Still Life
Secondi’s Orange Apples
Acrylic on Paper
Secondi’s Orange Apples plays with the familiar. The apples are not red, they are orange, and orange is also a fruit. The shapes bend and blend and are not quite what you expect. That flexibility is the piece.
Papyrus Bowl
Acrylic on Wood Board
Papyrus Bowl shows a very round bowl with papyrus shooting upward from it, the way flowers do in a beautiful arrangement. The composition is bold and bright and full of energy.
Margaret’s Swirling Brown Leaves
Acrylic and Pen on Canvas
Margaret’s Swirling Brown Leaves shows leaves floating above a surface, the water’s movement visible in the swirls beneath them. It is a light and happy piece, full of the feeling of movement and easy dance.
Apples Behind Blue Curtains
Acrylic on Canvas
Apples Behind Blue Curtains shows bold red apples, some in full view and some hidden behind the curtain. In my work, apples carry personality, and this group is no different. One of them balances on top of the others like an acrobat. The curtain hides something, but not everything.
Annie’s Lovers
Acrylic and Pen on Canvas
Annie’s Lovers shows two flowers whose stems are intertwined beneath the water, the way lovers are. Above the surface they are separate blooms. Below, they are one. The painting celebrates that connection.
Anfushi Fish
Acrylic and Pen on Paper
Anfushi Fish is about the fish market in the Anfushi neighborhood of Alexandria. The fish lie flat, as they would in a market, but the decorative patterns surrounding them give the composition movement and life. It is as much about design as it is about the fish.
Anaya’s Brown Curtains
Acrylic on Canvas
Anaya’s Brown Curtains shows a family in the foreground, each figure with their own personality and presence. The brown curtains frame them from behind, giving the scene the feel of a stage. The family presents itself.
Aly’s Pick Apples
Acrylic on Canvas
Aly’s Pick Apples shows a container leaning gently to one side, holding pink apples rather than red ones. The pink shows a softer, quieter quality. They are all together, holding each other up.
Margaret’s Green Flowers
Acrylic on Paper
Margaret’s Green Flowers shows three flowers intertwined into one solid form. Together they are strong and bold in a way that none of them would be alone. It is a piece about what togetherness looks like.
Erica’s Juggling Apples
Acrylic and Ink on Canvas
Erica’s Juggling Apples shows apples in motion, tumbling and spinning mid-air. A curtain at the edge hides a small part of the scene but the movement is mostly in full view. It is a playful piece.
Margaret’s Flowers on Top
Acrylic and Ink on Canvas
Margaret’s Flowers on Top shows blooms reaching right to the edge of the vase, almost beyond it. The swirling water below and the hints of stems in the middle show the whole life of the plant. It is flourishing.
Margarets Green Flowers
Acrylic and Ink on Canvas
Margarets Green Flowers shows three flowers intertwined together, their forms creating one solid composition. The green is bold and strong and they look like they are holding each other up. Together they are more than they would be separately.
Margaret’s Burgundy Vase
Acrylic and Ink on Canvas
Margaret’s Burgundy Vase is a happy piece, a rich dark vase bursting with flowers. It is a celebration of abundance and life.
Rose Marie’s Star Flowers
Acrylic and Ink on Canvas
Rose Marie’s Star Flowers shows two star-shaped blooms shining at the top, each one independent. But below the surface, their stems are intertwined. They are distinct and they are together. That tension is what the piece is about.
Gigi’s Flower
Acrylic and Ink on Canvas
Gigi’s Flower is a celebration, with a bright yellow vase full of geometric blooms and a swirling background that gives the whole piece movement. The bold patterns and colors are about the joy of the moment and the person it is dedicated to.
Ashraf’s Leaning Jugs
Acrylic and Ink on Canvas
Ashraf’s Leaning Jugs centers on a jug at an angle, filled with vivid blue flowers that echo throughout the geometric background behind it. The bold contrasts of blue and orange and the structured patterns give the composition its energy. It is a contemporary take on the traditional still life.
Soheir’s Little Pink Apples
Acrylic and Ink on Canvas
Soheir’s Little Pink Apples shows three small pink apples resting in an ornate black bowl. The softness of the pink against the bold dark vessel is the heart of the piece. In my work apples carry personality, and these three are quiet and gentle.
Confined Tangerines
Acrylic and Ink on Canvas
Confined Tangerines shows a red vase filled with vivid orange tangerines, their stems reaching upward. The split background of light and shadow adds to the sense of something contained and wanting to grow beyond its boundaries. The title names what the piece is about: beauty and potential within limits.
Soheir’s Boquet of Flowers
Acrylic and Ink on Canvas
Soheir’s Bouquet of Flowers shows a vibrant arrangement that fills the canvas with color and movement. The geometric vase grounds the composition while the blooms themselves are loose and expressive. It is a lively piece named for and dedicated to Soheir.
Pulled Cherries (Egypt, Syria, Lybia)
Acrylic and Ink on Canvas
Pulled Cherries shows the upheaval of the Arab Spring and what happened to Egypt, Syria, and Libya. The cherries represent these countries and they are being pulled from an unknown source. One boat overflows and the other is nearly empty, showing the uneven cost of what happened. The falling leaves add to the sense of things coming apart.
Apples on my Mind
Acrylic and Pen on Paper
Apple’s on My Mind is part of the Open Minds series. The top of the head opens to reveal apples inside. In my work, apples have always represented different personalities, and this person has many on their mind.
Cherine’s Cherries
Watercolor and Pen on Paper
Cherine’s Cherries is a happy piece. The cherries tumble in an unusual container, playing and laughing. There is genuine lightness here.























