To browse through a larger collection of Essaouira paintings, skip to my Essaouira portfolio page.
Masks
Much of what traders offer tourists to buy in Essaouira is Moroccan-made. There is gorgeous painted pottery, leather goods including slippers in every colour you can think of, the more humdrum but very useful tagine pots with an iron rim, cactus silk (rayon) scarves and blankets and wonderful silver jewellery.
Some people come from sub-Saharan Africa for life in Essaouira, in the same way that I might, though possibly I would be more of a “digital nomad”, since that is where my skillset is. You can buy baskets woven from recycled plastic (bright and waterproof!), pictures made with feathers, amazing mudcloth fabric. These wooden masks, look so reminiscent of the kind you might see in a museum. I think they are made for export (I hope they are).
I took a photo of several of these arranged on an Essaouira-blue set of steps. The idea was to make a more dramatic image, led by feeling rather than detail. Therefore I started off with a rich orange background. I made some of the empty eyes blue (I had been watching Dune during the Pandemic).
The weathering in the wood and the different markings on each face were intriguing. Plus the very European vampire with the non-traditional lump of something on his forehead. I must buy one of these next time I go. I tried to limit my palette, to unify the painting.
Herb sellers
As you can see from the facemasks, the reference photo was taken by my friend. I know exactly where these ladies sit, under the arches that lead into the produce area of the Essaouira souk.
Clearly these herbs include ordinary thyme and rosemary, as well as dried cow-parsley heads to be used for tooth-cleaning. I enjoyed trying to do justice to the differing textures and play of light on the stone medina walls and the piles of herbs. The graphics and writing on the boxes they use are equally interesting. As anyone else would, much of their stock is kept in the Souiri recyclable woven bags, which are shapeless. Life in Essaouira is not always picturesque. I did not resist the temptation to dress the left hand lady up in what would be a more summery choice of fabric, rather than her current all-over blue djellaba and scarf. This is also typical of summer wear.
Strange meeting
Gragui’s reference photo was pretty perfect, albeit taken from a distance. But how could I resist it? The tall and colourfully dressed man, possibly from Francophone Senegal, is in affectionate conversation with a local older man. The colourful man will have been selling handicrafts to tourists in cafes in the Medina and on the beach (such as were open by that time). A green mop on a stick is tucked into the side of his rucksack. Such kind people.