Sonel’s Black and White photo challenge this week was a difficult one for me…TOYS… the only toys I have are my wife and my camera. Now to join Sonels B&W challenge click here.
I only have one other item that I consider my toy, and this was given me by my Grand Children for my birthday a few months ago… and it is a soap stone carving of a Hornbill sitting in a tree.
This art work is brilliant and being dark I thought it might make a good subject. So set the camera to B&W and away we went…
The Shona tribe are known for their carving abilities, and this is no exception with my “toy”. Although known for their stone sculpture, the Shona Tribe of Zimbabwe has a rich artistic heritage, which includes decorative fabric painting using sadza too. Sadza (pronounced sudza) is Maize, a primary basis of their diet.
Well here is my entry for this week…
The Photographic Journey of bulldog. 
Almost as good as viewing it in person. The black and white medium adds to the artist qualities of this exquisite “toy”! And I agree with the others about your excellent relationship with your life partner and wife. You two are so very lucky to have one another Bulldog! xx
Thanks Penny… love this piece of stone work…
It’s beautiful! I remember eating sadza as well 🙂
Thank you .. yep the good old word Sudza comes from Rhodesia…
What an awesome set of images…such a wonderful gift, or should I say “toy”…does Linda know that she’s a “toy”?
I’ve been Linda’s toy for so many years and she mine… 40 to be exact… I like to think I’m her “Toy Boy” (wishful thinking but still) and yes she knows she’s my toy something I like to play with all the time…
what wonderful shots…love that you and the wife are each others toy…exactly as it should be
Thank you.. such a nice comment…
What an amazing carving – and you’ve captured it so well 😀
Thanks Dianne
Outstanding images! I love that you and Linda are each others’ toys. How cool is that! And what a nice gift from your grandchildren. Mine are usually asking me for money – LOL!
Thanks Gina… don’t worry mine do exactly the same…
As you know I love black and whites! What a beautiful carving. How does your wife feel about being your toy??? 🙂
We have said we are each others toys for the last 40 years.. so she is quite happy with that… after all I’m her toy too…LOL
haha let the games begin!
Interesting shots, made the object itself more interesting with the different angles and perspective. 🙂
Thank you.. Sonel is really testing my creativity with this challenge… I am a bird and animal photographer… LOL
B/W suits this subject very well.
Thanks I agree
I was so happy to see you mentioning the Shona Tribe. We found the first piece of their stone sculpture in a small art gallery up north. Since that time we have become collectors of Shona Art, and have stone sculptures in the house and in the outside gardens. Your soap sculpture is beautiful; keep it safe and away from all sinks!
I’m not sure this is soap stone, they also work in Serpintine I think it is called… I’m not sure this is soap stone it’s a bit harder than the others that I have…
I have the big sculpture of the two fish eagle linked in flight by their claws, which is something we see often in mock battle… it is soap stone but weighs approx 60 kg (130lbs) when moving that one, one has to be very careful… this is far harder than that… but I have many and when I think what I paid for them so many years ago and what they are worth now.. they have been a good investment… that the kids can sell when I’m dead.. not that I think they will, they keep begging me to give them to them…
Some nice shots there Bulldog 🙂
Thank you Lynne
I agree that it looked great in sillouette.. and what a wonderful gift!! c
Thank you Cecila… most kind comment…
Nice carving.
Thanks..
Good selection of shots Bulldog. I shall have to get my photo blog started so I can enter these B & W challenges, as there are some interesting themes being set.
Thanks Brian… I think you need to do just that… I am really enjoying the challenge of taking photos in B&W again and then processing them…
Lovely soapstone design – when one thinks of the hours it must have taken …
Col I have spent some time with a Shona friend of mine at a place where they carve these type things… one cannot believe they are so fast at it… I know the minute I try this I’ll break the stone long before it even looks like anything…
Thank you for sharing this treasured gift from your grandchildren. It’s lovely, and you’ve captured the details so well.
Thank you so much…
I want to learn to carve wood!
Me too…
I want to make wood spirits!
What are they…
There you go!
Thank you will go and look..
No way.. I would never be able to do that…
you TOTALLY could!!!
A big WOW to the carvings … well, and the pics are good too. 😉 Well done at meeting the challenge!
Thanks Frank .. yes coming from Rhodesia I know how good the Shona are with their carving.., also in wood.. I have many pieces of their work and display it in my house with pride…
They are so beautiful and I loved them in this concept, Thank you, love, nia
Thank you Nia…
Awesome 🙂
Thanks..
It looks great and well-captured
Thank you…
These are nice 🙂 I love the silhouette shot!
Thank you Paula…
It’s a great “toy” that holds special meaning to you, that makes it a perfect subject. The pictures are fantastic! Can’t wait for your next “challenge”. Great work, Friend!!
Thank you.. yes this has a special place in my heart…
I think they are awesome and what a cool pressie. Well done to you and well done to the grandkids.
Thank you so much…
Very nice. The silhouette also made for a nice contrast with the rest. Good job, bulldog.
Thank you Russ… appreciate the comment…
Wow bulldog! It’s gorgeous my friend and I love it! I wish I had toys like that as well. It’s absolutely stunning and you’ve captured it so well too! That silhouette shot is amazing! Thanks so much for taking part my friend and thanks for your beautiful and original interpretation. You are so blessed to have this and Happy Belated Birthday as well. I can see you had a lovely birthday. 😀 *big hugs*
Thanks Sonel… I am really enjoying this challenge and even thinking hard about next weeks.. which should be a real challenge for me…