A few months ago, I painted this watercolour portrait as a present to my friend who became a mother three months before I did.

I am so pleased with the new look of my website. It needed a facelift very badly! The last time I updated it was back in 2013, and so many things happened within those three years... For one thing, I had to plan my wedding, then I was busy preparing for the arrival of a baby, and now I am busy with my baby and moving house. I've had very little time (and energy) to dedicate to making art, and I do miss it very badly. But there is a silver lining... Due to the fact that I could not commit to painting big pieces, I started using watercolour paints and now I am completely obsessed! I carry my watercolour set and colour pencils everywhere with me (although I hardly make enough time to use them...) But when I do, I feel like it's such a natural part of my process and I kick myself for not discovering it's beauty earlier. 

I painted this on the first day of my maternity leave. You could say I was inspired... and curious about the baby growing inside me!

Oh and during my maternity leave, and after countless of layers of changes, I actually managed to complete this piece I had begun almost three years ago! I was initially inspired by the idea of an ‘'unfinished’ mosque represented through my abstract pattern-work. I returned back to this painting a year later and decided to have it submerged in water surrounded by different forms of sea life. I could not get these imageries and the concept of the ocean out of my thoughts, and during my pregnancy I found the process of a growing fetus in utero so uncannily similar to that of the teeming existence in the ocean habitat. This piece is called 'Sanctuary' inspired by the life growing within. I used acrylic, enamel and coloured cardboard paper.

A watercolour study of my 11 day old baby Zakariya having a whale of a time sleeping on a pillow of stars, tucked under a blanket of sea...

I promise myself that I will update this more... I have so much to update... I don't actually ever stop making art, I have so many works in progress. I guess it is pretty impossible to complete stop something you are so passionate about. And I am also looking forward to moving because I will have a proper studio set up in the house. So hopefully that will encourage me to finish another big painting ASAP!