Day 4017: Ducks and Step-by-step.

Drones": junk mail collage.

    

 

Want music?

    Click here: Al Green, Mend a Broken

 

2GN2S ... 

Duck 'soldiers'

These ducks are working so hard. Vergenoegd Löw The 300 year old Wine Estate, a winery in Cape Town, South Africa, employs about 1,600 ducks to help ward off pests around their precious grapevines. 

Troops of flightless Indian Runner ducks are cajoled on a 14-day circuit through the vineyard, eating and fertilizing the ground as they go. 

Vineyard staff got the idea from rice paddy workers in Asia, where ducks are used for similar purposes.

 South Africa's wine industry is something of a taste maker in the business, so the practice may be spreading soon. Duck eggs from the industrious little fowl are even served in the vineyard's restaurant. But not the ducks, of course! "That would be like eating a colleague," says Gavin Moyes, the estate's tasting room manager.

 More information and a short video, here.

 

 

 Revisit of a 2018 step-by-step

step 1: rough sketch with china marker on heavy parchment

I liked the quirky position.

step 2: china marker

 

 

 

Darkening, shading and thinking about background.

step 3 china marker in red and black

A China marker is really fun to play with, kinda like an adult crayon? Originally used to mark prices on cans in grocery stores, before they had hand machines to do it.

step 4 china marker + gesso

I covered the red background with white gesso, then scribbled in it while it was wet. A few highlights in gesso.

 

 

 

A 6 minute video,  Lex Ishimoto, here.

 

Just because ...

  

Banded Pita

 

Sunday's Smiles ...
 
 

  

   

 

                     Thanks for coming by today ...