds with whom she would connect and share her cherished story... cause you know, a mere box she most certainly is not, rather a window to a past era, as wide as one wants it to be. 

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A window to a past era, a time where life flowed at a different pace, fueled by different goals, expectations and attitudes, especially for the "sweet gender," as women are sometimes referred to back in her part of the world.

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Oh the secrets she holds, the stories she could tell.... Women's lives have changed drastically in many ways since those earlier days. Mostly empowering and liberating ways, thankfully. In parallel with those changes, fashion gradually metamorphosed, reflecting the successive societal ideals and standards. As I look at those elegant designs and make note of the differences between old and new, I am reminded of the old adage, "Fashions fade, [but] style is eternal."* Indeed. 

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This mixed media art piece is a tribute to the traditional Lebanese fashion of yesteryears and its indelible and undeniable intricacy, elegance and charm. Featured in it are: From the exquisite Atelier Nanou - Lebanon, a royal blue silk abaya-style top, with antique gold embroidered arabic calligraphy and a matching pair of embroidered slippers; an ankle-long rich velvet skirt; intricate handcrafted antique silver necklace and belt; a traditional brass kohl dispenser and other painstakingly collected traditional antique accessories.

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Feel like a walk down an early twentieth century runway with me?! I know exactly what I'll have on. Do you?

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*Quote attributed to Yves Saint Laurent

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Additional credit: Folk poem by Dima Suki

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Dimensions: 6ft (height) x 4ft (width)

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PIECE FOUND A NEW LOVING HOME.

This mixed media art piece is a tribute to the Baalbeck International Festival, a grand tradition that lives on in the heart of Lebanon's Beqaa Valley since 1955, painting melodies on the silence of those starry summer nights.

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"Starry, starry night

Paint your palette blue and grey

Look out on a summer's day..."

Don McNeal

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Dimensions: 2ft (height) x 2ft (width); Piece already framed in weathered barn wood. Frame not shown.

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PIECE FOUND A NEW HOME.

"You have been my lifetime companion," said the needle to the thread. "Together, we have brought distinct elements together as one, added embellishments to boring pieces and functionality to others. Together, we have sewn tears and repaired frays, covered ugliness and highlighted beauty. Like the brush whistles do magic with the beautiful pigments, now we two are bringing still scenes to life, spicing up neutral with colors, making buds bloom, appeasing nostalgia and longing, inviting happiness and warmth... Thank you for being my companion in my journey. Our new adventure has only just begun.

Just imagine the possibilities..."

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The pieces in this series "The new adventure of a needle and thread" feature scenes off the beaten path from a place called home... Hand stitched with love, they are meant, to remind us, to never forget.

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Dimensions: Vary. Typical frame sizes: 20in (height) x 10in (width); 20in (height) x 14in (width); Piece already placed in floating grey frame.

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PIECES AVAILABLE FOR PURCHASE. CONTACT ME IF INTERESTED.​

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I thought of adding a handful of flowers to accent this piece which I initially imagined as something totally different. I started cutting and shaping. One flower here, one flower there.

"Add more, mommy, add more," my daughter kept saying. And mommy added, until, instead of a few flowers, I had a beautiful field of flowers-a tribute to my Bubuka, whose very nickname was inspired by a flower bud. The first flower in my field of flowers and an everlasting one for me...

Check her page out Bubukadesigns.com and her blog Chili and Chives.

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Dimensions: 2ft (height) x 2ft (width)

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PIECE FOUND A NEW LOVING HOME.

This mixed media art piece is a homage to the simple carefree times in a place now far and away.

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"Yalla jeyeh... hotteh r'rakweh 'an-nar" (I'm coming. Put the coffee pot on the stove).

So much nostalgia and longing packed in these few ordinary words. ​Back home in Lebanon, the revered coffee break was the time to escape from the routine daily chores, critical be they... or trivial, pressing... or not at all. Everything could wait or, ok let's admit, everything had to, as the time had come to stop and smell the roses, or even better... a freshly brewed pot of coffee. It was the time to reminisce about the past, bring back old memories of long-gone days and long-gone people; the time to discuss the present, its latest news and juiciest gossip; and the time to foretell the future, its dredded surprises and welcome gifts. "Finjenik abyad (literally, your cup is white, alluding to the good fortunes to follow as the designs left by the coffee sediments were interpreted and brought to life). "You have a long road ahead of you, in two time units, could be 2 days, 2 weeks, 2 months, who knows... But do not fret, it will be all good." "I see letter n for najeh (meaning success)." "I see a bird at the mouth of the cup. You will hear some news. It will be good news". "You have a fish. You will receive a present. It looks pretty big. It will be a worthy present. I will await my share as the bearer of the news." "Be wary of that blond snake close to your home. Do you see it? Here, step on it (as in smudge it with your finger)." 

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​But most of all, it was the time of camaraderie and bonding. As essential as the coffee itself, was the companionship. And even now, years after I left Lebanon, I can sip and enjoy a cup of espresso, cappuccino, American coffee, or any coffee for all that matters all alone, but never a cup of Turkish coffee all alone. It just does not feel right... 

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A fresh pot of coffee and special companions to share it with: Can't get better than that.

"Mama, yalla jeyeh... hotteh r'rakweh 'an-nar. Can't wait to see you both habibeteh. xoxoxo"

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Additional credits: Watercolor print by Lebanese artist Ghazi Toutounji; folk poem by Dima Suki.

Dimensions: 4ft (height) x 6ft (width)

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PIECE FOUND A NEW LOVING HOME.

This mixed media art piece, which celebrated its 10th birthday this past November, is very dear to my heart.

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Remember the exhilarating feeling of doing something exciting for the first time? What is it with our attachment to first things? First date, first kiss, first love, first impression, first adventure, and in this case, one of my first mixed media art pieces. With age, we are expected to "contain the excitement of feeling, seeing, tasting or having something for the first time"* but do we really? Every time I see this piece which now adorns the wall of a dear friend's house, my heart jumps with excitement and nostalgia. The thrill does not fade or dim. 

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I'm either not growing old, or this old adage has hit shaky ground. Let's all pretend it's the former, shall we!

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*http://www.minirepublic.com/first-time-for-everything/

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Additional credits: Photograph by Houda Kassatly; poem by Fouad Ghannam

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Dimensions: 2ft (height) x 4ft (width)

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PIECE HAPPILY SETTLED IN ITS LOVING HOME.

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