Dubai World Cup..Just my opinion

What a Buzz! The Dubai World Cup..richest race in the world with horse owners and jockeys walking away with millions for a pretty quick run along! ..but what would I know..I went to check out the fashion. I ran amuck taking photos in a chook pen of gaudy glittery fashionistas in the Ahlah Fashion Lineup. Prizes for best hat, dress, shoes, husband...ya gotta love it! As an artist I was dazzled by colour and textures, as a caricaturist I was loving the fantastic joyousness of wWomen in Woman Land. I mean...shoes..ladies you with me...shoes. Ofcourse the truely stylish would hardly allow themselves to be judged by their lessers but give it up for the girls having a go. There is no excuse to be drab in Dubai. There is endless cheap glossy magazines telling you what is the latest, what mall shop it is in and what your husband/boyfriend will have to shell out to keep you happy. OK..be fair..women earn cash here and can buy their own frocks, but I would say , not so many.The real pearler at the end was the winners. First prize..something in black and white with a hat..second prize..and I take my big blue hat off to this girlfriend...to match her orange shoes she planted an orange bath sponge on her head! Young enough to make it work and cheeky enough to grab the judges attention.Next year will I be buying into this..you bet! However..dont ask me what label my dress is...I will give my dress a name the minute it fetches a stick!Enjoy the pics.

Dubai World Cup

Living in Dubai

I am still telling myself..I live here..I live here..
I am in Jumeria Beach Residences overlooking the Persian Gulf. To the left is Palm Jumeria and before me is a white sanded, azure blue beach. JBR is still being fancied up..there is courtyards galore being fountained, flowered and cobble stoned. When it is all finished and the dozens of shops, cafes and restaurants are opened I think I will look back on the time when I had it all to myself..well..nearly. JBR looks like a series of giant sandcastles with some not even opened as yet. We are looking at starting prices at a million US but,hey..I live here!

Anyone who thinks a Muslim Arab Emerate is a hard place for a westerner has NO IDEA. In fact it is so good, I dont think I will tell you..stay away and let me enjoy it before the world finds out!

Dubai Buzzing with ART!

I got here just in time for the fenzy of Art in Dubai. I was invited to the opening of Art Dubai which takes place every March at the Madinat Arena. As the first contemporary art fair in Dubai, the Fair has become a cornerstone for the rapidly growing art community of the Middle East. The 2008 fair will host nearly seventy galleries from the Middle East, Asia, Europe, North and South America, North Africa and.... Australia! Australia was well represented by Galleries Direct from Sydney. I enjoyed a chat with Cameron Hall the director about the new market for art in Dubai. This is the second art fair and it was massive! We are STARTING at the level of Andy Warhol and upwards and that is a very high standard indeed. Myhead was spinning from all of the imageryby the end of the night. Next year I promise myself I will be right in there as a part of this amazing event.
Check it out at www.artdubai.ae

George Lucas

Title: George Lucas. Acylic on watercolour paper.

Original artwork or print available.

John Cleese

Title: Brad Pitt. Acrylic on watercolour paper. A3 size. Copyright Joanne Brooker.
Check out the new gallery on www.thebrookerstudio.com