The secret...

...I'm exhibiting in Muscat on the 6th and 7th December, that's in one week, and it's my first ever! So now you now the reason for the art confidence crisis. At this point I must say a big THANKS to Sandra of Sandra Draws who's been at the receiving end of lots of emails and has written back all the nice things I needed to hear.

Anyway, I’m participating in a group show, which is part of a 2-day event to celebrate 40 years of His Majesty The Sultan of Oman’s rule. It is organised by the Oman-Africa group and will consist of art, culture, shows and entertainment.

Why am I participating? My Oman/African connection is that I fell in love with Sudan earlier this year, I’ve visited several African countries, I used to live in Oman, and, most importantly, I was asked. Thanks Martin! I will post the pictures after the event. There was a sneak preview of one drawing in progress in my last post and below are all three pieces in progress.

Works in progress.

The event is at the Oman Women's Association Hall, Qurum, Oman 

(nr Ministry of Foreign Affairs & Opera House), 

on 6th and 7th December, from 10-10pm daily. 

Pop by if you can.

Adventure is relative.

A very normal work area.

Peggy of Margaret Sterner Cox left a comment on my last post about my adventurous life and Cathy of Down a Dusty Lane commented on its foreignness. The reality is I have a normal life, just in somewhere a little different. I wrote about normality from Khartoum in my post Neglected and here in Doha it is a similar story.

Normally, I get up (at the silly-time of 5.20am), go to work, come home, watch tv, do computer stuff, eat, go to bed, early. On the weekends, Friday and Saturday, I get up, have several cups of tea, clean, do laundry, shopping... yawn, so uninteresting. Here in the Middle East the summer is too hot to do much, like winter in Europe you stay at home and hibernate as much as possible. However, in the winter, when the temperatures cool to a more manageable 20-something degrees, that's the time for events, sightseeing, meeting friends etc. hence the opportunities like the tennis tournament.

My very normal lounge.

What has changed, is that I permanently have a sketchbook in my handbag, which I use as much as possible. However, I carried it everywhere in England this summer, so I guess that's just a change in my reality and not part of the foreign adventure.

I am glad that I can share this part of the world with all of you, and show that there is more to the Middle-East than the media images of war and violence, and that the majority of people here, like anywhere in the World, are good, kind, gentle people.

Qataris and expats relaxing together under the stars.

However, I couldn't resist finishing thispost on normality with a little touch of the exotic.

Cool enough to open the door...

... and turn off the a/c.

I have a light teaching load at the moment, and so sat in my office yesterday morning sketching the view through the door. I added colour at home last night, which the photo above has bleached out.

First, I sat on a desk by the door.

Then I sat at my desk.

Quiet strangely, it suddenly came over dark, we had several heavy showers, some thunder and lightning,  and then the sun came out again.

The re-emerging sun.

Some unpublished sketches.

Part of tree at work. 10 Nov

First let me thank everyone who commented on my last post after I had a mini-meltdown. I will reveal the cause in the next few days. For now here are a few sketches I've done in the last week.

Side table. 13 Nov.

Cameraman at the tennis. 16 Nov

Asian games mascots at tennis.

aaaaaargh

who am I trying to kid, I can't draw!