Camel Drive

I've been under the weather the last few days, in the grip of some kind of stomach bug. Even so, one can rest only so much. When I haven't been at the office or sleeping, I've been working on this painting. The photo quality isn't the best - I like to take pictures of my paintings in the natural light on my roof but it's dark outside now - but I think this gives you some idea of how it looks.

Camel Transport

A common sight here, that I've been wanting to paint for a long time

Completed Study for Yasser

Here's how the study of Yasser worked out. Later, in the large version I'm planning, he'll be holding the leads to a camel in his left hand, instead of worry beads. I'm trying to depict the age-old danger faced by travelers approaching a watering spot in the desert.

Study for painting of Yasser

Here's tonight's progress on a study I'm doing for a painting of Yasser.

More Postcard-sized Paintings

Here are more from my series of postcard-sized paintings.

Camels Crossing

Saudi Scenery

Camel and Rider

Jinadriyah Cultural Festival

Jinadriyah Cultural Festival is a lot like a large county fair, except, whereas the people who work at fairs can be kind of creepy sometimes, the folks I met at Jinadriyah were very friendly and gracious and eager to get to know us.

Jinadriyah

The guy who painted this sign did the one in the following post as well.

Jinadriyah

Despite what the sign says, Jinadriyah is a cultural festival. Jim Jones followers need not apply.

Yasser

This is my friend, Yasser. I needed a model for a painting I have in mind, and he was kind enough to oblige me. He's wearing a ghutra over his head. The long white garment is called a thobe, and the darker cloak is called a bisht.

I like this photo.

Not sure what it is about it, but I just like this picture. It's not unusual to see these little pickups piled high with absolutely anything and everything. Frequently they have a camel or two kneeling in the back.

Another Sand Storm Picture

Here's a picture of the clock tower near my house during the sand storm. I haven't retouched this photo at all; this was actually the color of the sky.

Sand Storm

By now you may have read in the news that we had a major sand storm yesterday. Locals say it was the worst they'd seen in 30 years. We were just starting to drive to the festival of Jenadriyah when the storm struck. It started as a distant wall of cloud, and it was on us in no time. Visibility was so bad we had to turn around and go home.

I was in a sand storm during my first deployment, and I thought it was pretty bad, but this lasted longer, contained higher winds, and the dust was much thicker. This storm was bright orange, like the dunes to the northeast of Riyadh.

Where it not for the fact that the dust covered everything and got everywhere, even inside my house, I would say that it was beautiful.

Here's what I've been up to for the last few days.