KarenLorenaParker.com Art Blog

The United Arab Emirates

In 1971 the emirates of Abu Dhabi, Ajman, Dubai, Fujairah, Ras al Khaimah, Sharjah and Umm-al-Quwain formally established the constitutional federation of the United Arab Emirates (UAE). Though each emirate maintains a degree of independence, the UAE is governed by a Supreme Council of Rulers made up of the seven Emirs from each emirate. This Supreme Council appoints the prime minister and the cabinet.

Nestled along the south-eastern portion of the Arabian Peninsula (see map) the UAE is 83,000 sq km and shares borders with Oman to the north and east, Qatar to the west and Saudi Arabia to the south and west. The capital is Abu Dhabi.

The UAE is largely desert with rocky mountains, oasis and some fertile plains. The UAE is also one of the world’s fastest growing holiday destinations. Tourist attractions include sun, sea, sand, sports, world class shopping, top-notch hotels and restaurants and traditional culture.

Dubai is the most populous and second largest emirate after Abu Dhabi. The majority of Dubai’s revenues come from the Jebel Ali Free Zone and tourism. Interestingly less than 10% of the Gross Domestic Product is from Oil.

Due to the very large scale construction and development boom Dubai has attracted world attention in its real estate project. Dubai also hosts the rich horse race and boat race, conferences and shopping festivals.

The population is largely expatriates and the UAE nationals (Emiratis) are actually the minority. Within the Expatriate population the largest group is from the Indian sub continent, the rest comprises of people from all corners of the world.

The official language is Arabic but English is widely spoken and used in day to day business activities.

Never sure how personal to get online as I spend my days in Dubai with my family adjusting and catching some internet moments in cafes.

On my first day, no one in the neighborhood accepts VISA or traveler’s cheques My cash has run out by noon. I try a bank, but they need my passport to cash the travellers cheque, which my husband has at work. The goal of the day was to buy some bedding and things and thankfully I find a store that accepts Visa.

The boys mood improves with each air conditioned stop and this store is no different. We each get a basket, and they find the toy section. Everyone chats with the boys, touching their cheeks. I get two male personal shoppers to help me with items. No worries on finding anything! I find a little 15$ computer for the boys, that my personal shopper shows his assistant how to add new batteries — so I can confirm my purchase.

The sun is hot as we prepare for the 50 degrees to come. The boys hats are wet with Evian water as they evaporate in the sun. Reminiscing about Vancouver weather, they ask if it will rain in Dubai.

We walk into a free internet cafe that seems to be part of something more formal. There is an art exhibition, waterfall, and the security says it is a Museum. It looks more like the Board of Trade. I give him my card and get the name of the gallerist. The exhibition at a glance seems to be a history of the Sheikhs.

I am soaking it all in, inspired. But know i am not set up for any kind of painting right now. Getting a phone and internet are my main priorities. My ‘temporary studio’ is in Customs,, but tomorrow( Friday/Saturday) are the weekend here. People work on Sunday 8-1.

The sign says, “Low Crime is not No Crime.” Our taxi is driving us back to Muraqqabat. The beautiful roundabouts and smell of flowers drift by. Silk trees with soft open leaves, hardy hibiscus type trees with small flowers, I can’t figure out what the scent is, can’t be the snap dragons. I tried showing the boys how the flowers SNAP! but they are not amused. Somehow I remember my sister and I enjoying snap dragons so much. i don’t even know if that is the real name.

We make paper airplanes from the mall map at Starbucks, and the boys enjoy watching the machinery constructing the new train line. On the map, we show them that once completed, we will be moving into a new Villa in Mirdiff, close to the airport. Dubai feels like home. The new Burkeville (by the airport) and an extension of the Vancouver RavLine under construction.

The streets and neighborhood seem ordinary and dirty today. A Zamboni cleans the large sidewalk. Men walk around in bright pink and stiff peach dress shirts with creases from the package. A small beige fly with clear wings is dead; crushed when I closed my laptop. I assume the last crumbs on my keyboard protector were worth the risk.

The boys are asleep on my lap at Starbucks. We move in one 80 pound bear hug to the long couch. “To protect the quality of the coffee you are enjoying please refrain from smoking.” I realize I can’t connect to the HotSpot. I am frustrated with my Dubai office. I fantasize I am JK Rowling writing at a cafe while her baby slept.

Detail of Catherine’s Pond – First Panel

Catherine’s Pond- rough draft
Acrylic on Window panes for office ‘aquarium’
27″x57″ Diptych

The diptych is in progress on my site, but i plan to merge a ‘time lapse’ here when it’s completed.

All packed and downsized to the essentials as I finish my last commission.

This is the commission that inspired my entire pond series. As each was a study based on a photo I took of my neighbors beautiful pond. It has been wonderful hearing the stories of clients and their relationship to fish, water and the cool sedate colors.

I think it will be a beautiful piece as the light comes through the window and changes the image. Morning light from the east to the warm west light refracting the glass at a different angle. Will post when I have finished the piece.

I always find commissions so interesting. Perhaps from my graphic design days where you are challenged by being the medium for the clients vision, but also expressing yours — as the client chose you for a purpose. They wanted to see the life you brought to it, they appreciated your vision. It has become a balance in the studio, of trying to paint for someone else, but still feel like it is your own personal work and your expression. I also like the learning process and challenge of discovering a new medium, technique, subject. Perhaps it gets easier with time when you realize your style, as do your clients. The proofing stages and preliminaries are not as extensive, the vision is clear.

“Success is going from failure to failure without losing your enthusiasm” – Sir Winston Churchill

New work at Novo furniture, like an iced cake of creamy metallic frosting! Frenetic Beach is definitely Dubai inspired with it’s turquoise water and vivid color.

Jericho Boats 44″x30″ at Novo Furniture

Frenetic Beach 48″x28″

Dubai pictures and statistics
on the buildings, renderings and plans.

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1990

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2003

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2007

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All of this was built in the last 5 years, including the island that looks like a palm tree.
Dubai is said to currently have 15-25% of all the world’s cranes.

The Dubai Waterfront. When completed it will become the largest waterfront development in the world.

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The Palm Islands in Dubai. New Dutch dredging technology was used to create these massive man made islands. They are the largest artificial islands in the world and can be seen from space. Three of these Palms will be made with the last one being the largest of them all.

Upon completion, the resort will have 2,000 villas, 40 luxury hotels, shopping centers, movie theaters, and many other facilities. It is expected to support a population of approximately 500,000 people. It is advertised as being visible from the moon.

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The World Islands. 300 artificially created islands in the shape of the world. Each island will have an estimated cost of $25-30 million.

The Burj al-Arab hotel in Dubai. The worlds tallest hotel. Considered the only ‘7 star’ hotel and the most luxurious hotel in the world. It stands on an artificial island in the sea.

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Hydropolis, the world’s first underwater hotel. Entirely built in Germany and then assembled in Dubai, it is scheduled to be completed by 2009 after many delays.

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The Burj Dubai. Construction began in 2005 and is expected to be complete by 2008. At an estimated height of over 800 meters, it will easily be world’s tallest building when finished. It will be almost 40% taller than the the current tallest building, the Taipei 101.

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This is what downtown Dubai will look like around 2008-2009. More than 140 stories of the Burj Dubai have already been completed. It is already the worlds tallest man made structure and it is still not scheduled to be completed for at least another year.

The Al Burj. This will be the centerpiece of the Dubai Waterfront. Once completed it will take over the title of the tallest structure in the world from the Burj Dubai.

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Recently it was announced that the final height of this tower will be 1200 meters. That would make it more than 30% taller than the Burj Dubai and three times as tall as the Empire State Building.

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The Burj al Alam, or The World Tower. Upon completion it will rank as the world’s highest hotel. It is expected to be finished by 2009. At 480 meters it will only be 28 meters shorter than the Taipei 101.

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The Trump International Hotel & Tower, which will be the centerpiece of one of the palm islands, The Palm Jumeirah.

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Dubailand. Currently, the largest amusement park collection in the world is Walt Disney World Resort in Orlando, which is also the largest single-site employer in the United states with 58,000 employees. Dubailand will be twice the size.

Dubailand will be built on 3 billion square feet (107 miles^2) at an estimated $20 billion price tag. The site will include a purported 45 mega projects and 200 hundred other smaller projects.

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Dubai Sports City. A huge collection of sports arenas located in Dubailand.

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Currently, the Walt Disney World Resort is the #1 tourist destination in the world. Once fully completed, Dubailand will easily take over that title since it is expected to attract 200,000 visitors daily.

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The Dubai Marina is an entirely man made development that will contain over 200 highrise buildings when finished. It will be home to some of the tallest residential structures in the world. The completed first phase of the project is shown. Most of the other high rise buildings will be finished by 2009-2010.

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The Dubai Mall will be the largest shopping mall in the world with over 9 million square feet of shopping and around 1000 stores. It will be completed in 2008.

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Ski Dubai, which is already open, is the largest indoor skiing facility in the world. This is a rendered image of another future indoor skiing facility that is being planned.

Some of the tallest buildings in the world, such as Ocean Heights and The Princess Tower, which will be the largest residential building in the world at over a 100 stories, will line the Dubai Marina.

The UAE Spaceport would be the first spaceport in the world if construction ever gets under way.
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The Dubai Metro system, once completed, will become the largest fully automated rail system in the world.
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The Dubai World Central International Airport will become the largest airport in size when it is completed. It will also eventually become the busiest airport in the world, based on passenger volume.
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There are more construction workers in Dubai than there are actual citizens.