Artist

Creative Journey

Artistic Approach - Exploring abstract realism and nature's beauty.

I often start my paintings in acrylic and finish them in oil, and people are always curious why. For me, acrylic is perfect for the early stages because it dries fast and lets me sketch out the composition, play with movement, and build texture using natural pigments, marble dust, and cold wax without having to stop and wait. Once that foundation settles, switching to oil gives the painting its depth and glow—oil has a richness and softness that allows me to refine details, blend slowly, and add those final emotional touches. It also follows the traditional “fat over lean” rule, so the painting stays stable and ages beautifully. Combining both mediums gives me the freedom of speed at the beginning and the luxurious finish of oil at the end, creating a piece that feels layered, alive, and full of dimension.

My artistic journey began back in high school, when I was painting on specialty glass and completely enchanted by Disney characters, flowers, and little water animals—anything playful and full of color. My parents were incredibly supportive, and my first exhibition was actually at a trade show in Beirut, Lebanon. At the same time, I was also strong in trigonometry, which pushed me toward the science path in hopes of entering the architecture department at AUB. But life has its own way of unfolding, and instead of architecture I found myself first in the U.S., then settling in Toronto, Canada, where I’ve lived since 1990. As I traveled more, everything I saw—landscapes, cultures, moments on the road—began shifting my work toward abstract realism and storytelling. Over the years I moved between galleries, took evening and summer art courses, built a library of learning books from around the world, and immersed myself in studying paints, pigments, and materials. All of these experiences layered together, guiding me from those early glass paintings to the textured, expressive, and experience-driven work I create today.