The last while I have put aside my flower paintings for camels, camels and more camels. There is a huge demand for them and sometimes I struggle to keep up. More Cafe wants more very large canvasses which I still have to attend to. I have laid all the texturing for those already so all I need to do is paint them. I am in two minds still if I am going to incorporate gold or metal leaf into any of them. I will see how they turn out and if any of them could carry a little bit of bling once I have finished with the painting of them.

I am hoping to start with the first of the 4 tomorrow.

In the mean time I have been busy with a series of miniature camel paintings. I do them in a variety of sizes, the largest being about 20X40cm and then I have them framed. There is a huge tourist market for them as well as a demand among local UAE residents. The tourists love them because they are unique and original and something to remind them of their visit to the UAE.  They are also small, and light and can pack flat in the bottom of a suitcase without taking up much room.

The local expatriates like to buy the larger canvasses to adorn their walls here and sometimes the smaller ones before they leave the country to return home, or move on to another destination, or for departing friends. It works to keep a few in stock because many people phone me a few days before they are due to leave to ask if I have any camel paintings available for sale and it usually always ends in disappointment! So every few months or so I do about 20 miniatures (usually when I am preparing a large commissioned camel canvas), frame them and sell them to those who come knocking.