“As a little girl growing up in Egypt, I was always fascinated with art.”

Although my parents kept me well stocked with drawing books and other stuff, they tell me, as a toddler, I was always drawing on practically anything I found (walls, our new car, my grandma’s newly painted lounge, etc.). 

I loved fairy tales, comic books, and animated films both Egyptian & Western. As a result, my art combines a mixture of both cultures in both style and context. During my final year in school, we moved to Canada where I studied Arts at Uni.

After completing my Bachelor of Fine Arts in Drawing and Painting in Toronto, Canada, I was awarded two scholarships to pursue a Masters degree. I decided to study a Design MA in Children’s Book Illustration at the University of Central Lancashire (UCLan) in Preston.

The reason for choosing this course was that I had a strong urge to combine storytelling and art to create something for children. What better place to do that than in the Lake District where Beatrix Potter has created her famous stories for children!! 

I moved up to Cumbria in 1989 after working in publishing in London for a few years. I usually take on commissions as a freelance editor and I’ve only ever agented a handful of books – so I was also a little hesitant. I knew how difficult it was for unknown authors – especially writers of colour – to get publishing deals, and I was worried about raising Esua’s hopes, only to have them dashed. But when she sent me a link to a YouTube interview (put together by her mentor Ros Eyben), I was won over by her strength of character, liveliness, warmth and humour.

And of course I fell in love with her draft manuscript – the funny, touching scenes from her childhood on the Shaftesbury estate, her romantic adventures in Finland and Italy, her struggle to be taken seriously as the first Mixed-Race person to go to Tanzania with VSO, the desperate search for her father, the joy of their reunion and finding her family in Ghana.

Home is where the heart is

My parents being in Carlisle where my father works at the hospital was the icing on the cake that helped pursuing my dream become easier. 

Having come to Carlisle, I think I fell in love with the city. Being able to go anywhere in the Lake district on the spur of the moment decision is just fascinating.

Star Cap

Although this cannot be done now in lockdown, it is still wonderful to discover many of the lovely walks around the area where we live. It has been challenging, however, to find a job in illustration as most of these are located around the London area with very few opportunities, if any, in Cumbria. I spend most of my time creating new pieces. I have already written and illustrated three story books.

Prayer

One of them was a commissioned project for a Cumbrian friend for her newborn grandson who lives abroad with his family, expressing her and his grandfather’s love for him. I was also delighted to paint a  commission as a Valentine’s gift for two of my school friends.

I aspire to use my skills and passion towards creating art for young children and to be a published children’s book illustrator in the future. 

Some of my paintings I am including here, illustrate who I am: my roots in Egypt, my true home: anywhere where I am happy with my family. Being a Christian, I think, also added a spiritual dimension to my art with the strong belief that where I ultimately belong is better than anywhere in the world.

Valentines

My portfolio: Click here

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