DUBAI //Trevor Waugh holds a captive audience as he dips his brush first into the paint, then water, before making several strokes on to the canvas.
His eight students watch as sweeps of blue becomes a city skyline and browns and purples light up the shadows.
"The colours only start to come alive once they are in dilution," says Mr Waugh, 58. "The trick of the medium is in the name 'watercolour'. You need the water and you need the colour before the painting starts to take shape."
Mr Waugh has been holding watercolour painting classes at the Majlis Gallery in Bastakiya, old Dubai, since the beginning of the month. A renowned artist in his field, he has published several books including one about the UAE - The Emirates Through The Eyes of an Artist.
He is one of seven British professionals who will be visiting the gallery until the end of March to lend their skills to amateur enthusiasts. He says it gives him great pleasure to return to the UAE, which he has visited regularly since 1994 and believes is the perfect place to paint.
"[The country] seduces me every time I come because of the magnificent light and colour here," he says. "The Arabian Peninsula has an almost magical way of trapping the light, and the fact it is surrounded by water makes a huge difference to the environment.
"I keep getting called back again and again."
Although he has visited often, this is the first time he has led a structured workshop. Sitting in the open-air courtyard of the Bastakiya gallery next to the Dubai Creek, which he calls the "Venice of the East", is a great pleasure, he says.
Sara Azzam, a mother of four from Sweden who has been living in Dubai for two years, says she is thrilled to be in the class. "I was really excited when I heard about the classes, because I have seen a lot of Trevor's books and he's pretty famous in the painting world," she says. "I've never taken any kind of class before and I have learnt so much in two days."
Vandana Valrani, an Indian expatriate who has been living in Dubai for 33 years, says she is honoured to have such an expert helping her improve her work.
"We are so lacking in professional artists here in Dubai, so I really feel privileged to have Trevor here."
Alison Collins, the part-owner and manager of the Majlis Gallery, says the courses can be taken over one or two days and are designed for all levels.
"Absolutely anyone, without fail, has an element of creativity in them and these classes are about showing people that," she says.
"It's not about the result or what ends up on the paper, it's about the process. It can help you relax and get lost in the feeling of creativity. Plus the painters we have chosen are all very good at what they do."
As well as watercolour instruction, the classes focus on life drawing, painting and monoprinting. Classes continue until March 21 and cost Dh400 per day. More information can be found at www.majlisgallery.com
aseaman@thenational.ae
Most wanted allegations
- Benjamin Macann, 32: involvement in cocaine smuggling gang.
- Jack Mayle, 30: sold drugs from a phone line called the Flavour Quest.
- Callum Halpin, 27: over the 2018 murder of a rival drug dealer.
- Asim Naveed, 29: accused of being the leader of a gang that imported cocaine.
- Calvin Parris, 32: accused of buying cocaine from Naveed and selling it on.
- John James Jones, 31: allegedly stabbed two people causing serious injuries.
- Callum Michael Allan, 23: alleged drug dealing and assaulting an emergency worker.
- Dean Garforth, 29: part of a crime gang that sold drugs and guns.
- Joshua Dillon Hendry, 30: accused of trafficking heroin and crack cocain.
- Mark Francis Roberts, 28: grievous bodily harm after a bungled attempt to steal a £60,000 watch.
- James ‘Jamie’ Stevenson, 56: for arson and over the seizure of a tonne of cocaine.
- Nana Oppong, 41: shot a man eight times in a suspected gangland reprisal attack.
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Almnssa
Started: August 2020
Founder: Areej Selmi
Based: Gaza
Sectors: Internet, e-commerce
Investments: Grants/private funding
Kanguva
Director: Siva
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COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Qyubic
Started: October 2023
Founder: Namrata Raina
Based: Dubai
Sector: E-commerce
Current number of staff: 10
Investment stage: Pre-seed
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Essentials
The flights
Emirates and Etihad fly direct from the UAE to Los Angeles, from Dh4,975 return, including taxes. The flight time is 16 hours. Alaska Airlines, United Airlines, Delta Air Lines, Aeromexico and Southwest all fly direct from Los Angeles to San Jose del Cabo from Dh1,243 return, including taxes. The flight time is two-and-a-half hours.
The trip
Lindblad Expeditions National Geographic’s eight-day Whales Wilderness itinerary costs from US$6,190 (Dh22,736) per person, twin share, including meals, accommodation and excursions, with departures in March and April 2018.
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Electoral College Victory
Trump has so far secured 295 Electoral College votes, according to the Associated Press, exceeding the 270 needed to win. Only Nevada and Arizona remain to be called, and both swing states are leaning Republican. Trump swept all five remaining swing states, North Carolina, Georgia, Pennsylvania, Michigan and Wisconsin, sealing his path to victory and giving him a strong mandate.
Popular Vote Tally
The count is ongoing, but Trump currently leads with nearly 51 per cent of the popular vote to Harris’s 47.6 per cent. Trump has over 72.2 million votes, while Harris trails with approximately 67.4 million.
Our legal columnist
Name: Yousef Al Bahar
Advocate at Al Bahar & Associate Advocates and Legal Consultants, established in 1994
Education: Mr Al Bahar was born in 1979 and graduated in 2008 from the Judicial Institute. He took after his father, who was one of the first Emirati lawyers
Nayanthara: Beyond The Fairy Tale
Starring: Nayanthara, Vignesh Shivan, Radhika Sarathkumar, Nagarjuna Akkineni
Director: Amith Krishnan
Rating: 3.5/5
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Engine: 3.0-litre six-cylinder turbo
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UAE v Ireland
1st ODI, UAE win by 6 wickets
2nd ODI, January 12
3rd ODI, January 14
4th ODI, January 16
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A Cat, A Man, and Two Women
Junichiro Tamizaki
Translated by Paul McCarthy
Daunt Books
How to protect yourself when air quality drops
Install an air filter in your home.
Close your windows and turn on the AC.
Shower or bath after being outside.
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Stay indoors when conditions are particularly poor.
If driving, turn your engine off when stationary.
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Disclaimer
Director: Alfonso Cuaron
Stars: Cate Blanchett, Kevin Kline, Lesley Manville
Rating: 4/5
Company%20Profile
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