Yvonne Ayoub

As an award-winning UNESCO artist, I divide my time travelling and living between London and Greece. I exhibit regularly in Athens and on the beautiful island of Skiathos where in 2008 I established 'PAINTING SKIATHOS; an artist retreat, welcome visitors from all over the globe, to explore and share their knowledge, ideas, philosophies and skills in a cross-cultural exchange, held in the spirit of generosity, tolerance, acceptance and mutual respect, believing firmly in the words: Vive La Difference!.
My work can be found on my website: WWW.YVONNE-AYOUB.COM and, in addition,
I regularly write a blog about my life as an artist, living on a Greek island and beyond PAINTING SKIATHOS
I believe art is truly food for the soul and that it should be easily accessible, widely celebrated and freely enjoyed by all. It is a common language we all can share, regardless of any geographical, political, economical, cultural, racial or religious differences that might otherwise separate us.

In my work, I use a wide variety of media and a broad range of artistic disciplines to try to reflect and promote the rich diversity of the many fascinating cultures I have personally experienced on my travels. Presently, my greatest challenge is to capture the purity of light and vibrant intensity of colour that is unique to the Greek islands. At the same time, I have an on-going passion for and a keen desire to perpetuate, the customs, traditions, craftsmanship skills and techniques that are all-too-quickly disappearing from our modern world.

Background:

Born in Edinburgh, to a highly creative Austrian mother and English musician father (a military bandsman, serving with a Scottish regiment) I was the youngest of three children and spent an idyllic early childhood growing up in the wild, remote Scottish highlands. I often visited my grandmother in Vienna, from whom I developed an enduring appreciation for the theatre, opera and my rich European cultural heritage and, as a result, the arts, in one form or another, have always played an important part in my life. But it was when I was 8, when my father took up a posting in the Middle East, that my life-long love affair with foreign travel and a fascination for different cultures was really born and I�ve lived a nomadic life, in search of artistic inspiration, ever since!

My teens were spent boarding at an English ballet school, where I was classically trained in the performing, creative and decorative arts, eventually forgoing the opportunity to pursue a fine art degree in favour of the more short-lived career as a ballet dancer. Performing on stages all over the world, I continued to travel until I met my Lebanese husband in Dubai when I turned instead to teaching for the first years of marriage in Saudi Arabia and Canada. Finally settling in London to raise our two children, we started a print and design company, which we ran together for over 20 years. Only once the children had flown the nest, could I could at last return, full-time, to my first love, painting, and in seizing every opportunity since, Today, five years on, I'm an established freelance artist, illustrator, muralist and photographer and I feel truly blessed - life's great adventure knows no bounds!

The world is my country, all mankind are my brethren and to do good is my religion Thomas Paine (1737 1809)


Yvonne Ayoub 2009

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