Diary of a Professional Artist in Dubai

A La Carte

2015-04-22T00:40:00.002-07:00

Java Jolt invites budding artists and photographers to showcase their creativity

Java Jolt, the neighbourhood café for residents and office workers in the Dubai Silicon Oasis district, supports both amateur and professional artists and photographers by providing an opportunity to display their creative pieces.

Currently the café displays an array of original creations by artist Jennifer Simon. Renowned for her unique depiction of urban cityscapes, Jennifer draws inspiration from her time in the Middle East and her globetrotting experiences. Each painting is available for purchase.

Jennifer Simon (Jen) was born in the UK and has lived in the UAE since 2000. She first emerged on the Abu Dhabi Art Scene in 2007 with her successful solo exhibition titled ‘Lifescapes’. Her work is displayed globally in private and commercial collections.

Jen works closely with the Ewaa Women's Shelter. Under the Initiative of ADMAF (Abu Dhabi music and Arts Foundation), she conducts art workshops with women who have been victims of human trafficking. In May 2012 the first exhibition ‘Silent Voices’ was held at Ghaf Gallery in Abu Dhabi. It was a major success and the artwork produced by the victims raised nearly a quarter of a million dirhams for the shelter.

Java Jolt is located on level 1 of Le Solarium Tower, Dubai Silicon Oasis and is open from 7am to 5pm, Sunday to Thursday. The café is open from 8am to 5pm every Saturday. For more information on booking space for your artwork or photographs, please call 04 320 9292.

About Java Jolt

Java Jolt, the newest artisan café and bakery in Dubai Silicon Oasis, is fast becoming renowned for its organic bread sandwiches, and coffee made using only the freshest ‘RAW’ coffee beans.

In addition, the café provides a variety of organic teas and other refreshing beverages prepared with 100% natural gourmet syrups.

From the bakery, there will also be a wide selection of patisserie items bagels, muffins and even handmade salads.

RAW boutique roastery ethically sources premium green beans from across the world. The practice involves providing a sustainable living for the farmers and their families.

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Java-Jolt/293123844214861

Twitter: @JavaJoltDXB

Instagram: @JavaJoltDXB

Art Trends 2015

2015-03-23T13:06:00.002-07:00

Sorry I've no time to post much about it but wanted to share an event that is happening tomorrow: 'Art Trends 2015' - you can find more information here http://impacthub.ae/event/arttrends2015/

Call to Action for Dubai Based Artists

2014-09-23T03:35:00.000-07:00

Call to action: calling local artists and art enthusiasts to submit their concepts for permanent, site-specific pieces of art and sculpture.

· Supported by Dubai Culture and Arts Authority, the Al Ghurair Centre’s initiative is a call to regional artists and those residents in the UAE who have a creative flare and passion for art.

· Concepts for public, site-specific sculptures and installations in the urban hub of the city.

· Acting as a platform for emerging talent in the region

· The judges will shortlist entries in October 2014 according to their interpretation of the “some things change, some things stay the same” theme, creative nature and innovative design.

· Finalists will be announced in November and their installations will be publically unveiled in March 2015.

· Industry experts involved in the project include;

o Sheikha Wafa Hasher Al Maktoum (Emirait) – Artist, photographer and progressive business woman. She is determined to promote artistic development in the UAE

o Patricia Millns (British) –Her work can be seen in prestigious public and private collections worldwide, including The British Museum, the Royal Commonwealth Society, Sharjah National Museum, the Kuwait National Collection, the Royal Collection of Jordan and the Cultural Foundation of Abu Dhabi and UNIFEM New York.  

o Ebtisam Abdul-Aziz (Emirati) – She has exhibited widely both across the UAE and internationally. A member of the Emirates Fine Art Society she lives and works in Sharjah.

o Colin Reaney (Kiwi) – Associate Professor in Sculpture at AUD, Colin is involved in many collaborative art projects internationally.

· Submission are being taken until 10th October 2014

· To submit a concept visit - http://alghuraircentre.com/publicartinitiative/

Where can I sell my paintings in Dubai?

2014-05-22T13:24:00.003-07:00

This is a question that I get asked quite a lot from people already living in Dubai and Abu Dhabi or those wishing or planning to come and live over in the United Arab Emirates. There are a lot of artists in Dubai and the surrounding areas both professional and amateur who are looking to make some money from selling their paintings.

If you are a professional artist with a good reputation then you may be able to sell your paintings in one of the many galleries in Dubai but for most people this is unlikely to be an option.

The first place I would suggest you go if you want to sell your paintings in Dubai is to one of the Arte (Artisans of the Emirates) markets. They hold markets in various locations a few times a month and many amateur and professional artists try and sell their work here. You can find more info on their website here.

My advice would be to go to one of the markets first as a visitor and speak to one of the people who runs it (Miriam or Paul) and also some of the artists who are already selling there. Then you will get a good idea of what kind of art is sold and how to display it. Making contacts with other artists means that you might also find out about other markets and fairs.

Abu Dhabi Art 2013 Wings Project

2013-06-10T04:10:00.002-07:00

I have received details of a project being run by Abu Dhabi Art for artists to showcase their work to an international audience so I thought that I would share this in case anyone is interested in taking part. The deadline for entries is Saturday 6th July so there is still time to get together an entry.
Here are the details below from the flyer:

Dubai International Jazz Festival

2013-01-13T12:10:00.001-08:00

For the last 6 or 7 years (I have lost count!) I have taken part in the Arts and Crafts Village at the Dubai International Jazz Festival. An area is set aside for around 10 tents selling handmade arts and crafts for the duration of the festival. For a few years this was just 3 days but in the last few years this has been extended to around 10 nights and has moved to a great new venue at Dubai Festival City.

Although it is not that cheap to exhibit (it costs around 5,000 dirhams for a tent although I always share to halve the cost) every year I have covered my costs by sales and usually made a bit of profit. Last year I had the best year in terms of sales and covered the costs of coming over from the UK to participate.

The festival attracts tens of thousands of visitors with great music (not just jazz!). This year (2013) the headline acts are Deep Purple, One Republic and The Script :-) and it runs from 14th to 22nd February.

If you participate in the arts and crafts village then you need to be present every night of the festival to open your tent and sell your wares. However, it is a great atmosphere and you get to hear all the bands and the great music.

If you are interested in taking part in the Jazz Festival (if you are an artist or selling handmade crafts) then contact Carrie Wareham for more info. You can find her facebook page here: https://www.facebook.com/CarrieWarehamArt

Where to Buy Custom Canvases?

2012-12-17T02:14:00.001-08:00

Ok so I normally get my canvases made by Jam Jar when I am in Dubai but they have changed their price structure recently and they now seem to be way too expensive (I was quoted 432 dirhams for a 120x120cm gallery wrapped canvas). So I need to find somewhere else to get custom canvases made. Either that or I will have to stick to standard sizes.

A few years ago there were quite a few carpenters around who were making custom canvases for reasonable prices but they seem to have gone by the wayside. I know that Emirates Trading sometimes have custom ordered sizes in their shops so I will try them but otherwise if anyone knows someone who makes them then can you please let me know?

DXB Store at Art Dubai

2012-12-05T06:54:00.000-08:00

All UAE based artists and designers are invited to submit their ideas for proposals and products for the 3rd installment of the not for profit initiative which takes place during Art Dubai.

More info can be found on the Art Dubai website but applications must be in by 4th January.

http://artdubai.ae/dxbstore

Festiva Bazaar by Anahata

2012-11-12T02:24:00.000-08:00

Below are details of another Bazaar that is taking place in Khalifa City in Abu Dhabi. Again this is a new one that I have not tried before but if you need more info then contact Info@anahataspa.ae

We are pleased to invite you to join us for A.N.A.H.A.T.A.’s upcoming bazaar ;

Event Name: FESTIVA Bazaar
The 1st Annual Bazaar of Arts, Fashion & Wellness by A.N.A.H.A.T.A. Wellness Spa

Event Date: 23rd November 2012, Friday

Event Time: 11:00am to 9:00pm

Event Type: Outdoor Event ( Anahata Garden)

Event Details:

A.N.A.H.A.T.A. Wellness Spa is having its 1st Annual Bazaar for Arts,
Fashion and Wellness for the benefit of Labour of Love UAE which a
charity group that works to improve quality of life for labourers in
Abu Dhabi, focusing on education, social activities and provision of
basic goods.

FESTIVA Bazaar is a whole day event which will be joined by vendors of
all types promoting their own fashion, clothing, jewellery and craft
lines. There will be variety of stalls showcasing different products
that guest can choose from. A perfect holiday shopping for
A.N.A.H.A.T.A patrons and potential clients.

Discount Vouchers will be given during the event for all participating guest.

Tables are available for 200AED. Vendors may leave early as they wish. Payment can be done personally or thru our bank account.

Start Residence Program for Artists in India, Jordan, Lebanon, Palestine & UAE

2012-10-08T03:12:00.001-07:00

Calling Creative Minds

START's Residence Programme invites ARTISTS from across the globe to become volunteers in the field of humanitarian aid and education by mentoring refugee and orphaned children in START workshops across the Middle East.

Locations: India, Jordan, Lebanon, Palestine & UAE

Who can apply: START welcomes all artists of different art forms and nationalities that are passionate about children and wish to give back to the community.

The START team will organize transportation, prepare the workshop supplies and support each artist to conceptualize an interactive workshop for the refugee, orphaned and special needs children.

START provides: Complimentary accommodation in the START House for the Jordan and Lebanon Programme.

To find out more click here to watch our START Film on

Selling Your Art in Dubai

2012-09-16T12:13:00.000-07:00

So I often get notified of arts and crafts events where you can sell you art in Dubai and once summer has gone they seem to come thick and fast. There are 2 art markets that I have been notified of recently and they are as follows:

The Cultural Night Market at Safa Park
This is on next weekend 28/29th September from 3 to 11pm at Safa Park, Dubai. This is a new event so I can't comment on whether it is any good or not - often it depends on what kind of publicity they do and who lives in the area and is likely to visit the event. Safa Park can go both ways, although you have a rather affluent area surrounding it, the usual visitors to Safa Park may not have so much disposable income in terms of buying art so it could be quite hit and miss. You can find more info here.

Armenian Community Bazaar
Another event that I have not participated in yet but have been invited to. This takes place on 24th November at the Beach Rotana Hotel in Abu Dhabi. The cost for a table is 250 dirhams and it is an all day event being open from 11am til 8pm. For further information, please call or e-mail Gulizar Jonian:
Mob: 050 494 0455
E-mail: gjonian77@hotmail.com

Exhibition in Dubai

2012-04-23T08:10:00.002-07:00

Well I have been asked to share info about an exhibition in Dubai that is taking place next week. To be honest, I am not sure I totally get it. It seems to be about creating something around a New Era 59FIFTY . I have no idea what that is but judging from the pictures it is a baseball hat. Not being a connoisseur of baseball hats without pictures I would not have known! Anyway, it seems the Middle East winner came from Sharjah and the winners are being displayed in this exhibition. An interesting concept similar to a few things that have gone on in the past in Dubai e.g. red bull, Johnsons and those little robot things (sorry can't remember what they are called!). Anyway there are some details here - https://www.facebook.com/New.Era.ME

Get 6% Off Discount Art Supplies

2012-03-20T09:39:00.003-07:00

So I have already posted about discount art and that they are the best low cost art supplies site that I can find. I get all of my canvases from them and have not found anywhere that can beat their prices (unless you just want 1 or 2 canvases). But now if you join TopCashBack you can get a 6.06% discount on all of your purchases from discount art, making it even better value!

Get Cheap Canvases in the UK

2012-01-21T06:30:00.000-08:00

If you are looking for cheap canvases in the UK then I have checked through quite a large number of websites and I have found that the cheapest place to buy canvases, particularly if you want to buy them in bulk, is Discount Art. You can check them out by clicking on the image link below.

I have ordered from them more times than I care to remember and they have also always given me a great service. Invariably my canvases will be sent the next working day by courier and so will arrive within 2 days of ordering. The customer service is great and the best thing is basically the prices. You can also order paint at a great price and in particular if you are looking for a large (5l) tub of white or black I would recommend them.

Heading Back to Dubai

2012-01-16T14:08:00.001-08:00

So I will be back in Dubai in February primarily to sell my paintings at the Dubai Jazz Festival. For I think 6 years I have been part of the arts and crafts village at the festival (a part that some people do miss) and have sold quite a few paintings there.

This year not only is the Jazz Festival bigger than ever but also the arts and crafts village is expanding and there will be at least 10 tents in the new location (Festival City) selling many different styles of painting. I will have at least 3 very large paintings up for sale (size 150 x 150cm) and have ordered my canvases from Jam Jar who will make custom sized stretched canvases for you.

Tickets for the Leonardo da Vinci Exhibition at the National Gallery

2011-11-22T07:50:00.000-08:00

Well yesterday I went down to London with the intention of visiting the Leonardo da Vinci exhibition at the National Gallery as there had been so much hype and excitement about it. Unfortunately, in my naivety, I did not think that I might have to book tickets beforehand. So, much was my disappointment when i got to the ticket desk and there was a sign saying 'Sold Out Today'.

On further investigation it seems that the tickets for the da Vinci exhibition had been on sale since May 2011 and all of the online tickets and advance purchase tickets had already been snapped up - until the end of the exhibition! So the only way to get tickets now is either to buy them from someone who already has some but maybe can't make it (you could try eBay but they are going for more than £50 a ticket on there at the moment), or you will have to go and queue up at the National Gallery on the morning of the day you want to visit.

The gallery are releasing a limited number of tickets each day on a first come first served basis so if you get there early and queue up then you may be lucky!

However, if you are not lucky enough to get tickets then there is still a lot of amazing artwork by many great masters at the National Gallery - including van Gogh, Canaletto, Monet, Manet, Rubens, Constable, Seurat etc etc the list goes on and it takes hours to go through all of the halls and rooms. One of the paintings on show is one of van Gogh's sunflower paintings, shown here, and you really get a feel for the depth of it in real life than when just looking at a picture - the same can be said about a lot of the great masters paintings so if you do have a few hours free, go and have a browse.

UAE Art Competition

2011-11-14T03:43:00.000-08:00

Emirates NBD are running an art competition in conjunction with Tashkeel (great place by the way) - where you can win cash prizes of up to 20,000 AED and membership of Tashkeel. There is not long to go until the entry closing date (they never seem to allow much time for these things in Dubai) of November 24th so get creating! Full details are on the image attached.

Quiet Time

2011-11-10T01:48:00.000-08:00

So things are a bit quiet at the moment. Having headed back to Dubai for about 6 weeks i decided that it was now really too expensive to live there on my own and that i would have to come back to the UK. One problem was the lack of places to sell art anymore - previously Arte had been good with it's once a month art and craft fairs but now it was getting full of artists, a lot of whom were hobby artists and willing to sell their paintings for very little money. This then puts pressure on the professional artists, who have much higher costs to cover, to actually be able to sell and make money.

Another problem was with the general downturn of a few years where there were less hotel jobs around. It doesn't really help that I am not a salesperson and to be a success i think you really have to sell yourself.

So for the time being I will be based in the UK again, but available to go back to Dubai for any large jobs that may crop up. I will also likely be at the jazz festival again next February where sales are usually forthcoming.

This weekend I have 3 paintings in an art exhibition in Woodbridge, Suffolk so am hoping for a sale from there, and after that I have a possible craft fair at a local tennis club that I just need to confirm.

Art on the Prom 2011

2011-09-05T02:52:00.000-07:00

So yesterday I took part in Art on the Prom in Felixstowe for the second year running. The weather forecast was not brilliant but better than it had looked earlier in the week. I felt the crowds were not quite as big as last year but then last year was a lovely sunny day. Sales started off slowly but there was a bit more of a rush as the afternoon started and I sold 8 paintings overall varying in size from small Union Jack paintings to a large painting called 'Dream'. I was pleased with the event overall and the feedback from visitors was good but it was just a bit disappointing that the rain came down with almost an hour to go as the end seems to be the busiest time. Things got a little bit wet but I don't think any damage was caused, just me ending up looking like a drowned rat!

Felixstowe Art Group Annual Exhibition

2011-08-05T10:20:00.000-07:00

So this week was the Felixstowe art group's annual exhibition. I am a bit of an anomaly in the art group I think as most of the other artists concentrate on landscape and traditional painting rather than abstracts. There are a couple of artists in the group who are professional or semi professional artists but overall most of the group are hobbyists (not meant with any disrespect as being professional or hobbyist is no reflection on talent!). Anyway, so the annual exhibition has been going for 60 years although this is only my second year with the group.

They are a great bunch of people who manage to get a lot of people to visit the exhibition every year. I am very impressed at the visitor numbers and the number of paintings that are sold over the 5 days. Most of the artists really underprice their work so maybe it is no surprise that so much is sold.

Anyway, my stint on the desk was on Tuesday afternoon and it just so happened that a lady came in while I was there and wanted to buy all 3 of the paintings I had for sale! I was hugely surprised and pleased to say the least. I had two large textured abstracts in (see image on the right for one of them) and a textured, glittered union jack and was pleased at the way all 3 had come out and am glad they have found a new home. Now I just need to get painting again ready for Art on the Prom on 4th September.

Urban Art Fair - Brixton, London

2011-07-20T08:17:00.000-07:00

So last weekend I took part in the Urban Art Fair for the first time. It was a good experience for me but the problem was that it poured down with rain the whole weekend which really put a dampener on it in terms of people coming to look and sales made. However, I would sign up for the fair again next year as it was a really good set up with 150 artists and I am sure the potential for painting sales there is quite good if the weather had been better. It is also quite cheap for a pitch with a commission payment rate of 10%.

Painting Texture Website

2011-06-29T08:07:00.000-07:00

So I have set up a website all about painting texture - it will have lots of information about texture pastes and gels that you can buy and also how to make your own texture at home. At the moment it is a work in porgress adn I am just building up the info on there but in time there will also be other painting hints and tips bothe about oils and acrylic painting.

Set Up My QR

2011-06-10T03:20:00.001-07:00

So I have set up my QR (Quick Response) code which is like a matrix barcode that holds a lot of information about me and links to my various pages - website, facebook, twitter etc. The barcode is read by an app on your phone that will scan it and take you to a page that you specify so that people can get all of your info. Next up on my list of things to do is to add this code to my business cards.

Untitled Artists Fair - VIP Night Tonight

2011-06-03T04:35:00.000-07:00

So yesterday I went to set up my area at the Untitled Artists Fair. I have a smallish spot (as it is quite expensive to exhibit) but managed to fit in 8 60x60cm paintings. There is a huge diversity of artwork at the show and it seems like there is not much that is similar to mine (good thing or bad thing?!).

Tonight is the VIP Preview evening - open to those who have an invitation - although I think it is usually over subscribed and there are queues to get in. I have attached a vip ticket here that you can print off to gain entry to the fair and they have been giving out tickets for a few weeks for the weekend dates apparently.

Where To Buy Art Materials In Dubai

2011-05-28T13:13:00.000-07:00

So if you are an artist and you are wondering where you can buy art materials in Dubai then you do have a few options. Sometimes canvases in particular can be in short supply as they tend to send a shipment over that lasts a few months, gets sold out and then they order another one.

Anyway, there are two really good places and a bunch of others. The main place I buy my materials is in branches of Emirates Trading. They have a big branch up by the Al Nasr Cinema near Oud Metha and they have some smaller outlets at Bin Sougat Mall, Mall of the Emirates (DUCTAC) the old art centre (DIAC) and other branches in Sharjah etc. They supply Windsor & Newton canvases and Paints.

The other main place I buy paints, canvases and brushes is Kazim stationary in the Jumeirah Centre which is one of the many malls down the Beach Road (it's the one with the big Magrudy's at one end). They tend to have a good supply of Daler Rowney canvases and System 3 Paints.

There are also some other shops like Borders and Dubai Library Supplies who also supply different makes of paint including Pebeo.

If you want to get a canvas made to size then they will do this for you at Jam Jar, otherwise it is a bit cheaper to get them ready made from the shops.