Lionel Openshaw

4:41 PM I think it’s great that Ala’a is tackling the issue of Israel’s illegal occupation of Palestine - it is an issue that is of massive global significance and I would like to see Ala’a develop this further.Thank you Lionel, It’s kind of you to be compassionate towards the Israel-Palestinian conflict. It is a sensitive issue and it does motivate me to include in my artworks.

Jonathan Kearney

4:42 PM Lionel. I guess it would good to not carry the politics too heavily though, like you were thinking in your presentation?I agree Jonathan, I never want to carry politics too heavily, but I don’t find the work I’m doing very political, it’s a reflection of an idea that I wanted to express, more of an expressive piece, rather than political. I find Laila’s work more focused on politics than mine.

Chika Barry

4:43 PM I'm back (huge apologies Lionel - would love to give feedback later as Terry did)

Lionel Openshaw

4:43 PM I have no problem with art that is heavily political - it's just not want I want to do at the moment - but then I don't think Ala'a's work is either. Yes, only two paintings included an optimistic hope of the future.

Chika Barry

4:43 PM I''m looking at Ala's work now…. catching up

Lionel Openshaw

4:43 PM I would just like her to continue to explore this vital issue.

Jonathan Kearney

4:44 PM Lionel, yes it is clearly a vital issue for herIt is and for many people…4:45 PM I feel the experiments so far have the feel of a beginner with photoshop, Ala'a and I have talked about this already -- the techniques look obvious but there are signs of a growing sophistication with the tools, what so you all think?

I totally agree and I mentioned this in the presentation. I wanted to explore digital technology and apply it into my work, I like the results but I am not very satisfied with them all, and I don’t want this to affect my work in a negative way and make it look poor.

Terry Long

4:45 PM Sorry, there was a lot to read

Jonathan Kearney

4:45 PM no worries Terry and Chika is just catching up with it now

Chika Barry

4:46 PM I agree Lionel4:47 PM

For me the work that stands out are those with the representation of color - inspired by the nature photographyI also love the typographic reflectionsOverall, it's very strongThank you Chika!

Laila Hassan

4:47 PM I like the effects Ala'a is trying to add to her work with photoshop...they are yet not very sophisticated but they add richness to her work.Thank you Laila!

Chika Barry

4:47 PM I do think perhaps some honing in on which techniques really matter might be goodYes Chika I agree

Terry Long

4:48 PM It may be a good idea to stick to just photography when trying out the digital effects.This is what I did, all the digital effects are added on the pictures of the paintings! If this is what you meant Terry.

Chika Barry

4:48 PM there's a lot of different styles which is great but some better than others

Lionel Openshaw

4:48 PM

The thing is, Ala'a is a beginner with Photoshop from the sound of things - it is an incredibly sophisticated piece of software and takes time to master. Avoid too many filters etc!

Terry Long

4:48 PM I agree with Chika

Laila Hassan

4:49 PM I understand the images of the sea are not paintings, right? They are photos that inspired her?Yes, reference photos

Terry Long

4:49 PM Less is more

Chika Barry

4:49 PM I'm mostly drawn to this piece http://alaabeseiso.files.wordpress.com/2013/03/img_2916.jpg?w=450&h=447

Jonathan Kearney

4:49 PM Yes she is a beginner but this image for example shows good signs http://alaabeseiso.files.wordpress.com/2013/02/img_2706.jpg

This is the original piece Jonathan, it’s painted with acrylics, even the

writing, this is the first step

Lionel Openshaw

4:49 PM This might sound strange but the image I almost liked best is the one of the surfaced rock - actually before Ala’a had added calligraphy etc!The image is a picture I took. Then tried to imitate the natural effect on canvas. So the first image is an inspirational photo, the second one is my work.

Chika Barry

4:50 PM the texture, pattern, colour and dynamic layout

Jonathan Kearney

4:50 PM Lionel, not strange as it connects with your own photos!

Terry Long

4:50 PM Again, I agree with Chika, this work is one of the strongestIf you are taking about the picture then it’s a photo, and not a painting! The other one is a painting.

Chika Barry

4:51 PM I like what's starting to happen with the typographic reflection here http://alaabeseiso.files.wordpress.com/2013/02/jhido-ref-6.pngAlthough it’s a very simple technique but I kind of like the result too!

Jonathan Kearney

4:51 PM Laila - when you say - "I understand the images of the sea are not paintings, right? They are photos that inspired her?"4:52 PM yes I think she has used them for colour inspiration

Chika Barry

4:52 PM but not too sure about the application of the texture in that oneit is very strong and looks grand in scale which i like too

Laila Hassan

4:52 PM I agree Jonathan ..I think exploring more with photoshop will be an asset to her.. Otherwise the calligraphy looks more traditional. I wish she gets out of that frame of traditional calligraphy .

Terry Long

4:53 PM

I think you can learn a lot about using colour if you look at Lionel's work. Try using a restricted palette

Laila Hassan

4:53 PM Thanks Jonathan ...it was not clear in the blog , thought she wrote paintingsSorry Laila I thought the display was clear, inspirational photo/s next to it is my work.

Lionel Openshaw

4:53 PM Laila - yes, I agree! I feel I've seen that before and I would also quite like to see an exploration of Arabic calligraphy in a more secular way - ie. consciously separated from it’s Koranic traditions…Frankly speaking, I m a person who admires quotes and sayings, and I intended to choose a saying or a phrase that I am fond of, this is the reason behind choosing Quran verses in some of the pieces, although the other three are a poem, a quote and a popular saying.

Laila Hassan

4:54 PM Yes Lionel, I agree

Lionel Openshaw

4:55 PM But again, it's great that she is trying things that are new to her (PS, calligraphy etc)Writing with these scripts is a totally new experience.

Terry Long

4:55 PM

A small point maybe, but be careful about the scale of things, as in the large water droplets on the beach sceneIntended to exaggerate for expressive purposes!

Chika Barry

4:56 PM I think there's a lot of room to experiment and for me I love the use of natural textures so I would want to see more of that - different types of textures integrated with the paintingsAgree

Jonathan Kearney

4:56 PM It is examples like this where Ala'a 's sensitivity to colour really showhttp://alaabeseiso.files.wordpress.com/2013/04/maldives_anemone_3.jpghttp://alaabeseiso.files.wordpress.com/2013/03/al-sabireen-final11.pngWhat do you mean Jonathan my sensitivity to color?

Chika Barry

4:56 PM yup I agree Jonathan

Laila Hassan

4:57 PM Also I think it does not have to be readable , she could experiment a little bit.. Maybe mix and match calligraphy types, phrases,...etc they don't have to be famous phrases or verses from Quran. She could invent her own phrases, poems or stories

Unreadable is a good point, Mix calligraphy types is a good idea Laila,

I did it here and I liked the result However, it’s a great idea to add my own thoughts!!

Jonathan Kearney

4:57 PM Terry - good point about the scale of the droplets4:58 PM Lionel - the balance is the challenge the traditions of the source of the words and maintain respect for their origin I’m treating the work with principles of art and not taking into consideration their religious value, even the few ones containing Quran verses.

Chika Barry

4:59 PM Yup I agree Laila!

Jonathan Kearney

4:59 PM Laila, good point and of course a lot of people will not be able to read the calligraphy anyway, so they will see it 'read it' in a different way, so Ala'a could use this to her advantageYes of course, Jonathan and I discussed this issue before that’s why in my first piece “we will return one day” the writing appeared unclear and abstract, but later on I was trying to do some perfect writing by acquiring the knowledge in practical experimentation.

Terry Long

5:00 PM Some of the most famous paintings in the world were painted with a restricted palette. Try using just Ultra Marine Blue and Burnt SiennaI am attracted to paintings with a high level of contrast; maybe this is why I use complementary colours and a wider range of colors Terry.

Lionel Openshaw

5:00 PM Jonathan - maybe a healthy disrespect might be valuable too?!

Jonathan Kearney

5:01 PM Lionel, yes it is the challenge and the respectTerry, yes restriction is often the most freeing thing you can do!

Laila Hassan

5:01 PM I always believe the message I'm sending with art does not have to be very straightforward. I'd like the viewer to make some effort understanding the work, so he doesn't forget itGood point

Lionel Openshaw

5:02 PM Laila - yes, that is kinda what I was trying to say...

Laila Hassan

5:02 PM :)

Lionel Openshaw

5:02 PM I realise that these are mainly experimental pieces but I think the figures in some of the paintings have been rendered a bit crudely - for example, I’m not sure why they don’t have faces in the beach scene?Two reasons for doing so, 1: I like the impressionist art so I tried to paint the figures using big brush strokes with no clear details, 2: I did not want to add facial expressions or even features because I didn’t want to attract more attention to the figures as they’re already the focal point.

Terry Long

5:03 PM I would like to see more typographical work, I think this is your strongest areaThanks Terry

Chika Barry

5:03 PM I actually prefer this surreal beach scene http://alaabeseiso.files.wordpress.com/2013/01/we-will-1.jpg?w=450&h=3335:04 PM the rough texture and restricted palette

Lionel Openshaw

5:05 PM Just skimming down through her site I love this example of inspiration and maybe this sort of thing could be a useful direction?

Terry Long

5:05 PM Yes Chika, this one works much better. LESS IS MORE!

Lionel Openshaw

5:05 PM http://alaabeseiso.files.wordpress.com/2013/02/artwork1.jpgThe way the type is less formal etc...

Jonathan Kearney

5:06 PM Lionel, yes it is almost a dot grid over the image in partsYes

Chika Barry

5:06 PM That's really lovely that inspiration painting

Jonathan Kearney

5:06 PM ok any last comments?

Chika Barry

5:06 PM I can totally see her work going that way

Laila Hassan

5:06 PM I'm sorry my Internet is bad today

Chika Barry

5:07 PM But with the unique textures that add depth where needed

Lionel Openshaw

5:07 PM The SCALE of it is also significant - I'm not sure how Ala'a is thinking of presenting her final project - digital prints, or...?I have been thinking about how to present the work but I am still not sure 5:08 PM Bad internet!

Jonathan Kearney

5:08 PM ok, we need to move on now, it is so difficult to manage these discussions, you all make such great points! I don't want to cut it short ;-)

Terry Long

5:08 PM There is a greater sense of spontaneity in the typographical work, which I prefer. You could try using a chinese brushSure, would take this into consideration

Laila Hassan

5:08 PM Interesting work Ala'a , keep experimenting

Jonathan Kearney

5:08 PM thanks Ala'a and well done!

me

5:08 PM thank you for your feedback!!! lots of interesting viewpoints!! very very thankful really :)

Chika Barry

5:08 PM Yes! Great work!

Terry Long

5:09 PM Well done indeed!

Lionel Openshaw

5:09 PM Good stuff! Viva Palestine!

p.s: Very thankful for your feedback!!!