Tuesday, July 26, 2011

Moroccan Souks - Part 4 - Food

Dried fruits and nuts were delicious - the lack of humidity meant that the almonds were the tastiest and
crunchiest I have ever had - yum. 
...olives and bread rolls are staples and were usually 'free of charge' at restaurants,
...delicious camel burgers in the old medina in Meknes [an Intrepid Travel specialty],
...hand washing facilities in the 'cafe',
...huge communal tagines being cooked on the street,
 
...delicious honey based sweets and pastries in the Meknes market,
 
ALL VEGETARIANS NEED TO LOOK AWAY NOW....
 
 


Sunday, July 24, 2011

Painting again

I have just started the hard but satisfying journey of picking up a paintbrush once again. I seem to be able to achieve the desired results in other art forms, but painting is always difficult - rarely am I satisfied with the results - thus it is a constant challenge for me, but one which is so rewarding when it 'comes together'.
These are details of the current painting - only small - about 250mm x 300mm - I'm not showing you the whole picture 'cos I'm not happy with it, but I oh so love these details:
 
 - just like I love the peeling paint on the table on the deck.

Saturday, July 23, 2011

Moroccan Souks - Part 3 - animals

Ah yes, so many interesting animals on sale for who knows what reason....
...chameleons,
...squirrels,
...rabbits,
tortises,
...but I don't think that any of the following were destined to become pets,

Wednesday, July 20, 2011

Moroccan Souks - part 2

The typical markets are covered lane ways with stalls occupying all available space left and right. They are permanent 'shops' and some stall holders seem to 'live' in these spaces.

...fresh meat and brightly coloured tagines to cook it in,
...shoes for tourists,
...and shoes for the locals,
...all manner of pest control,
and all manner of weight control,
...teapots galore,
...a creep of tortises
...the smell from this chicken lane was incredibly bad - too bad to go on the hunt for a good photo.
...dancing dolls,
...olive oil and argan oil [cosmetic use],
and terracotta earthenware platters sumptuously decorated with silver repousse work.






Monday, July 18, 2011

RED EARRINGS

I have a commission to make a pair of red 'teabag' earrings for a regular customer at our local 'Art on Cairncross' Gallery. The lady has bought many of my jewellery pieces, so I am keen to do something special for her.
I have made jewellery from dyed teabag tissue in the past - they are always a hit with the more adventurous art lover. I have been 'out of the loop' with jewellery making for a few months, so it has taken a while to get back into it. The first pair I made were way 'over the top', 


..the next pair are a little better,

...and the third pair are 'just right' - remind you of anyone?? [answer at the bottom],
I layered and glued 4 or 5 new flat sheets of teabag tissue together, and painted over with red inks. Strips were cut and holes pricked every 1 cm, then wire and beads threaded through, 'concertinaing' the tissue as I went. 
I will give the client the choice between all 3 pairs - I'll let you know which ones she likes.


The answer to the riddle is Goldilocks, of course!! xoxoxo