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.
Winner at The Henries 2011
Jacky Al-Samarraie picked up The Henries Award for Best Art Range with the Landscapes range. After being a finalist for the last two years, it was an honour to win this prestigious award, an Oscar of the greeting card industry.
Click here to visit The Henries website to see all the winners and photos from the ceremony.