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Recently I was commissioned to make a painting based on the movie 'Baba Aziz'.

At its core, "Bab' Aziz" is a film about the journey of the soul. Set against the backdrop of the vast desert landscape, the movie follows the titular character, Bab' Aziz, an elderly dervish, and his young granddaughter Ishtar, as they embark on a pilgrimage to a gathering of Sufi mystics known as the "Great Sufi Conference." Along the way, they encounter a diverse array of characters, each with their own stories and wisdom to share. Through poetic storytelling and mesmerizing visuals, Khemir invites viewers to embark on a journey of self-discovery and spiritual enlightenment, transcending cultural and religious boundaries to connect with the universal truths that unite us all.

Everyone is trying to grab eachothers attention. It's the rat race, the race to get ahead. Everyone wants to succeed, to achieve their dreams. Where do I stand in all of this?

I would like to think my success would be one that promotes good values, good practises that help each individual. Am I using spirituality to sell my art?

What about Blake? If I am to make Art, why not bring spiritual comfort to those who have chosen the path of truth. Who am I really?

"Do not go to the garden of flowers!
O Friend ! go not there;
In your body is the garden of flowers.

Take your seat on the thousand petals of the lotus,
and there gaze on the Infinite Beauty."

- Kabir, 15 AD

I've been on a long journey of understanding how to develop these inks from the first phase, the marbling, to a finished painting.

The key is in revealing areas that are subtly suggested in the marbling to create form or a motif in the minds eye of the viewer while retaining the fluid and elusive qualities of the marbling. It almost feels like trying to maniest the unmanifest or give form to the formless. 

Despite my strong interests in William Blake's work who has encouraged me to express these more angelic visions I'm seeing in the marbling, I've decided that an outline is not the best way to develop these pieces.

Using an outline states the form to clearly but most importantly takes something away from the marbling which is connected with all the other forms. Using very light washes to build up tonal diffences between one form and another is a better way to go about it than the outline. However this doesn't always work either and sometimes the suggestion of a line is better. The key is not to get too illustrative or defined with it, leave room for the viewers imagination. The figures don't have to be perfectly proportioned either they can be more suggestive. Less detail gives more room for the viewer to interpret the subject in their own way, creating more of an open conversation with the painting. Perhaps its the difference between a poem and a factual statement. I believe Fine Art should be poetic, that's what takes it to a higher realm than illustration.

That's all for now.

I could never reconcile the use of an outline in traditional art; nature - the world outside of us doesn’t have one. 

However William Blake's words made me reconsider this:

“Nature has no Outline, but Imagination has, Nature has no Tune, but the Imagination has. Nature has no Supernatural & dissolves: Imagination is Eternity.”

Blake prompted me to go beyond the outward, ever-changing appearance of nature, towards that which is eternal. This new direction has led me towards mythological stories of omnipresent beings, largely forgotten in todays society. I want to rekindle our connection to these beings not just as myths but as an ever present part of our lives. One question I have always asked myself as an artist is, “What is my reality?” this question has slowly changed from the subjective to the objective, “What is the reality?” Through exploring my own imagination, I hope to reveal deeper realms of existence not ordinarily perceived. My hope is to be able to relate these insights to stories of old, to be able to place my experience in these timeless tales of creation. I hope that through daily meditation I’m able to open and expand my consciousness to these deeper and more subtle realms of existence.

Thank you for reading!

The Case for Watercolour

Historically, water-based pigments and dyes have been used for thousands of years and are among the earliest forms of painting, predating oils. During the Renaissance and later in the 18th and 19th centuries, watercolor was often used for sketches and preliminary studies by artists who primarily worked in oil. This association with preparatory work gave watercolor the perception of being a "lesser" medium. However, in recent years, there has been a resurgence in watercolor as a stand-alone medium, with contemporary artists pushing its boundaries. I like to use its qualities of transparency and immediacy to convey deeper messages about the impermanence of nature and the fleeting moments of time.