Why I Was Inspired To Paint It!

My inspiration to create a vision of this historic landmark was in honour of my grandfather, Mohammed Ali (Andy) Hamdon and my grandmother Josephine Hamdon. In addition to my grandparents I wanted to honour the other founding members of the Al Rashid Mosque. Including my parents and aunt who were married there. While it was still serving the community I had attended bake sales, prayer services, weddings and funerals, all of which were an important part of the community.

How It Came To Be!

In November of 2016 I decided to submit a piece of art to the Shaw Conference centre in Edmonton, a call had gone out for historic or iconic landmarks in the city.  Subsequently I thought of the Al Rashid Mosque, the connection I had with it through my family and the significance of being the first mosque built in Canada.  In 1989 the Al Rashid was moved to Fort Edmonton as a historical landmark.  Immediately, I contacted Salwa Kadri at the new Al Rashid Mosque to gather information. Salwa was able to give me historic photos of the original construction site and old newspaper clippings about the Al Rashid opening and first funeral held there.  

Putting It All Together!

The most difficult part for me was drawing the Al Rashid Mosque, buildings can be complicated and not a subject that I do a lot of. Having completed the drawing of the Al Rashid Mosque it was time to start painting. I began by layering paint, making marks and glazing. I took the newspaper clippings and photos and made image transfers with them so they could be imbedded into the painting. Most importantly I wrote the names of the founding  members onto the surface of the canvas. It was crucial that they be included in the body of this work. 

Work In Progress!

Al Rashid Mosque

Construction and history of Al Rashid Mosque

Construction and history of Al Rashid Mosque

Construction and history of Al Rashid Mosque

Construction of Al Rashid Mosque

Construction of Al Rashid Mosque

Construction of Al Rashid Mosque

Construction of Al Rashid Mosque

Construction of the AL Rashid Mosque

Construction of Al Rashid Mosque

Stay in touch, follow me!

If you would like to stay current with what I am working on please feel free to follow me on my instagram page or facebook page.

https://www.instagram.com/nadinejohnsonfineart/

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https://www.pinterest.ca/nadinehjohnson0005/boards/

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Read more about the history of the AL Rashid here!

https://nadinejohnson.ca/built-on-faith/

Starting the Year with a 30 Day Painting Challenge!!

The new year always feels like a time for reflection, goal setting and new starts. This year I have decided to do a 30 day painting challenge. I have never done a 30 day painting challenge before and was excited and nervous all at the same time.

What I loved most

The thing I enjoyed most was being forced to go into the studio everyday. As a result of being in my studio daily I became focused on my other paintings in a way I hadn’t before. While doing the 30 day painting challenge consequently I learned to love a limited palette.

What I learned from doing a 30 day painting challenge.

Working in a series helped me see the development of the series and also see the contributions made by each previous piece. My 30 day painting challenge allowed me to work quickly, I had to stay focused and diligent but was able to complete a painting a day. The sense of accomplishment I felt was wonderful.  Picking a subject for a 30 day painting challenge that was close to my heart made this project  more enjoyable and I felt it showed in the work.  

What I recommend.

If you haven’t tried a 30 day painting challenge I would absolutely recommend it for many reasons. So much to learn from challenging yourself when doing something you love.

Stay in touch, follow me!

If you would like to stay current with what I am working on please feel free to follow me on my instagram page or facebook page.

https://www.instagram.com/nadinejohnsonfineart/

https://www.facebook.com/nadinejohnsonfineart/

One of the artists that has inspired me to do this is Janet Bradish. Janet has done 8, 30 day painting challenges. You can read more about Janet on her website https://janetbradishstudios.com/2018/09/12/thirty-paintings-in-30-days-4/

A few of the artists that participated with me in this challenge were

Andrea Slack https://www.instagram.com/andreaslackstudio/

Deanna Beaujot https://www.instagram.com/deannabeaujot/

Sheila Mitchell https://www.facebook.com/sheila.mitchell.7127

Barbara Davis https://www.facebook.com/barbara.davis.37051

Shan Thomas https://www.instagram.com/shanthomasart/

30 Paintings In 30 Days