I lived in Saudi as a kid in the 50's and 60's, then went back as an adult from the late 70's through the late 90's. The last four and a half years we lived at the Royal Commission in Yanbu. Unlike Aramco communities, this was more like living in a Saudi town; women couldn't drive– life was different. We lived in a giant villa with six bedrooms, five bathroom, an upstairs living room, a downstairs living room, servents quarters, and more, and it was all surrounded by an eight foot high wall.

So what do you do in a place like this? Why you paint of course! And you paint, and you paint. My son, Grant, actually told me I should stay there forever becaue I was becoming a much better artist. Anyway, I painted a collection of still-life and landscape oil paintings in my yard all containing the "wall" that not only protected me from others, but protected others from me. The last thing I did before leaving Yanbu in late 1998 was turn our villa into an art gallery for the gala art show we hosted. I invited all of our friends and aquaintances of all nationalities. Of the dozens of paintings I did in Yanbu, the following are the ones I did not sell before leaving Saudi for the last time.
"Almond Tree", 10"x18"
Plein Air Oil Painting on Board. I was always impressed with the beautiful color in these trees. We had these trees in the Eastern Province also, but I nver seemed to notice them there.
 "Palm Shadows", 11"x14"
Plein Air Oil Painting on Board. This is a date palm tree. In Yanbu most of the date trees had this shape. Without Aramco's influence, there was no one to trim the trees like they did in the East.
Original Painting: $675.00
8"x16" Giclee on Canvas: $90.00
11"x14" Giclee on Canvas: $110.00
8"x10" Giclee on Canvas: $80.00
"Storm Over Yanbu", 16"x20"
Plein Air Oil Painting on Board. On top of every house in the Royal Commission there is a roof-top patio with a wall about 4.5 ft. tall around it. The wedge shapes on the buildings was where the stairs went up to the roof. I painted this one looking from our roof across the way. You can't see the "wall" in this one because I was tall enough to look over it.
 "The Wooden Pot", 12"x12"
Plein Air Oil Painting on Board. This was one of the many plein air still-life paintings I did in Yanbu.
Original Painting
Original Painting
12"x16" Giclee on Canvas: $135.00
12"x16" Giclee on Canvas: $135.00
9"x12" Giclee on Canvas: $75.00
9"x12" Giclee on Canvas: $75.00
"Paradise or Prison", "12"x12"
Plein Air Oil Painting on Board. Besides painting, I took up gardening in Yanbu. It was so hot and humid there, by 7:30am it was too hot to work in the yard until dusk. 		"View From the Back II", 10"x12"
Plein Air Oil Painting on Board. I used to teach painting classes to other women in this back yard. Many times the guys living next door would peak out their windows at us.
12"x12" Giclee on Canvas: $100.00
Original Painting :$500.00
8"x8" Giclee on Canvas: $45.00
10"x12" Giclee on Canvas: $84.00
"Backview", 20"x16"
Plein Air Oil Painting on Board. Yanbu had more wild cats than people. I used to sit out on my porch for hours looking at this view and feed the cats while trying to tame them. I didn't have much success, but I became known as "The Cat Lady of Yanbu."
 "Archway", 18"x14"
Plein Air Oil Painting on Board. My husband once asked me why I didn't take my painting gear to his parent's town. I told him there was nothing to paint there. His comment was, "If you can spend hours painting every nook and cranny of our yard in Yanbu I can't beleive you would say this." I love the light and shadow, and those white walls made great subject matter.
Original Painting : $1200.00
Original Painting : $1200.00
16"x12" Giclee on Canvas: $135.00
16"x12" Giclee on Canvas: $135.00
12"x9" Giclee on Canvas: $75.00
12"x9" Giclee on Canvas: $75.00
"Frontview", 12"x16"
Plein Air Oil Painting on Board. Here is another painting done in my front yard in Yanbu.
 "Bougainvillea", 12"x12"
Plein Air Oil Painting on Board. Regretably, bougainvilleas do not grow in North Carolina
Original Painting : $725.00
Original Painting : $550.00
12"x16" Giclee on Canvas: $135.00
12"x12" Giclee on Canvas: $100.00
9"x12" Giclee on Canvas: $75.00
8"x8" Giclee on Canvas: $45.00
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