A Picture from my erm... youth... (Market Friday)

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Aerial view of Durban and the coast

Bear with me as I go on a reminiscent journey...

I still remember that time in my life as if it was yesterday. We were just two mid- 20 something-year-olds, not yet married, but sharing a home. It was a fun, carefree, and exciting time to be alive.

My husband to be had purchased an oak dining room table/pool table from a Snooker and Pool Specialist in the city and we were spending a lot of our evening hours after work, and on weekends, socialising with our friends in our home. Care-free evenings around the table, care-free days in the sunshine exploring our local gorges, playing mashie golf, working on the house, and occasionally taking a drive into Durban to visit the local markets.

One such Sunday, we decided to head into the city as the weather was perfect and the beachfront beckoned. The Durban Beachfront used to have a real vibey market at the old Amphitheater which adjoins the magnificent sandy Durban coastline that stretches for miles in both directions. The harbour and port entrance start where the sandy beach gives way to the docks on the right. To the left the beach stretches on until it becomes wilder, encompassing sand dunes and beach flora and the more popular spots for the local fishermen.

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Durban Amphitheatre

On the promenade though, in front of the old Amphitheatre, the crowds would throng to the market to pick up a few nick-nacks, arts and crafts, and some lunch, and chill to the music that was being churned out over the stereo system.

On this one particular day, we parked up near the International Exhibition Centre and decided to walk down to the beachfront. We spotted an art exhibition on the lawns outside the Centre and decided to drop in to check it out. It was a single artist displaying some 20-30 paintings. She was excellent. Neither of us had ever purchased artwork before and it was not something that we had even discussed doing together. A few pieces caught my eye (all scenes of nature and natural landscape, mostly based on real vistas in the UK, Zimbabwe, and South Africa). We walked away, both feeling a lot more fulfilled for the day and we got chatting about the pieces that we had seen. Turned out that we had both fallen in love with the same painting! We continued walking for a few minutes and then both had the same thought...we just couldn't leave the painting behind. It belonged in our home. So we raced back to speak with the artist and claim our first piece of artwork ever.

It had sold already!

We were so gutted!!! A couple who had purchased a number of her paintings on previous occasions had visited the exhibition in the few minutes since we had left for the beach, had spotted it, and purchased it on the spot.

She showed us over some of her others but although they were lovely, we just did not get that feeling of complete peace and tranquillity. None of them spoke to us as that one had.

But then she postured: what if she painted the scene again for us? and she would make it even better than the first iteration?

Done deal!

So she took it on as a commission instead and a month later we visited her in her home to collect it. It cost us R5000 at the time in 1997.

And this is the painting by Wendy Mills.

It's about 750cm x 1000cm.

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We have since acquired a couple more from her; including scenes from our beloved Drakensberg.

This is my post for #MarketFriday by the lovely @dswigle . If you'd like to join in you can check out Denise's latest post here

Photo of Wendy Mills painting taken by me on my phone.

Aerial View of Durban and coastline from canva pro library

Durban Amphitheatre from canva pro library

Dreemport banner used with permission of @dreemsteem and @dreemport and designed by @jimramones

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These are those that gutted me to part with hard earned. The first one below has become quite valuable, but the pecuniary value is nothing compared to the art. Haha. Nostalgic bliss at its best! ❤️🤗💕

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Some great art... you had to part with them??? 😔 !ALIVE !PIZZA

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(Edited)

No, I didn’t make myself clear. I had to part with money, which I didn’t actually have at the time. Like you, I did buy them and lived on potatoes for a month. Haha ❤️🤗💕

!ALIVE

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Hi, @samsmith1971!
I love the painting and the story behind it. It's unbelievable that in minutes the painting you saw was already sold out. But how lucky that the artist ended up making one for you. And that gave it more sentimental value to it.
Have a lovely Sunday!

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(Edited)

yeah... we couldn't believe it! But they were a couple who had purchased quite a bit of her artwork in the past so they had gone to the exhibition with the intention of buying something and it did not take them long to fall for the same painting lol. But we ended up with a beautiful painting and a memory to go with it... so I can't complain. Thanks Coqui 🤗♥️ happy Sunday to you too !LUV !ALIVE

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You are welcome, Sam! 😊🤗
!PIZZA

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What a special story behind a wonderful piece ♥️ Not many artists would reproduce it, you are lucky that she was so kind :)

!PIZZA !ALIVE !LOL !LUV !hivebits

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(Edited)

We were very fortunate. We would never have asked her to do that ourselves but she was very gracious. Such a lovely woman. She lives back in the UK now (she is British) and still works as an artist here. I am considering requesting a commission of the Amphitheater in South Africa, but not the one shown in my post, rather this one! !LUV !ALIVE !PIZZA !LOLZ !hivebits !LADY (Photos from canva pro library lol) And thank you for the VYB curation. it is much appreciated.

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That is such a heartwarming story! How nice that she made your day like that. Memories are such wonderful things, bringing up the past, reminding us how wonderful like was and how much we have grown.

Isn't it ironic that you both felt the same way about that painting? Are you both still so connected, even now?

A wonderfully lovely post! Thank you so much! ❤️

#MarketFriday began as a way to reach out across the globe and learn about different cultures through their markets, especially local markets and farmers' markets, and eventually branched out and evolved over time from straight shopping to a cultural affair as it highlights how we differ and then again, how much we are alike. We have become a melting pot of culture, but, it is still the Rituals, Festivals, food, architecture, and even your language/languages that separate us... Along with the fact that is these things are normal for us. There are unwritten rules that rule our social behaviors. I see this as allowing for increased tolerance between cultures and nations, and opportunities to come together on an even playing ground. A strong culture can be beneficial to a country as it promotes unity, especially during a crisis, peaceful debate, and open dialogue. I have learned so much about all of you and it has been an amazing experience. I can only hope that learning about each other can help us work together for a peaceful world.

Fridays are all about the #MarketFriday Challenge! Looking to take part in it? Here is how:


Rules of the Road to Join #MarketFriday!

  1. Go to the market, or anywhere that you pay money for a service.
    Take pictures! Be creative!
  2. Tell us a little bit about the market or the event. What brought you there? What did you buy? How much did it cost?
  3. Post the picture(s) Of course, you should tell a little bit about the ones you post
  4. Use the MarketFriday Community Platform to post #hive-196308 (this is not required, but appreciated)
    5. Drop the link into the MarketFriday comment section so I can find it
  5. Following me and reblogging the post so more see it would be appreciated !! Not a rule, just appreciated, more vision for more views on your posts!
    **7. You must put #MarketFriday by @dswigle somewhere on your post.

As always, please remember! #MarketFriday loves you!

Upped and reposted

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Thank you❣️ Did I pop the link in the comments to your post... oops now I can't remember...will make sure I do next time I post. In some ways, we still like some of the same things and think similarly and in others...we don't haha... all about being individuals too I guess 🤗😂😍 !ALIVE !LUV

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