By Jacky Al-Samarraie
I created The Art Rooms in 2007 and came into Art & Design in a commercial way, later in life. Although having been creative from an early age, I didn’t pursue a career in Art until now. Instead, I went into the caring profession, working with children initially as a nanny, with an expectation of travel opportunities but the travel didn’t materialise. I moved into a career in Social Services working in London & Bradford, where I currently live.
During the time when my children were growing up I developed my creative skills through a variety of part time courses, moving gradually into vocational studies. I studied Interior Decoration, followed by an HNC Graphic Design, gaining distinctions in both and then graduated with a first class honours degree in Graphic Media Communication in 2003. I studied at Bradford College of Art Design & Textiles, where David Hockney also studied.
I specialised in Graphic Design as it suited my style of work. As part of my studies, I developed an appreciation of printmaking and letterpress. I love the unique appearance and tactile quality of letterpress. I have created a small range of letterpress cards which are printed onto cotton. I have designed various styles of floral images and a growing range of contemporary Landscapes.
I created my first Landscape in 2006, following a weekend in Robin Hoods Bay.
I combine uncomplicated images with blocks of colour. I developed this style during my degree. Once I’d designed my first Landscape image, I wondered how it had taken me so long to come up with the idea. The Landscapes have become incredibly popular over the past 2 years which makes me extremely proud to have created them. I look forward to developing the range and to some new adventures travelling around the beautiful British countryside sourcing new images.