Rumaira

 "Rumaira", my latest artwork, features the loving relationship between my boys and our lost cat Rumi... She would have turned four this June. Happy 4th birthday dear Rumi, wherever you are!

On a very sad note, last year after Diwali, Rumi wandered off a bit too far and never came back... We are still waiting for her with open arms...

Every Eid Al Adha, we used to celebrate her birthday, as she was a rescued kitten and we did not know her actual birthday. She came to our lives in the Eid holidays of 2021 and filled in the much needed colour and freshness, like the favourite red hibiscus she has borrowed from Amaira, in this artwork!

Rumi and Amaira are like my two ethereal daughters, symbolizing love and strength. This illustration brings together all my children in one frame! This is the first time my boys have been part of my illustrations. 

My artwork always starts with a first rough sketch on a tracing, like back in Architecture college days.  After the final tracing with ink, I fill in the thicker lines with black gouache paint. Thick red gouache paint is used to fill in the hibiscus. Once the ink and paint are dry, the sketch is brought into the digital medium for fine tuning of some linework. This is the process I have followed for all my illustrations showcased in my poetry book, AMAIRA, the little woman, creating my own Amaira signature style. 

I hope to express many more emotions along the way, through the same medium. 

#amairasignaturestyle #minimalistart #rumaira #paintandink #myboysandgirls #amairaart