*ALL PROCEEDS (after postage costs) GO TO OSHANA CROWD FUNDER CAMPAIGN *

Title: Beirut House 1

A4 Giclee art print (29.7x21cm)

This was a view from a cafe in the Hamra district of Beirut where we were drinking yet another coffee on our Shifting Sands trip in 2014. I love drawing random streets and recording the variety of shops and buildings - the everyday. What struck us was the array of knitted sculptures formed of electricity cables that are often dangling like unfinished crochet projects in front of the patchwork of facades.

I initially launched this Lebanese series for the explosion of August 2020 that damaged up to 8000 buildings in Beirut, 640 of those deemed to be of architectural heritage. Now a new tragedy is unfolding in Lebanon, the latest illegal Israeli invasion (Sept 2024) and I need your help in supporting an already vulnerable community of women refugees in Beirut.

Each print has been scanned and printed as an A4 giclée art quality print with all proceeds going to the OSHANA crowd funder campaign. They will be a signed open edition to allow as many sales as possible. See all Lebanese prints here.

Towards the end of our Shifting Sands adventure in 2014 we spent two weeks in Lebanon where I completed 14 Drawings. This is a digital scan of an original sketchbook sketch by me in Lebanon in 2014 using a Moleskine book and Platinum Carbon Fountain pen with permanent ink.

If you do not have the funds to buy a print, please consider donating directly to the crowd funding campaign below or purchasing on of their beautiful creations in their online shop.

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THIS IS A MESSAGE FROM THE OSHANA CENTRE DATED 28th SEPTEMBER 2024

In the past few days, indiscriminate Israeli bombing across Lebanon has forced nearly all the 60 refugee families that Oshana supports to leave their homes again. Last night many slept on the seafront or in stadiums in search of somewhere safe.

The street where our centre is located was directly hit. Thankfully all our community are as yet unharmed, but as our embroidery artisan Nadia says: ‘We are very terrified. Where could we flee to? We go to sleep thinking this night would be our last. What terrifies me the most is the safety of my children. They are vey small. We fled the war in Syria and now we are living the same horror.’

We have set up an urgent crowdfunder and 100% raised goes directly to the women and community affected.

https://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/p/support-refugee-women-under-bombing-in-beirut

Buying an Oshana item or gift is also a direct way to help and money will get to them just as quickly. So please buy any Christmas presents in advance now. Lots of links below.

https://oshana.co.uk/

This is a direct way to help communities impacted at this moment, please forward this email to other people you think might be able to contribute.