new blog posts are here!

please go to the following link on my website for my art blog posts since 2014!


http://lindasawaya.com/art-blog

thank you for your interest!

linda sawaya

new work: mandala inspired glass mosaic table for benefit auction!

glass mosaic mandala table "Alice's Wonderland"

inspired by my recently completed mandala painting, i decided to do a mandala design, of course much simplified for a table renovation to be donated to Community Warehouse table and Chair Affair. my intention to use my beloved mother alice's fused glass scraps and beads for the mosaic, thus the title of the piece!

here's my table just posted on the community warehouse website along with other invited artists who take old tables and chairs and make them into a work of art, showing the before of my broken little wicker table. the community warehouse is a marvelous organization that donates home furnishings to the poor in portland. a great alternative place to donate what you no longer need that can be used by others.

their Chair affair takes place on april 5, 2014 in portland. you can bid on this table and bring it home if you can get to their event and auction! hooray for the lucky winner. this piece took hours and hours of work, and was certainly a labor of love. and i learned so much in the process and had some great people from all overe giving me advice including carol hegedus, carole choucair, lynn bridge, and my dear friends artist linda vogel and her fabulous husband, steve in the bay area! in addition to mama's precious glass, i used some favorite broken glass that i saved up. 

just so happy with the result, and a thank you to my mama for creating all these beautiful pieces!

here's the table in my living room

the little broken table before it's renaissance!

mandala completed! final process photos of gouache on paper mandala by linda dalal sawaya 2014

detail

entering the threshold

completion of the center: bliss!

final binding ring added and voila, it is done!

this has been a marvelous process that i am so grateful to have been taught by a friend about 10 years ago. happily i ran into her recently and was able to share this new one with her. 

i am filled with total gratitude and feel so blessed. will begin another one soon! it is all drawn out 

so stay tuned for more photos!

detail of mandala in progress: gouache on paper © linda dalal sawaya 2014

 this is a detail of my mandala painting in progress! just love this process—it is a spontaneous  process within a defined structure with particular steps along the way, and areas of contemplation to allow the images to emerge.

 

this is my third mandala done in this way, since a friend taught me in 2004. i painted two and then there has been a long dry time. i am so grateful to be back in the experience of creating this new one. it is very energizing and surprising! such a blessing and a creative expression.

art saves lives! peace, love, and blessings to you in the new year! do what you love...this is all we have, this moment.

abstract small oil painting on canvas by linda dalal sawaya

 

this is a makeover of a painting i did last night for the 30 paintings in 30 days challenge! today is day 24 and i must confess that several of them were painted over. 

this is all about practice: it is good practice for me to paint, and good practice to let go of any attachment to them. this one is 6 x 6 inches.

i love this abstract one. do you?

30 paintings in 30 days: baba on the couch: acrylic on canvas by linda dalal sawaya, photo by rima

i have been enjoying leslie saeta's 30 paintings in 30 days challenge this month and have only posted a few of my paintings, as i am mostly working in oils, in which i need practice, so this has been a great way to do that, but not necessarily are they all great paintings.

i am more comfortable and adept in acrylics, and this portrait of baba ghannouj, my little yorkie mix was based on a photo my dear friend rima, visiting from lebanon took a few days ago is painted with acrylics on canvas in two sessions. even though baba has been with us for 5 years, this is my first portrait painting of him! what have i been waiting for?

probably for him to sit still...so this is based on a photo, which is wonderful and truly captures his spirit. what a doll!

thanks to my friend, rima for the great shot!

it is a small canvas 8 x 8" and is not for sale! of course i could sell prints if you love it as much as i do. email me if interested! love my baba!

oil painting: pomegranate from life! by linda dalal sawaya

practice, practice, practice! i am happy that i signed up for 30 paintings in 30 days, as it is forcing me to paint every day. i am working in oils, which i have some experience with but no where near enough to be proficient. so even though this is day 14 and i have done almost that many paintings, this is one i feel happy enough about to post here on my blog.

two issues: i normally work from memory and imagination, and in acrylic or water based media. the "juice-iness" of oils is very appealing, and yet very difficult to work with. i painted this from observation over yesterday's painting of a lotus flower that was not too fabulous...and the oil paint was still wet.

i love pomegranates; this one came from my kitchen—a great subject for a still life, quickie painting: did it in about an hour, as it is a small canvas, about 5 x 5 inches square. maybe this one is a keeper? if i eat the pomegranate tonight, i still have two more in my kitchen to use for upcoming practice paintings. what fun!

palm tree in oil on canvas, small, 5" x 5"

 

i decided at the last moment (not on january 1, but on january 3) to join a 30 paintings in 30 days challenge inspired by my session at Studio 30 painting in oils from a live model yesterday. it was fun, and i can certainly use the practice! so this little palm tree is a quick study done on canvas.

this is the portrait i painted in the 3 hour session yesterday with a model on a 12" x 12" panel with oil paint. i will work on it further to get it to where i feel happier with the result! i know doing a painting every day (which was my initial inspiration to start this art blog a few years ago) will bring much joy, practice, and improvement to my art.

thanks for viewing! comments are always welcome! 

peace, blessings, and all best in the new year!

The Sweets of Araby just published in paperback! Sawaya artwork praised by WSJ & Boston Globe!

The Sweets of Araby pastry cookbook which i illustrated and did cover design as well has just been published in a paperback edition. Countrymen Press, the publisher recently commissioned me to revise the cover for the paperback book! it has just been published in the early part of December, 2013, perfect timing for holiday gift giving!

one of the delightful things about the paperback edition is two of the three endorsements of the book praise my artwork…the Wall Street Journal and Boston Globe!

“Never before has so much oil, sugar, starch and spice been squeezed between two covers. Better to consume this whimsical, beautifully illustrated book one chapter at a time.”—Wall Street Journal

“The eye-catching colors of Linda Dalal Sawaya’s charming illustrations make this book one to savor in or out of the kitchen.”—Boston Globe

jewelry making using one of mama's porcelain roses

in the spring i treated myself to a jewelry workshop to learn how to do "cold connections". in other words, how to put things together with yes, cold connections. we did do some flaming (annealing) of  metal, melting wire to make beads like the ones at the top of the piece above, which is my first piece using a porcelain rose that my beloved mother alice made. there were instances were it was necessary to solder, and mostly it was great to learn how to rivet, wire, and drill holes.

we experimented with etching metal, lamination, and rolling patterns into metal, such as the square and circle in my piece which i'm inspired to call homage to alice.

here are two views of altoid tins that were annealed to remove the paint. the first one blistered so beautifully, i saved it and will varnish to maintain the pattern instead of washing it off.

painting from life! allaprima portland at studio 30

today i had another opportunity to paint from life with some great painters at studio 30 in st. john's neighborhood of portland.  paintings from today including mine are on view at the allaprima portland blog, which is promptly updated by wonderful artist celeste bergin.

most of the time i love to work from memory and imagination, but painting from life and observation is such good practice. i am grateful to be painting with very talented artists and learning, always learning! this was done in a less than 3 hour session with oil on canvas.  as much as i am happy with it, i  love looking at the other artist's work done today and am inspired.

here is my painting done there two weeks ago.

  

linda sawaya new SoulCollage® cards and workshop update!

 

recently made SoulCollage® cards for my deck: monkey mind, children of the light, the lovers, hand of fatima, and eagle ally. 

delighting in preparing for my upcoming SoulCollage® workshop march 1 and 2 which filled up quickly. 

if you'd like to be notified for the next workshop, please email me! 

 

 

 sending love and creativity and blessings your way!

Intro to SoulCollage® Workshop March 1 & 2, 2013 in Portland taught by Linda Dalal Sawaya

Intro to SoulCollage® Workshop

An Intuitive Collage Process

taught by artist Linda Dalal Sawaya

March 1 and 2, 2013 in outer NW Portland art studio

SoulCollage® is a simple but deep process of using collage to tap into your heart and soul. The workshop begins with a Friday night intro from 6:30 to 9:30 pm, followed by all day Saturday from 11 to 4 pm to make cards, read, and write about them. By connecting with our creativity, intuition and inner wisdom, we leave behind the everyday world, and enter an inner world of image, symbolism, and imagination. It is a fun and revealing method, where participants learn to create a tool supporting our individual growth, which develops and expands with us.  

Here is one of three OPRAH cards I made to honor a woman who is a part of my COMMUNITY, someone whom I have learned from and respect. A reading from each card provides insight to my life right here and right now, and suggests internal as well as external support and resources.

This card emerged to honor my journey on my spiritual path.

In SoulCollage® there are four suits: Committee, Community, Companion, and Council, which encompass all aspects of our lives. The card below engages with a dark, playful, silly, mischievous, trickster part of myself.

No experience is necessary for this workshop. Anyone can do it, and it is an insightful and affirming process. Surprises emerge and delight us as we connect with our inner Highest Selves through this playful way, juxtaposing images that do not obviously connect, but create another dimension revealing connections to be discovered.

Please email me with questions or if you'd like to reserve a spot.

Workshop fee is $85, which includes all materials. Treat yourself to a creative gift for yourself and sign up now! Teens and adults are welcome. Bring a friend, and receive a discount for two! Space is limited.

Linda is a trained SoulCollage® facilitator and a working artist, illustrator, and cookbook author. To learn more about me, visit my website.

The card below was made to honor a writer whom I was blessed to know. We make cards to help deal with difficult issues and to celebrate our blessings; to ask questions and to help process things old and new. To call on our elders, mentors, animal companions, and beyond.

I will be honored if you join me in this workshop. I hope these images give you an idea of the vast and magical range of possibilities to be discovered with SoulCollage®.

Picture Book Idea Month (PiBoIdMo) in November a success for linda dalal sawaya!

it is with delight that i completed the challenge of coming up with 30 picture book ideas in the 30 days of november for this national event.

not every idea for a story that i would write and illustrate was fabulous, but i am amazed and grateful for the exercise and discipline that produced so many ideas.

now, to sift through them, and discern which i'd like to focus my creative efforts on. a good time of year as we approach official winter, to stay cozy and warm, and write and sketch.

much gratitude to tara lazar, who organized this fun challenge!

here are two children's books i illustrated, both out of print: How to Get Famous in Brooklyn and The Little Ant. i have a number of written manuscripts in progress for books that i'd like to illustrate. now i'm totally inspired to fulfill this intention!

Intro to SoulCollage® Workshop December 7 & 8! with Linda Dalal Sawaya

Intro to SoulCollage® Workshop

An Intuitive Collage Process

taught by artist Linda Dalal Sawaya

December 7 and 8 in her outer NW Portland art studio

SoulCollage® is a simple but deep process of using collage to tap into your heart and soul. The workshop begins with a Friday night intro from 6:30 to 9:30 pm, followed by all day Saturday from 11 to 4 pm to make cards, read, and write about them. It's a fun and revealing process! 

The card shown here is one of three OPRAH cards made to honor a woman who is a part of my COMMUNITY, someone whom i have learned from and respect. In SoulCollage® there are four suits: Committee, Community, Companion, and Council, which encompass all aspects of our lives.

No experience is necessary for this workshop. Anyone can do it, and it is an insightful and affirming process. Please email Linda with questions or if you'd like to register. Workshop fee is $85, which includes all materials. Treat yourself to a creative gift for yourself this holiday season, and join the workshop! Teens and adults are welcome. Bring a friend, and receive a discount for two!

children's picture book writing challenge—i'm in!

PiBoIdMo, a children's book writer and illustrator response to NaNoWriMo, National Novel Writing Month begins this month, and i've signed up to take the challenge! the acronym stands for Picture Book Idea Month: create 30 new picture book ideas in 30 days. oh boy! let the creative juices flow!

i'm back in the groove on my art and illustration work, and delighted to return to my children's book manuscripts in progress, and new ones about to be created. last month i participated in a 30 day picture book dummy challenge initiated by portland illustrator lee white via Portland Kidlit facebook group, which initiated finding one of my manuscripts written long ago that i intend to illustrate. the dummy is in progress! hooray! i didn't meet the deadline because i had a number of big deadlines and projects in october, but it's on my drawing table and the challenge sure jump-started me.

keep a watch here for updates on my progress.

two well-loved children's books i illustrated are long out of print, so i'm ready to dive in.

the first one i did, How to Get Famous in Brooklyn, is close to my heart with the recent superstorm sandy. i hope my friends and precious places in brooklyn have survived. harold underdown, friend and children's book editor and author of The Complete Idiot's Guide to Publishing Children's Books and major contributor to educating on the children's book publishing process, has been posting his news; he and family are hanging in there! not sure that roller coaster at coney island pictured on top left of my cover made it. here's an article with photos talking about the future of coney island.

photograph © Timothy Murray 2012 from Huffington Post article

The Little Ant, the second book i illustrated, a Mexican folk tale, is also close to my heart, and would have sold thousands more copies if it had stayed in print!

acrylic paint and collage workshop participants create cool new work in one day!!

vicki lind, artist and creative marketing coach, attended her fourth workshop in my studio last saturday and created two powerful paintings with collage in her unique style.

christine, a fellow soulcollage® facilitator did this provocative piece with celtic themes and began another which i hope to post here when completed.

unfinished work did't get photographed, but everyone had a positive and rewarding experience.

if you'd like to be contacted for my next workshop, please email me.

Linda Sawaya's Acrylic Paint with Collage workshop Nov. 3!

Give yourself the gift of making art in an Acrylic Painting with Collage Workshop in my studio in outer NW Portland, Saturday, Nov. 3 from 10:30 to 4:30. This one-day workshop is a fun exploration of collage together with acrylic paint. Learn a variety of techniques with acrylic paint, how to integrate collage images with paint, and how to transform images from one idea into another. 

Finish at least one piece by the end of the day! All levels of experience are welcome. Please email me for more information and to reserve your space by October 26, 2012. Workshop fee is $95 plus $10 materials. 

here is a snippet from a woman who took this workshop from me in the past and has been waiting since spring for my workshop!:

Linda: I've been wanting to come back and do another collage and acrylic workshop with you. I made two last time I took it and sold one for $160 and the other is one of my favorite pieces...when i asked vicki for her permission to use this she added "another true twist": and the other one my daughter made me promise to give to her as part of her inheritance when I die.—vicki l., portland

Intro to SoulCollage® workshop in linda sawaya's studio Dec 7 & 8

My Intro to SoulCollage® Workshop scheduled for October 26 and 27 has been rescheduled to December 7 and 8 in my outer NW Portland studio.

SoulCollage® is a simple but deep process of using collage to tap into your heart and soul. The workshop begins with a Friday night intro from 6:30 to 9:30 pm, followed by all day Saturday from 11 to 4 pm to make cards, read, and write about them. It's a fun and revealing process! My SoulCollage® card, the Clutterer, was made recently as I rejoice in having cleared and cleaned my studio this summer, making it ready to teach classes and workshops again, after a few years of taking time for myself and loved ones. I celebrate this clarity of space and beauty that surrounds me!

The Clutterer is my tribute to my love of things and acknowledges the dark side of having too much stuff! No experience is necessary for this workshop. Anyone can do it, and it is an insightful and affirming process. Please email me with questions or if you'd like to register. There is space for 6 in my beautiful studio. Workshop fee is $85, which includes all materials. I hope you can join me!

Linda Sawaya at WORDSTOCK book festival this weekend!

If you're in portland, oregon this weekend, please come by the convention center for a great book festival, wordstock, and visit me at booth #815. i will be there signing copies of alice's kitchen: traditional lebanese cooking and The Sweets of Araby, a book for which i illustrated and designed the cover, as well as doing interior illustrations, published last year by Countryman Press, and named a NY Times Notable book for 2011. it is a delightful book with recipes and stories based on the tales of the 1001 Arabian Nights.

i will have matted art prints for sale as well as some framed International Madonna prints.

my beloved mother, alice, joined me at Wordstock in 2005, when they had a cooking stage and the revised and expanded edition of AK had just been published. it was such a joy to share the stage with mama; the audience loved her, and she was honored by the line of people waiting for us to sign their books.

this weekend i'll be selling the books and art prints at a special price, and will be sharing some of my summer dried figs...so do stop by! mama will be with us in spirit! reminding us: Dear, if you make it with love, it will be delicious!

and if you are too far away, you can order copies through my website or amazon, or please email me for more info. happy cooking!