bcn2013usk - day 2

the 2nd day of the symposium start far to early to me, but anyway, suhita and I were already corresponding at 9:00am at the cccb.

at 10:00, I join the workshop "I" actors and stage by luis ruiz, that explain us how to compose a sketch mixing architecture and people:

than I run again to the exhibition "sketching barcelona" for an interview for the local newspaper "el punt avui":
to finish the morning at the workshop "G" sketching urban place, people, space and streets by richard alomar in plaça reial:
at 2:00pm starts the demo of kiah kiean, sketching with dry twig and chinese ink. suhita went already there yesterday, but listening to the people who attend to it the day before, I really wanted to see him in action. after a short time, not only the urban sketchers where surrounding him, but also tourists and curious in front of the cathedral. it's just magic what this man could do with a piece of wood and some cheap ink.

meanwhile, since 10:00am, the 3rd day of sketchcrawl was going on in the born ditrict and the barceloneta. I decided to join at the 4:00pm meeting under the "peix" of the olimpic port, to have a look at how the public events were running out.
around 40 sketchers, half of them french, were chatting and sharing their sketchbooks. but after an hour, 2 sheriffs told us that it was forbiden to sit and stay there being a private area… nevermind, I lead the sketchers to the nearby olimpic village, and we stopped on "avinguda d'icària", under the strange sculpture of miralles there: some kind of iron dinosaurs.

we well deserved a fresh beer, and to meet everybody at the drink and draw party at the cccb, before having a diner at a vegan restaurant following jason's recommendation. I guess that after 2 evenings eating burgers, I could eat something healthy for once…

see you in a few hours for the last day of the symposium, and for the 40th worldwide sketchcrawl!

bcn2013usk - day 1

finally, after so many month waiting for it, yesterday at 9:00am, started the 4th urban sketching symposium in barcelona.
the opening was both in catalan and english. big up victor, elisabeth, jason and all the volunteers for the good job!
at 10:00am was time for the first workshop. I join the workshop "C", designing barcelona, with veronica lawlor, and sketched the "illa de la discòrdia" like I never done before:
than I join sagar in the university for his workshop "A" lighting the city:

and after a quick lunch, started the lecture at 02:30pm of the great moustache owner lluïsot, human landscape:
at 4:00pm was time for the afternoon workshop cession. I followed paul wang and tia to their workshop "P" drawing from the heart and over color splashes. I enjoyed a lot sketching with any kind of material, from candle, wood stick, salt or credit card:
and no matter the rain, I spent the last hour sketching the negative forms (workshop "S") with joao catarino and omar jaramillo at plaça sant felip néri:
at 7:30pm, and because we were close from the city hall, we had a quick visit to the exhibition "sketching barcelona" in sala ciutat, before going to the presentation of the new books of swasky and nina johansson (z sketch guides) at the fnac of plaça catalunya:
we arrived late for the drink & draw at the cccb café, so after one beer we lived with omar, stew, jason, pete, choni, ruben and césar for a burger nearby.
I can't wait the 2nd day to start for more fun!
and don't forget that if you're in barcelona and are not registered to the symposium, you are welcome to the public events here and there!

bcn2013usk - fisrt sketchcrawl

yesterday was the first public event, a sketchcrawl along some of the most emblematic modernist building of barcelona. many sketchers join at 10:00 in front of "sant pau" hospital (of lluís domènech i montaner):
than we walk done avenida gaudi until the north facade of the sagrada familia (of antoni gaudi). there were nearly more sketchers than tourists around:
it's where I met suhita, the symposium correpondant, for the first time. I'm impressed, she's quick!!
than came the time for a tipical catalan dish: "arroz negro", yummy!
and we walk until the "casa de les punxes" (of josep puig i cadafalch):
I know that some sketchers continue until "passeig de gracia" and the "pedrera" (of antoni gaudi), but I had to go to the inauguration of the exhibition "sketching barcelona" in sala ciutat where the all collection of travel books published by city council is exhibit, included my last book "barcelona m'inspira".
we have a late diner in born district, it was time to go home, this morning the symposium is starting early!
 

bcn2013usk first meeting

looking for some sketchers, half an hour before the meeting at the cccb bar, I met arno and flaf, both from germany, sketching in the street near by.
after 5:00, there were no doubt anymore, something is happening! some friendly faces arrived from all over the world: nina from sweden, tia from singapour, isabel from mauritania, eduardo from sao paolo, melanie from ny, leez from sydney… a endless list of friends I haven't met for months or years, and some others I met for the first time around a glass of beer.
I was very impressed to meet Kiah Kiean from malaysia, I admire so much his work:
in an hour, is starting the first public event, much more sketchers must have arrived in the night, I'm so exciting!!

4th urban sketching symposium in barcelona

d-2 before the opening of the 4th urban sketching symposium!
and if you're in barcelona, and are not registered to the symposium, check out the public events starting tomorrow until saturday's 40th worldwide sketchcrawl!
and follow us on instagram: #bcn2013usk

"sketching barcelona" exhibition

"Barcelona seen by its sketchers based on the book collection “Carnet de voyage” by Barcelona City Council. Drawings created by different artists in their sketchbooks, in pencil, felt tip, pen and watercolour around different streets and neighbourhoods. Outlines of Barcelona on paper that show us many hidden spots, surprising townscapes, unfamiliar features, people of all kinds and, above all, a thousand ways of sketching the city."

Free admission.
10 July to 27 September 2013, Monday to Saturday, 3pm to 8pm, Sundays and public holidays, 10am to 2pm

Inauguration the 10th of july at 7:30pm, Sala Ciutat, carrer Ciutat 2, Barcelona.
Restricted entrance, please register at responsablesalaciutat@bcn.cat

I would be very happy to share this very special moment with you !

lapin à santo domingo

a few day before the opening of the 4th urban sketching symposium in barcelona, it's time to share the sketches I made last year as the 2012 symposium correspondent, for you to remember the mood of the past edition. this are all the drawing I sketched from july 9th to july 16th with fellow urban sketchers.
I get ready to do my best next week as the local correspondent…

superbike me! exhibition

I will participate to the exhibition superbike me! in mitte barcelona.
here is a sneak peek of my artworks!
the opening will be on the 3rd of july at 19:00!

newsletter

check out my last newsletter, made of old cars for the catalan beer brand moritz and for peugeot portugal, and passing by the east coast of the us and napoli.
and don't forget to subscribe on my homepage top right corner to stay tuned about my latest projects.

capri c'est fini

je ne crois pas que j'y retournerai un jour…

ici et ailleurs

"ici et ailleurs", which means "here and there", is a good description of where I spent my last weeks sketching hundreds of pages, on the road between the US and napoli, where the "2nd urban sketchers workshop in naples" went very well.  thanks simo!
but it's also the name of a travel book bi-annual festival in brest (bretagne, france) that invites me to expose next week end.
so if you're around, see you in brest the next 14, 15, and 16 of june!

passeig de lluis companys

I'm out for sketching until the 27th of may, see ya!

adios!

index, la imprenta con lo cual he trabajado estos 5 últimos años, y con lo cual hicimos mis 7 libros entre otros proyectos, ha dejado su actividad esta semana.
me siento fatal darme cuenta que apasionados al servicio de la máxima calidad, tan profesionales y buena gente no puedan seguir trabajando.
y me temo que a corto plazo, no tendré mas elección que trabajar con proveedores fuera de barcelona y de españa, a juzgar por la cantidad de locales que van cerrando…
saludos, gracias, y buena suerte a luis, fina, y todo los ex empleados de index.

te quiero bcn

after the unexpected succes of my first book "te quiero bcn", I'm working hard on a re-edition completed by many unpublished sketches of my barcelona, still so inspiring to me. I looked for more hided places, details and people that make barcelona such special.

fingers crossed to get it ready in july!