The art of success

She is a woman driven by her inner voice and she can't rest until she pays heed to it. Samia Sa'ad Jaber's unwavering determination has helped her go to great lengths to realise her artistic talents.

Samia has been living in the UAE for 22 years with her husband and children. Her eldest child, now a civil engineer, was born in their homeland of Palestine but her two other children were both born in Dubai.

After her kids graduated and left home, Samia found herself with an empty nest. Not one to sit idle, she decided this would be an opportune time to apply herself and achieve her very own goals. She always knew that she had a creative streak and decided to explore various avenues. "I decided to attend Ikebana classes," she says.

Ikebana, a Japanese art form, applies strict rules to flower arranging that yield striking, minimalist results. It didn't take long for her to become a certified Ikebana artist and once she tapped into her creative potential, there was no holding her back. Her next endeavour was to try her hand at painting. She found a mentor in Ehsan Al Khateeb, an elderly artist who agreed to take her on as a student after evaluating her work. "I was ecstatic," she recalls.

Although she recounts being a bundle of nerves when she first entered the art studio, she soon fell in love with painting and channelled all her energy into developing her newfound passion.

Her mentor's words that "it's never too late to learn anything" became her guiding philosophy. Although a little disappointed when Al Khateeb left for Australia to complete his Master's degree (he practised what he preached), she did not give up on her interest in painting.

"I found out from my friends that a Fine Arts college, which is affiliated to the Royal Academy in London, was planning to open its doors in Sharjah," she explains. That was the ideal opportunity to improve on her skill and she did not want to overlook it, so she took the plunge.

"I'm lucky that I have a supportive husband," she says. "On the first day of registration, while all the other students had their parents with them, I had my husband by my side."

Samia explains that she found the experience a little daunting because she didn't know much English and if it hadn't been for her husband's enduring support, she would have given up. Buckling down to take the TOEFL and study years after she had left school wasn't easy. Suddenly she found herself learning how to use the computer, studying art history and putting in long hours to work on her assignments.

Although some of her classmates were practically her children's age, she never felt that there was a big gap between them and says they still visit her regularly. "What's really amusing is that my son and I graduated at about the same time." To celebrate the occasion, they had a graduation party which was attended by more than 100 guests.

"Ever since I got married, I wanted to have a beautiful home one that would be a work of art in its own right," she says. Samia got the opportunity to work on a blank canvas when her family moved to a new house. Her talents in Ikebana and art came together to create a harmonious home environment for the whole family. "I wanted my home to be a frame for my art and a tribute to my family."

The water features, sculptures and paintings create a special atmosphere. Mosaic, metal, glass and cement designs all form statement pieces throughout her home and garden. Both acrylic and oil paintings hang on the walls. Samia's husband was so impressed by her work that he encouraged her to organise an art exhibition. She decided to execute his idea and invited her professors, family and friends to attend Wamadat Min Bayti (Glimpses From My Home).

As the famed French Post-Impressionist Paul Cezanne put it, "A work of art which did not begin in emotion is not art." For Samia, her home is truly where her heart and art can be found.