Paraty before the Symposium

Paraty! How do I describe Paraty?

It's this enchanting small town with a very unique historical centre with its windows and doors painted in bright colours and its streets paved with big rocks that prevent you from walking around admiring the beautiful scenery, unless you want to fall or sprain an ankle.

It's a place where the water floods certain streets at high tide and you either have to wait for it to retreat or get your feet wet to cross.

And during the 5th International Urban Sketching Symposium this year, it was a place invaded by sketchers from all over the world at every corner.

I spent the day exploring the city a little bit, sketching, meeting other sketchers. some of them I knew from last year's symposium. The city being so small, it gave me an even stronger sense of belonging to a community of like-minded people and friends.

As I sat making this drawing, at least four people came and introduced themselves as being participants to the Symposium. I even met, Nelson Paciencia, a Portuguese sketcher whose blog I follow.

The quiet before the symposium storm

It's a strange and wonderful feeling to casually meet people you sort of know through their online work and who sort of recognize you from a comment you left on their blog.

In a place like Paraty, you only need to turn your head to see a sketchworthy scene. Which is what happened with this next drawing.

I tried to channel my inner Inma Serrano. I love her work and, as a Brazilian sketcher I met used to say: "When I grow up I want to be like her".

Still a lot to learn, but this was fun!

Less is more, that's what my room mate, Delphine Priollaud-Stoclet, kept telling me. It was also the theme of the activity she prepared for the symposium. So I tried to apply this principle to this next drawing. I think it could benefit from a bit of colour, though.

Using negative space

We had lunch at a restaurant called O Arpeador, if I remember correctly. A very tasty dish called moqueca, with fish and shrimp. There was a singer practising her number, so we were able to enjoy some lovely music as well.

Lovely Brazilian music

This was also the place where I met Zeta, a fellow sketcher from Luxembourg! Of all places for me to meet someone from Luxembourg, Paraty was probably the most unlikely and therefore the most likely place for that to happen.

It went something like this:

A woman walks into the restaurant, obviously a sketcher. She tentatively asks if we were also sketchers participating to the symposium.

Delphine and I go: "Why, yes, indeed, we are! Come join us!"

I ask her: "Where are you from?"

Zeta: "From Luxembourg."

Me: "OMG! I'M FROM LUXEMOURG, TOO!!!"

And the rest is history.

Serendipity, my dears. Serendipity.

Goodbye jetlag! - a few days in Búzios

My first stop during my trip to Brazil was in Búzios, a peninsula north of Rio de Janeiro, apparently a very popular holiday destination.

The decision to go there was relatively random, to be honest. I was arriving in Brazil a few days before the symposium, just like another symposium attendant, Sue Pownall.

Sue is from the UK and was also looking for a travelling companion to go on a short trip before the big event. Búzios seemed like an interesting and relaxing place, so we went.

Even in winter, cafés were pretty busy

I love the sea/ocean/any type of water and Búzios' main attraction is its beautiful beaches, so it was a great way to start my Brazilian adventure.

These cute colourful boats were everywhere.

Búzios became famous and fashionable after the French actress Brigitte Bardot turned it into a regular vacationing place. There is even a statue of her on a street with her name (Orla Bardot) by the beach.

"I'm here to stay!"

There was this fun statue of presidente Juscelino Kubitschek de Oliveira. I was told he was the one who turned Brasília into the country's new federal capital in the 1960s. I love this statue, it is so unusual to see a politician depicted in such a relaxed and human way.

"Olá gente! Welcome to Búzios!"

Travelling with another sketcher gives you a freedom to draw that you don't have when travelling with people who are not into sketching themselves. So this was a great way to warm up before the symposium.

It gave me full freedom to sketch the most random objects and subjects of interest, like this table boat full of condiments...

"Main dish ahead, capt'n!"

... or one of the beautiful coconut trees.

Watch out for falling coconuts!

Where to start?

I was on holiday these last few weeks. First in Portugal, to visit family, and then to Brazil for the 5th International Urban Sketching Symposium which took place in Paraty.

I know: I'm lucky like that.

I have sketched so much during these last few weeks that I don't know where to start sharing. So I guess the easiest way to proceed is chronologically, and so, with my week in Portugal.

I took the small Laloran sketchbook we received at last year's USk Symposium in Barcelona and dedicated it exclusively to my time in Portugal, before and after Brazil.

I have to say I loved that sketchbook! The paper is great, the book is beautiful and the pocket size, which I thought I would find limiting, was very handy.

Laloran is a small company from Sintra, Portugal. I highly recommend their products, which you can order online.

Here are some of my favourite sketches from that time.

At home with the family:

I loved the shadows of the laundry. Very peaceful scene.

One of my aunts has a new puppy. Cutest thing ever! 

It wouldn't be a holiday in Portugal without a trip to the beach.

On August 15th there is always a celebration in honour of Nossa Senhora da Boa Morte (Our Lady of Good Death), with many folclore groups performing.

I tried to capture the variety of the traditional costumes. There was even a guest group from Italy.

I spent a short time in Lisbon before heading to Brazil. I mainly went to the area of Belém, one of my favourite parts of the city.

There was an exhibition on treasures recovered from the ocean at the Museum of Archeology.

My first attempt at sketching the Mosteiro dos Jerónimos. Such a complex building! 

I also spent some time at the botanical garden nearby. I spotted a dragon tree. I had never heard of it, so was very curious to see it.

I found this beautiful bust of an African woman. Couldn't help sketching it.

I made this last sketch after my trip to Brazil. I tried to apply some of the things I learned during one of the workshops at the symposium. More on that in a future post.

Unfortunately, this post would be far too long if I posted all the sketches. You can find the rest of my drawings from that time in Portugal in my Flickr stream under the link to the dedicated album.

Museums, museums

This year I decided to get a museum pass, giving me free entrance to most of Luxembourg city's museums. Which means that: 1) I am more enclined to visit museums, and 2) I am more spontaneous about it.

Lately I have been to the Musée d'Histoire de la Ville de Luxembourg - MHVL (Museum of History of the City of Luxembourg) and Villa Vauban.

I love the MHVL. Not sure why. Maybe because of the building, maybe because its exhibitions are simple and without too much fuss.

The other day I went there for lunch at its cafeteria, AM 14, and took the opportunity to sketch part of the view that its beautiful terrasse offers, followed by a short visit of the permanent exhibition.

One of my favourite corners for some peace.

The statue of De Renert caught my eye, partly because of the beautiful lighting there. De Renert is a fox, a character of the most famous Luxemburg literary work written by Michel Rodange. There is another statue of the fox in Place Guillaume, a popular tourist visit.

There were Luxemburgish expressions written all over the walls, and part of De Renert as well. It seemed fitting to add them.

The drink was part of my lunch. Organic lemonade, very tasty!

A couple of weeks ago I went to Villa Vauban with Leen for some sketching. The villa is named for the famous military architect who lived under Louis XIV. He contributed a lot, among other things, to strengthen Luxembourg's fortifications. You can see his work all over the city.

The museum has temporary exhibitions, mainly of classic artworks. It was my first visit to this place and I really liked the feel of it. The garden is particularly lovely and the rooms offer enough space for a good exhibition.

I was not very inspired that day. I tried to sketch the building, but not having any plan, just ended up doodling different things on the same spread.

I will soon have thousands of bad portraits of Leen :)

The exhibition itself offered more interesting sketching material for that particular day. It showed artworks from William II's personal art collection. He was king of the Netherlands and Grand-duke of Luxembourg from 1840.

My favourite pieces were these here below: the one because of the collar and dramatic pose and the other because of the whole costume and, more importantly, the quote!

It would translate to something like: "Rather a cabin with my Guillaume, than suscribe to dishonour". It is so solemn and seeing it on the canvas seemed so out of place somehow, it was almost comic.

So many layers of fabric!

Museums are always good sketching territory!

Farewell, captain!

I have been struggling with this post for several days now...

Last week, the sketching community lost one of its most charismatic members, Jorge Royan.

He was an engineer, photographer and sketcher from Argentina, but more importantly he was a visionary, a mentor and, above all, a good father.

He is the founder of the Sketching Workshop community I once mentioned, and its driving force.

From the first time I "spoke" to him via Facebook, when I applied to join the group, he struck me as someone a bit intimidating but kind, fun, open and very encouraging.

He was always striving to learn from others and teach what he knew. He always pushed people to be better and to reach their potential.

I don't remember how often he told me to "adjust the levels" of my drawings! I didn't even understand what levels were at the time. It was very humbling to have someone tell me that my sketches deserve better than a poor quality picture.

I feel fortunate to have know even just a little bit of him, exchanging ideas to improve the group, talking about our families. He was so fiercly proud of his family!

Although he was not exactly a close friend, I will miss him, I already do. He was a driving force for progress, the kind of person you don't meet often. I only regret that I didn't get to know him more.

His favourite quote, and the motto of Sketching Workshop, is "All that is not given is lost". I think that says a lot about him.

Now, after fiddling around so much with these stupid levels on this portrait, they still look off to me, depending on which screen I'm using! I'll do better, Jorge, I promise!

All about the ballpoint pens

This week I have been thinking a lot about ballpoint pens. All because of Andrea Joseph and her klass in Sketchbook Skool.

She does amazing things with simple pallpoint pens, which is a great reminder that you don't necessarily need fancy tools to make good art.

One of the assignments was to make a drawing of a collection we have at home.

Apart from stamps and comic books, I don't actively collect anything, but I remembered that I have gathered quite a few pens with two friends of mine over the years. We always bring each other a pen from the places we visit.

So here is a little peek at all the pens I have gathered so far. I don't always remember where each of them come from (unless it's written on them), but there are quite a few fun ones. I might add some text later on.

I particularly like the Pinocchio pen

Andrea also showed us a fun calligraphy using just one line. Here are a few inspirational quotes I like.

Portrait for Sari

Do you ever happen to promise a friend you will make a drawing for them? I do. Quite frequently. The problem sometimes is keeping that promise.

On one hand you really want to give them one of your drawings and on the other you're not always satisfied with your work, so you don't want to give it to them. And where is inspiration when you need it?

A while back, I offered my friend Sari to make her portrait and a couple of weeks ago I finally sat down to do it. 

This was not the first time I attempted to draw her, but this time I guess my muse was smiling on me, for I'm really happy with the result.

As with many portraits, the likeness is there but not 100 %. However, I do feel like I captured her spirit somehow and I'm very happy with the result. So was she when I showed it to her. She says I made her prettier than she is.

Now unto the next assignment!

I used some of the washi tape she sent me from Japan