Someone left and left this door – not sure what they intended to do with it but I am thinking of making it into a dining table. The colours are more obvious than they appear here, ultramarine blue and burnt umber on the raw wood.

My office looks out onto a little patio area with diamond shaped opening to the outside world and the shadows that fall in this area are lovely. I am trying to capture it in sketches with a view to painting but the sun seems to move so fast here that it is taking me days, doing a little each day. Lots of other areas around work that are interesting and I have to see if it would be allowed for me to paint here.

Had an interesting trip out to see the work of a local photographer (portrait work) whose studios were like mini film sets with drapes with lavish tassles and velvets, piles of silk cushions. Very exotic and rather like a bad B movie in taste! Also interesting to see that while women are kept firmly in their place, covered from head to toe, in the photographer’s studio anything goes! A lot of exposed skin and seductive poses!

The weather is cooling slightly – temperatures are between 105 and 110 during the day now and down to around 80 at night. Its bearable in western clothes but the abaya in this heat is torture.

The appearance of things change according to the emotions and thus we see magic and beauty in them, while the magic and beauty are really in ourselves.
Kahlil Gilbran