Hello bloggers. So nice to see you again.
And how nice it was to have my two little visitors (mum and son), escaping the English snow for Christmas. How hard it is in Europe at the moment, with such crazy quantities of snow! My mum told me that (yes, it's a doggy story) her friend's Chihuahau's dog disappeared into a snow-drift by the side of the road and had to be dug-out and rescued!
Well, no, this isn't the actual snow-drift-dog, but I couldn't resist posting this Chihuahua, who has obviously learnt how to smile 
I won't mention that I still have to wear my sunhat. That would just be bad-taste. Mind you, we'll get our punishment in the summer here, don't you worry. We'll be puffing and sweating and dripping..........enough!
Anyway, time to introduce another of our talented contemporary artists Noura Masri http://www.nouramasri.com Kindly donating one of her artworks for our 'Strays Of Abu Dhabi' charity art auction (April 2010)
Noura Masri, was born in Dubai in 1981 to Jordanian parents of Palestinian origin; self-taught artist she started painting at age 12 and have held solo and group exhibitions in the Middle East and Europe. She has worked as a graphic designer and is currently a full-time artist. She teaches kids and adults alike as well as work on special projects.
Here's Noura at one of her many solo exhibtions.
Fame and Fortune sit lightly on the shoulders of Noura Masri, with no less than 13 publications/articles about her artwork under her belt.
The themes in Noura’s work introduce you to a world that merges fantasy and reality. Her figures are both seductive and mysterious. They exist in their own eccentric realm of fantasy, yet draw the observer to them with a sense of accessibility that freezes with time. Her work has been compared to artists such as Picasso though the figures she paints captivate the feminine side of her Picasso-esque style with an air of enigmatic sensuality.
Noura Masri
Here's Noura happily imprisioned by her paintings.
My paintings are about the enjoyment of playing with images, imagining, creating fantasy, and of course most importantly the enjoyment in creating harmony with colors, expressions and how it evolves to become a personal narrative. To me, the end result doesn’t matter: It’s the enjoyment of creating /painting /writing, etc….......www.nouramasri.com
There is a natural joy in Noura's paintings that really comes through.
''............inspiration comes from within and from anywhere and everything around you. To me, painting is not about the fugures or the shapes perfect, yet it is more about the process that you mentally go through when you paint.........I truly believe that you can create your own inspiration and that nothing is impossible........
Isn't it exciting to think you will be able to bid on Noura's painting? Don't worry, I'll be creating an online catalogue, showing all the paintings up for bids on the strays of abu dhabi website. That's straysofabudhabi.com
This will probably be the most varied and unusual group of International Artworks you may ever see! All together, under one venue roof!! (The Millenium Hotel) And all profits going to help care and rehome for strays found here in Abu Dhabi. It's just a win win. What and NO RESERVE on most paintings? Isn't that a risk? Yes, indeed it is a risk for the artists, who rightly value their work and the time and love and effort it takes to create it. But, not a risk for YOU the bidder 