I wondered how I will continue my blog and drawings whilst living in the UAE for the next few years.

A wonderful opportunity came along to partake in a local art competition. I had framed one of the drawings and entered it into a competition during November 2019.

Dubai International Art Centre (DIAC) had an exhibition in their gallery. Gallery 76 is the oldest public art gallery in the UAE and is housed at the Centre. Unfortunately I missed opening might, had visitors from home, and received a message too late on my phone to inform me that my painting won the competition and that I should attend the award ceremony.

I have some photos to remind me…but my rhino drawing was seen by more people, which made me happy. O yes, the theme of the competition was, The Year of Tolerance.

The making of above drawing was done by using a newspaper clipping when Prince Harry (December 2015) joined forces against the rhino horn trade and visited Southern Africa to give his support. The decomposed rhino carcass is one where he posed with an official of Parks board in the Kruger National Park. My journey has taken me to spend some time with a monitoring team…see earlier blog. I added the vulture, which for me symbolizes our consumer culture. In the combat in our national parks, it is many a time the vulture’s presence which indicates poaching.