For Jeddah-based artist Dorothy Boyer, painting is as imperative as breathing.
“I paint from real life,” she said. “I sit in the old town for several hours at a time absorbing the sights and sounds of a fast vanishing heritage. I firstly establish the design of the main shapes and light patterns in order to gather enough information to work on a larger painting in the studio.”
Boyer painted murals and tackled every possible aspect of decorative work for many years in the UK and Saudi Arabia before concentrating on her own fine art work.
“I have a passion for excellence, which, of course, requires enormous discipline,” said Boyer. “The content of my work is diverse, but always celebrates light. Whether I am painting still life elements, the sea, land, buildings or people, my work is a visual response to light and how it renders the humblest objects into forms of great beauty.”
She spent many years in Argentina when she had first gotten married. She now divides her time painting in Spain, the Middle East and the UK.
“I rely on closely related colors to convey feelings of heat, dust and overall harmony. The inclusion of figures engaged in their busy lives conveys the impression of a vibrant ‘souq’ (Arabic for bazaar) rather than a time warp and serves to engage the viewer in the story telling aspect. Yet my souq paintings are often very quiet and very still,” she said.
“Many artists before me have painted wonderful portrayals of old Jeddah, frequently using oil-based colors. The fact that artists keep returning to pain and snapshot this setting is a testament to their fascination for these old buildings and the history they hold within their walls.”
Boyer said her aim as an expat is to follow in the tradition of great visual artists before her “who have so eloquently portrayed life beyond their own shores, bringing people together to share what we have in common and embracing different cultures.”
“I always hope that my work will not only serve as a viewing pleasure, but will somehow secure a response and some positive action to save this important heritage for future generations,” she said.
Boyer paints using oils, pastels and watercolors, the latter being her weapon of choice for capturing the fragility of old downtown Jeddah.
Her pieces are sold through website enquiries and exhibitions. Boyer will also be having an open house, where originals will be up for sale, toward the end of May.
She has exhibited her work at the Royal Society of British Artists, the Royal Society of Painters in Watercolor and the Parallax Art Fair in Chelsea, all juried shows in London.
In 2012, Boyer was one of 220 artists chosen from 11,000 entries to represent the best of watercolor artists worldwide in the 2nd Shanghai Watercolor International Biennial, the largest such competition in the world.
She also held her own solo exhibition in Jeddah entitled “Bridging Cultures.”
This was the beginning of her Arabian series of paintings, which is ongoing.
Boyer takes us through some of the paintings from this series and her vision about them:
Midday prayer call, Jeddah
“You might think this to be a very odd title for a painting, but it, in fact, perfectly describes the moment I had to put down my paintbrushes, pack up and go home.”
“After a few hours of quiet observation, drawing and sketching activity at the souq, my attention shifted to market traders hauling a variety of goods here and there on large gurneys.”
“Everything was, of course, colorful and became increasingly so when the sun began to strike the building on my right.”
“Keeping the colors in sync with one another was a huge challenge. The mood at the scene then suddenly changed. The shutters on my left resounded with a loud crash as they closed and the sound of the midday prayer echoed throughout the little streets.”
“The vendor on my right was suddenly gathering up the clothes on display to return them inside before closing his shop. I managed to capture that moment, and what a moment that was! The speed and sense of urgency with which the scene changed and the shops closed for prayer was what captivated me. That image remained in my mind for years. I made a small painting in oils first, and then this large one in watercolor.”
Roshan with figure (exhibited in London at the Parallax Fair), Chelsea Town Hall
“This painting is full of wonderful textures, the details of which I love creating in watercolor. The old ropes and ladders lead the eye into the composition and decaying structure.”
“There is an air of exasperation in the attitude of the man standing with his hands on his hips. I expect he is wondering when order will be restored once again.”
Toworrow’s World
“I painted this early on during two consecutive Fridays. I had sat in the middle of the road (there was no traffic at the time).”
“I portrayed the old buildings reflected in the windows of the ultra-modern new office block. The reflections are very complicated and show several different layers. The old man, for instance, is making his way toward what appears to be a brave new world. The irony is that this has disappeared now, forever.”
Old Jeddah
“This has become such an amazing image for me. It was even recognized in the UK, where I was having some prints made. A gentleman who had just returned from the pilgrimage to Makkah said that he visited that very spot when he was in Jeddah. What are the chances of that happening in a print shop in Surrey! This was painted on Fridays, so it is a very quiet painting. The variety of architectural detail and general decay are accentuated in the strong shaft of sunlight coming in from behind the main wall. The cool colored stonework in the shade was a combination of blues, purples and ochres and allowed me to mix the colors directly on paper.”
Hurrying Home
“Sadly, this entire building has disappeared. The sunlight streaming across the building provided a wonderful shape, directing the eye toward the people in the street who tell a story. The contrast of color and texture allowed me to indulge in my love for detail within those larger shapes.”
