Pastel Painting: Leading the Sheep Through Dobroselica

 My newest pastel painting, "Leading the Sheep Through Dobroselica."

Dobroselica, Serbia

©2021 Melissa Enderle

It's a glorious early spring day. The last of the snow has finally melted and the grass has begun to green up, much to the delight of my sheep. I'm even seeing a few buds on the plum trees. I hope we'll have a good harvest this year, as I sure love to drink rakija. My sheep and I make our way towards the grazing land just past the wooden church. We'll be there for several hours, so my wife has packed me a lunch including her homemade bread, ajvar, and some cheese. The sheep begin to munch on the grass alongside the weathered road as soon as I pause to chat with a neighbor. They're content and I'm in no rush. The simple life in rural Serbia.

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Tending the Sheep by the Roman Ruins

Now with a story about the shepherd.

Like my father and grandfather, I traverse through these hilly lands near my hometown of Tébeousouk with my sheep. This time of year it’s easier to find grass for my sheep to eat. The grove of olive trees near the Punic Mausoleum provides some extra shade against the sun. My sheep seem to favor this area as well; the cut stones, once part of Punic or Roman buildings dating around two millennia, now serve as climbing playgrounds. To my left are the embedded pavement stones of a road, leading to the Capitol building that still dominates the hill of the ancient Roman city. Although Dougga is a popular tourist attraction, the officials guarding this UNESCO World Heritage site have graciously allowed me and other shepherds to graze our herds through these historical lands.

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Artwork: Tending the Sheep - Dougga, Tunisia

Tending Sheep by the Roman Ruins

Color pencil

Dougga, Tunisia

My latest artwork is of a shepherd tending sheep by the ancient Roman city of Dougga, Tunisia. It is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Note the large carved stones scattered throughout. It was not uncommon to see shepherds and their sheep meandering through the ruins.

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Village of the Gujjars

The following morning, the hotel owner drove me to a small village where some semi-–nomadic Gujjars stay for the winter.  The tiny road  took us past some crude shelters made out of stone, logs, and grasses -  the type of dwelling the Gujjar tribe (one of the largest ethnic tribes in Kashmir) used to build.  The house we visited was made out of brick and its interior covered with a smooth layer of mud.  With the parents away at the market, a young boy promptly gave us some tea.  A bit later,  a woman came in.  I admired  the traditional embroidered hat that she wore. Small, tight braids similar to that worn by African American people framed her face, a style typical of the Gujjars. In a couple months, the family would make their way up into the mountains where they would graze their sheep. With the mountains full of flowers and green grass, what a beautiful surrounding these shepherds must have in the summer!

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Colorful Ride to Patan

The northern drive to Patan was far from dull. Sharing the road with India’s colorful trucks were several types of animals. A brightly painted elephant with a rider on its back made its way down the road. A camel with dark decorative “tatoos” over its body pulled a cart containing some family members and goats. Two boys sat on saddled donkeys, leading their work donkey herd. Cows with thick horns ambled their way through villages. Bharwad shepherds led the sheep entrusted to them to graze in the fields. In return for herding the sheep for a month, our guide said the flock’s owners typically paid the shepherds about 25 rupees ($0.56) per sheep. In the fields, oil rigs were busy. In another field, women wearing brightly patterned skirts and one man gathered straw and carried it to a stack. All the work was done by hand – and in the heat.

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Shepherds around Jodhpur

According to our guide, the original sheep of the region were a gift from the Maharajas who worked for the rulers but have since gained independence. Many of the shepherds here are nomadic with the animals, moving them to the central area of India during the dry season. A typical shepherd will have between 30-35 sheep, along with a few cattle. Women are also shepherds and can be identified by their short skirts.

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