Artist Dorothy Boyer is the incarnation of the injunction “carpe diem” — seize the day. She pounces on ideas, follows them up energetically and produces the fine art she is justly famed for while managing an incredibly complicated private life with equal verve and dedication. She is a genuine eccentric in the purest form of the word and does not remotely fit the archetype of modern women of, what is delicately described as, “a certain age.”

She is infinitely more likely to be up to her elbows in linseed oil and titanium powder, in a Jeddah souk hunched against a wall with a pencil and pad catching the atmosphere in a few deft stokes or threatening her computer with violent terminal reprogramming at home.

She once described herself both as loving contrast and drama and as a person of extremes — hating the bland and ordinary. This description would apply equally to her lifestyle and her art, and embodiment of the ‘old school’ approach to life: “Do it right or don’t start.” She is, she admitted, driven by a fear of failure and that makes her work “on the edge.” “My whole life is my work,” said Boyer.

“I don’t remember ever not having an interest in art,” she confided, cheerfully admitting that she was self-taught. That involved spending whole days in front of the works of Old Masters in Glasgow galleries in her native Scotland and then hours working away on her own perfecting techniques she had seen.

“So, I did actually learn from the masters, believe me. I have no interest in flattery of the ‘oh isn’t that lovely’ school. I am really critical of my own work,” she said.

Boyer deeply believes that art is a universal language that speaks to all mankind, even though tradition and geography influence the way people perceive works of art. “It is thrilling to be able to communicate through painting with people as culturally varied as I have had the pleasure to meet.”

“Although diverse in content, my work is a celebration of what I find beautiful, exotic and interesting in my surroundings, either here in Saudi Arabia or during my extensive travels.” No polemicist, her work does not take an ideological or moral stance but rather seeks to describe the wonder created by the effect of sunlight falling on various objects such as the fragile old buildings with their powdery wooden shutters in the Jeddah's old quarter, Balad.

She also portrays the glorious seductive quality of the sunlight on coconut palms and the drama of the filtered light on fabulously interesting and inspirational people to her — the ‘still life’ composition.

“We all glorify the light, for without it there is no life and no joy, and that is what I paint. I want people to feel the same uplifting joy I feel,” said Boyer.

It seems from her recent “Open House” day that many people feel as she does.

Since her last solo exhibition ‘Bridging Cultures’ in 2007, Boyer has been working toward showing a body of work under the heading ‘Islamic Spain’, planned for 2011.

She spends a great deal of time in Spain where she has a home and has always been aware of its enormous Islamic heritage, visible in all aspects of daily life particularly in Andalusia.

The jewel in the crown of architectural wonders in Islamic Spain is universally accepted as the ‘Alhambra’ in Granada. “Equally exciting from my point of view are the intimate little courtyards in Cordoba and Seville, or the backstreets in the rural villages where I have spent endless hours sketching and painting, recording the play of sunlight on buildings, hills, foliage or people. It’s is pivotal in all my work,” she said.

Her watercolor, “The Baroque Fountain,” was painted at the gate leading into the Alhambra. “I first visited this beautiful example of Moorish architecture nearly 40 years ago and have witnessed its wonderful restoration in that time. It never fails to thrill.”

The painting was published in the August/ September 2008 issue of the International Artist Magazine and was a finalist in the competition ‘Favorite Things’ and has become Boyer’s signature piece.

Selected as a “Finalist for Outstanding Watercolor” in the January Fine Art Views Painting Competition 2010 with the comment: “Exquisite attention to detail and fabulous color are her trademarks.” 

Recently and as a precursor to the 2011 exhibition, Boyer has been painting Moorish pots in oils that are featured in her latest “Small Works” collection, although she delights in watercolors and pastels as well.

Such was the response to her “Open House” viewing earlier this month that she has been persuaded to repeat the day due to popular demand. To be held over June 19 to 21, it will be a treat for sure and a rare opportunity to meet a real talent with a passion for light and Islamic culture and a determination to share it.

Dorothy Boyer can be contacted through her representative, Susan Zaidan, at [email protected]. For a retrospective view and to see what Boyer is up to currently, visit www.dorothyboyer.com.