Despite having a lot of things to do this weekend, including still settling in, I’ve found lots of time for art.Thursday, after a day of manic cleaning which included windows and curtains, I walked over to the wadi (Arabic for river bed or valley) where I collected the skull last week, for an hour or so of sketching. I had spotted a ruin, which of course I had to draw. It’s not one of my best, as I hadn’t sketched in a few weeks, but makes a start on my sketchbook – on page 3 as I can’t draw on page 1.
Walking back to the flat, I spotted …warning don’t read the rest of this paragraph if you are squeamish and don’t look at last pic of this post
…a decomposing cow. Ignoring the fact of what it was, it was really interesting especially the way the hide had ended up like folded soft suede. I sketched it on site in ink, swotting the ever present flies, and then with the dimming light of dusk went home and added the colour.
On Friday, I had my first visitor from Muscat, the amazing photographer Ahmed Al-Shukaili. He is in the process of setting up a new website, but in the meantime you can see his awesome portraits and fabulous landscapes here and here. First, he took me to a semi-abandoned village, where I spotted places to draw on another trip. Then we drove an hour out of Ibra to Wadi Sep, which has the most amazing rock formations. As we were there an hour before sunset, the colours were amazing. I was very intimidated to be taking photos alongside such a great photographer, but am happy with the two I have posted here (top & right). It was a beautiful relaxing place and whilst Ahmed worked on getting the perfect shots I took out my A6 sketchbook. I didn’t realise photographers are harder to draw than children as they move more.
Early on Saturday, I had arranged to go sketching with 2 colleagues, so I took them back to the semi-abandoned village. It was a beautiful morning and the temperature was perfect when we arrived just after 7.30. Unfortunately, most the time was spent walking around taking photos (mine are on flickr), although I did a quick sketch when there was a cigarette break (I don’t smoke). Next stop was the fish market to buy our dinner. It is a long process as your chosen fish is cleaned and chopped, so I left the others to shop whilst I did two quick sketches.
There are still 2 days left of the holiday and I plan to work on the Scottish ruin, which I started before I left the UK.
Beware, below is the sketch you may not like…
So long as I can't smell it I find the process fascinating when nature's left to get on with it. Outside our house there was a dead rabbit and it was staggering how quickly the process happened. (Then someone cleared it away and I wasn't able to se the end - very disappointing!)
ReplyDeleteAnyway Im glad to see you are settling in and getting back to drawing and sketching.
Fantastic sketches! =) Thanks for the advice on my wrist. I think video game is probably the main cause of the injury wahahahahaha... but really, it's getting a lot better and it only hurts if I press on the point hard. Appreciate the concern
ReplyDeleteThis place looks amazing! That photograph could surely be entered for some kind of competion couldn't it? Great sketches too... even *ahem*... the cow! :0)
ReplyDeleteHow fortunate to find a photographer friend who has an eye for a great scene. The landscape is beautiful, even the drawing of a skull. I also paint dead things. Just because the life has left it doesn't mean that there aren't still beautiful design opportunities !
ReplyDeletemagnificent photographs and drawings : )
ReplyDeleteI love the top photograph, amazing colour and light. I'm glad you sketched the cow's head and not me, but it must have been an interesting subject!
ReplyDeleteWow! What a fascinating place you're visiting. Love the sketches, even the cow. (thankfully no smelly-vision)
ReplyDeleteAm going to become a follower xx
Fabulous photos and sketches. I don't think you're rusty after a few weeks away from it.
ReplyDeleteGreat to meet up with this photographer and see some of these rock formations.
The cow sketch is wonderful. Life and death is all the same. Any squeamishness I ever had was erased after a year in anatomy. I have bones and skulls littering the studio and in the greenhouse bleaching. Its something artists do and learn from.
SUE!!!
ReplyDeleteSTUNNING photos!! You are in a place with beautiful scenes. So glad you had an enjoyable weekend full of art... sketching and photos... Really so interesting.
Great sketches and photos Sue, hope you're settled in your new place....wish I could get some good skulls
ReplyDeleteI love these sketches - inspirational, as always.
ReplyDeleteWhat an amazing place with lots of sketching potential.
ReplyDeleteNice sketches!
ReplyDeleteJeff
What a fantastic landscape you have to work with! Love the photos and sketches, especially the cow. I think every artist has a collection of dead things and other unusual objects, with the thought of "I will draw/paint/sculpt/photograph this some time". Hope you get more time to take advantage of your surroundings once you are settled in.
ReplyDelete