As a full time Artist, l still work on my paintings on a daily basis for many hours, generally around 10 and 14 hours, day and/or night. Painting is my passion. Painting allows me to express my feelings and emotions in all my works, each uniquely blended with diverse feelings solely capable of being expressed through the medium of art and painting where otherwise words would be found lacking.
As a teenager I became inspired to draw portraits of my friends at school. I liked using pencil, pen, and ink for most of my drawings followed by oil medium later.
I have always had an interest in all kinds of art, but it was only until the last 15 years that I have been moved to work in the abstract, Cubism, figurative, contemporary arts. The level of artistic freedom is what attracts me the most to these fields. I attended art classes in 1989 in the Munson-Williams-Proctor Institut.
In 1992, I was invited to exhibit my works in Montreal, Canada and Dr. Samir Moukal from Radio Canada liked my work and chose me between to take part in an interview for Radio Canada. At the time, most of my work involving watercolor was floral and the style was Classic Modern, and some Abstract Symbolism and Cubism. l have also worked on acrylic paintings, admiring it due to it being a fast and quick drying medium.
In 1995, l returned to my country of origin, Lebanon and continued my work there.
On May 14, 1996, I took part in my first solo exhibition at Gallery La Toile, Rimal which turned out to be a succes with 56 flowers artworks displayed with the most being watercolor and some acrylics, oils on canvas, and so on. Only 40 percent was for sale, the rest was purely for display as part of a private collection. More than thirty five Arabic, English, and French magazines (Orient Le Jour, La Revue Du Liban, le Commerce Du Levant, newspapers such as el Nahar, el Hayat, and Critic d'Arts such as: Abdo Wazen, Joseph Assaf, and many others) reviewed my work and gave favorable positive reviews and comments. The Famous Fadel Said Akl, while visitng my exhibition in La Toile, presented a positive critique, for the second time in El Nahar, one of the leading newspapers in Lebanon.
In 1997, I participated in two collective exhibits, the first at the Lebanese Ministry of Tourism, Hamra Street, Lebanon, and the second at a new gallery in Chtaura, Graffity Gallery as part of its openinig exhibition.
In 1998, I was invited to the First Symposium at Ehden (North of Lebanon, and near Gibran Khalil Gibran's village and museum) and another symposium at the Municipality of Jounieh. The purpose was to put the first step to a new museum in this lovely country near the sea.
In 1999, I took part in a symposium in Zahle by the Fayrouz Chamoun Arts Center, the oldest art chenter in the Bekaa region.
In 2000, numerous exhibitions were openning across the country, from the South to the North. The Final Artshow was in the Lebanese Artists Association--Painters and Sculptors
In 2001, I participated in the Collective Arts Exhibition in ADG, Gemmayzeh, Touristic Area, Beirut. l was also invited to multiple television shows for interviews, artwork displays, and expositions. In that year I also was invited to the Collective Exhibition in Unesco, Beirut, Lebanon, honoring the Lebanese Army, (Feast of the Army) and the Collective Exhibition in Rashaya, for the Independence Day.
In 2002, l was invited by 'Le Cercle des Arts' to a solo exhibition and showroom at The Hotel Le Meridien-Commodore in 'Hamra Street' for one month. During that time, I took part in television talkshows, interviews, and meetings on New Tv, TL Teleliban, LBC and Tv5, and many radio meetings like Voice of Lebanon and radio Van, Lebanese magazines, Arabic, French and so on.
In 2004, I received an invitation from 'UCIP Liban' to an exhibition in the newly opened 'Emile Lahoud Center, Salle des Congres'.
From 2007 to 2009, I took part in multiple collective exhibitions, namely the ADG Gemmayzeh as well as having many of the artworks in some private collections in Lebanon, France, Canada, the USA, Ireland, etc.
You can view some of my works at FineArtAmerica.com and Yessy.com. I'm preparing for another solo exhibition in Lebanon soon.
Therese AbouNader joined Pixels.com Licensing on August 30th, 2009.
