International Women's Day 2012

Meskina - Quiet Wisdom. Pen & ink 350x230mm ©Sue Pownall 2012

Observed since the early 1900s, International Women's Day is annually held throughout the world to inspire women and celebrate achievements. You can read more about it here.  

"Every year the United Nations choose a different worldwide theme for Women’s Day and many events take place... marking the economic, political and social achievements of women. Their theme for March 8th 2012 “Empower Rural Women – End Hunger and Poverty”." Source LindyLou at News From Italy

Whilst this year I am not involved with an event, I am posting my latest Festival Face portrait, which is of a woman who has had a very hard life and matches the UN theme. The title has been elusive, despite lots of good suggestions in response to my competition - thank you - apart from Meskina (Arabic for poor woman) which has remained in my head.

As in the tradition of all competitions, I picked a winner.

& the winner is...

Esther Hardman with Quiet Wisdom.

Esther please use the contact form above to send me your snail mail (postal) address, 

so I can get your prize in the post.

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Photo reference supplied and used with the permission of Ahmed S. Al-Harthy.

Please check out his fabulous photos at Ahmed S. Al-Harthy Photography

A splash of colour & a competition

First, a splash of colour. At my last night of Muscat Festival, I took a photo of some women clapping and dancing and capturing the movement and as I took it I told a friend I’m going to paint that. Not having brought any acrylics to Oman, they are at my flat in Italy, I did this small study in watercolour and gold leaf. I’ve got some acrylics now thanks to the generousity of artist Yousuf Al Nahwi, who gave me some of his supplies and will be tackling a canvas soon.
My 2nd Festival Face is this half-blind Omani woman. At an earlier stage it looked like Voldemort meets Mother Teresa as I’d only draw the scarf, necessary as it defines the face, and her eyes, my starting point. The title is a problem: as JK Rowlings has copyright on the name Voldemort I can’t use that in the title, and I feel “Blind Omani Woman” is on par with “Untitled”. I received the proposal of calling it “Meskina” which is Arabic for poor woman, but that doesn’t feel right.

Any suggestions? 

Leave your title in the comment box below, then like my facebook page, and you could win a prize. If I like your suggestion the best, you will receive 5 of my Secret Garden greeting cards, but you must like my facebook page as well as comment here. I look forward to receiving the titles. I will post the finished portrait, it's new title and the winner on March 8th, International Women's Day. btw Secret Garden is on the top right of the banner.


This second WIP has been hanging around for a while. It’s part of the Decay Series: Scottish Ruins series, which you can see here. I did the pencil placement in UK back in November. I inked the outline when I moved into this flat mid-Jan and started the initial shading. Then this week, I started on the details of the castle as a counter to the precision of the portrait. Not sure, when I’ll next work on it, so you will have to check back again.

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Don't forget to enter the competition:

Leave your title suggestions here, 

then pop over to my facebook page and click like.