Seana and Beauty Walk to the World Beat

08 Oct 2011 Leave a comment

by Eva the Dragon in Eye Candy - Art, Island Tales - Expatriate Living, The Most Interesting Roosters - People Tags: , , , , , ,

"Beauty" by Artist Seana Mallen

Beauty is an invisible essence certain women exhibit as they walk through the messiness of life.  Whether in a crowded market or an elegant café, it is how these women light up the space around them even in the noon sun.

Rushing to my 10am yoga class, I opened the door into the World Beat Fitness Center’s sunny café when BOOM I suddenly found myself whirling in Seana Mallen’s universe.  Seana was swirling around hanging up her paintings for the opening of her In Celebration of Women exhibit this afternoon.

Dedicated to her mother, a breast cancer survivor, who “lit up a room when she entered it, both by her positive personality and by bright red lipstick” Seana’s exhibit draws upon her mother’s inner beauty and all the anonymous women who color her world.

Seana is truly an ARTIST with a real CV and commissioned works around the world.  How did an international artist end up in Bahrain? – like many expat wives, her husband took a position here and she accompanied him looking at it as an opportunity to travel, paint and educate.  Here her gregarious nature and love of energy and color has turned her life into one bright spotlight.

A gifted teacher Seana set up Awali Arts as soon as she landed.  Under her guidance, many of my friends have grown from primary school type sketching to artists in their own right.  But Seana doesn’t just focus on unemployed housewives; she volunteers her time around the world helping school children create murals.  Or you might accompany her on a travel holiday painting in India, Africa or Jordan.  Or you may take a cruise and take a watercolor class from her.  And if you pop over to my house, you will see the one of the many sets of commissioned family portraits she has created.

But the easiest way to meet Seana today and until November 10th is to go have a coffee at the World Beat Café and gallery.  Maybe you will even get the chance to meet this strong, funny, enthusiastic fire-cracker who inherited all these qualities from her mother.

The Bouncer Guarding the Writer’s Circle

07 Oct 2011 Leave a comment

by Eva the Dragon in Food for the Mind - Books, Island Tales - Expatriate Living, The Most Interesting Roosters - People Tags: , , , , ,

When Robin Barratt says WRITE he means it

Author Robin Barratt Security Expert

Usually one wouldn’t expect a group of writers to need a bouncer.  That’s not the case for the Bahrain Writer’s Circle.  If it wasn’t for bouncer Robin Barratt the meeting would not have even gotten started.

Last year Robin Barratt arrived in Bahrain.   After checking out JJ’s, the Coral Beach Club and Wrangler, he decided those clubs did not have the vibe he wanted.  He posted a notice that all writers on the island, whether they could dance or not, were invited to his inaugural party.

Admittedly I have a low opinion of bouncers.  My girlfriend met her husband when he was the bouncer at a club and the rest of the story is pretty grim, or amusing depending on who is doing the telling.

And that’s the key point – who is doing the telling.

Robin Barratt has written 6 books about his life as a bouncer.  Each cover features a large man with a tough English street bully attitude.  Frankly, Robin’s huge guns (biceps on normal people) prominently displayed on his covers frightened me.  But if Doing the Doors was the must-have book for clubbers around the world then Robin certainly told a good story.   I gathered two of my writing buddies and carrying our pashminas we trotted off to the Elite Hotel.

“Hello I’m Robin” were the first words out of his mouth.   Like his world wide fans, his warm smile and genuine enthusiasm immediately won me over.   Before my eyes he transformed from a tough thug into a charismatic leader.

And he has led.

Within months the BWC has grown from zero to 70 members, acquired a few corporate sponsors, created a website, gathered a FACEBOOK following, held creative writing workshops and spun off a poetry group, the Second Circle.  Currently Robin’s big project is creating an anthology called My Beautiful Bahrain, writings that reflect life in Bahrain.  He intends to publish it in January 2012.

At the last BWC meeting, he told the 30 odd writers assembled, “I always do what I say I am going to do.”

I don’t doubt it.

Any writer, published or not, who lives in Bahrain or has lived in Bahrain can contribute a piece to the anthology.  The one criterion about content is the work must stay out of politics and negative commentary.  Other than that it is a blank page and an opportunity to be creative.

If you don’t believe it is possible, come meet Robin for yourself at the next meeting.

Artist Demi Mcleod Exhibits at the Capital Club

04 Oct 2011 1 Comment

by Eva the Dragon in Eye Candy - Art, Island Tales - Expatriate Living, The Most Interesting Roosters - People Tags: , , ,

Yin Yang by Demi Mcleod

Artist Demi Mcleod is showing her work at the Capital Club in the Bahrain Financial Center through this weekend October 6th, 2011.  At midnight the exhibition closes and she takes off her glass heels and runs back to her studio.

Demi is inspired by the things she is most familiar with – her goldfish, African animals and textures in fabrics.  In her mind’s eye they explode larger than life and that is when her alchemist side takes over.

Talk to Demi and she’ll explain how she combined a paint or an ink with a process which inevitably turns to gold.  Her works take time to develop because she experiments with materials gathered from her global travels.  Intrigued with each paints’ qualities she describes how they interacted with the light, the humidity and other colors.  Unafraid of the results she boldly moves forward.  Each layer deepens the painting creating new textures until her final vision comes to life.

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