Barcelona boats, bars, ballerinas...

Fleca Els Angels, Carrer D'Elisabets

 ... & some tennis.

Before last Saturday's Barcelona sketchcrawl, see my previous post here, I had spent a couple of days in the city. 

On Thursday, I went to the Barcelona Open, and got to realise a dream - to watch Rafael Nadal play in Spain whilst sat among a Spanish crowd. Mostly I was too busy watching the tennis to sketch, but I did manage the one below between matches.

Stadium at Real Club de Tenis Barcelona

Thursday was also Saint George's Day and everywhere people were handing out red roses. I was offered one first thing, but didn't accept as I was heading into the tennis stadium. I tried to sketch some in the Ramblas, but the crowds were massive and frequently obscured my view. The sketch is the best I achieved.

Las rosas di San Jordi.

The next day, I took an early morning walk and ended up at a café, where I'd had breakfast before the Urban Sketchers 2013 Symposium and had meant to sketch, so I did. (top).

Then it was on to the Maritime Museum where I sketched a traditional Catalan fishing boat.

Barca Catalana - Jean et Marie

Late afternoon, I headed off to join the group Inky Fingers, Barcelona who had arranged to draw the contemporary dance company Las Carmelas. 

Sketching Las Carmelas with Inky Fingers.

It was a real challenge trying to capture their movements as they danced. Thankfully they also did some short poses. I used a pad of tonal pastel paper and a multi-coloured single lead pencil. I can't wait to draw with this group again.

47th WWSketchCrawl in Barcelona

Tramvia Blau, Tibidado. ©Sue Pownall 2015

Yesterday was Worldwide Sketchcrawl day and I was fortunate enough to be in Barcelona and able to join their sketchcrawl. I missed the start due to having a lovely catch-up breakfast with a friend, so I took the tourist tramvia blau up to Plaça Dr. Andreu arriving shortly before the other sketchers. My first sketch of the day had to be the tram, but as it only stayed a short while, the sketch became a composite of the trams.

Montse & I sketching the Funicular de Tibidabo.

 Whilst trying to capture the tram, I started my second drawing, this time the building for the Funicular de Tibidabo. Despite an underdrawing it fell off the page, which is a problem that keeps occuring.

©Sue Pownall 2015

 Taking the funicular up to the Parc del Tibidado, we gathered for a mid-way point photo. Coincidently, the park mascots wandered past and were coerced into the photo.

Photo by Mar Villarino Chico.

 Unfortunately, the "spectacular views" were hidden behind cloud, so I started drawing the plane, which was one of the original rides from the park's opening in 1928. As with the tram, I had to start a second sketch as I could only capture it as passengers got on and off, hence the sweet cart on the left page. I'm not one for doing spreads, so after sketching the people at a bus stop, I copied Elena's idea of linking them with the old, big wheel. Finally, I added the genuine American hotdog stand.

Spread drawn in Parc del Tibadado

 I'm quite pleased with how the spread came out, what do you think?

Parks, flowers & Shakespeare

Ink & watercolour. ©Sue Pownall

To continue my blog catch up...

The other week I ran away to Barcelona, just for a night, leaving Degas with a dog sitter. It's my favourite city, and I really want to move there. Unfortunately, circumstances are conspiring against me, for now.

I stayed in a hotel with a fantastic view of the Arc de Triomf, but chose to relax in the shade rather than sketch the view. My batteries are in desperate need of recharging.

Parc de l'Estació del Nord. Watercolour in A5 sketchbook.

That evening, I had arranged to meet friends and fellow sketchers Cesar and Miguel at a performance by Parking Shakespeare who were performing Much Ado About Nothing in Catalan (Molt Sorroll Per Res).
I can only understand a few words, but love Parking Shakespeare's outdoor performance, and first saw them in 2012. You can see the previous sketches here. Having wandered around the area and arrived at the park early, I sat down to paint the amazing mosaic mountain as I love the intense blue.I think the painting is tonally flat, but I enjoyed painting it. Then it was time for the Shakespeare and a similar drawing to last time. Again, I got caught up with the action (even with very limited understanding) and stopped drawing to watch. If you are ever in Barcelona in the summer, I would thoroughly recommend going to one of the shows: lovely setting, great acting, and it's free.

Molt Sorroll Per Res. Blue Micron in A5 sketchbook.

 The next day, I started the day with a sketch over breakfast (top). I'd spotted the building whilst heading for dinner the night before. It took me 2 cups of tea and almost an hour, which is looonnngg for me as I have the focus of a gnat. The rest of the day was spent wandering around and going to MACBA before heading back to the airport.

Unfortunately, my quick trip took rather longer than anticipated, as my car broke down on the way home from Heathrow airport. I tried sketching under the streetlights as I sat perched on a bank overlooking the M25 and my sick car, but the motorway was uninspiring. Here's the proof.

 Where is your favourite destination to run away to?

Sundry Spanish sketches

La Sagrada Familia  A5 sketchbook

My penultimate Sunday in Barcelona, I met with a friend to go to the Picasso museum. Whilst waiting for her to arrive at the meeting point, I sketched the tourists around me in their various hats. Unfortunately, when we got to the museum the queue was about 3 days long, so we decided to go to the nearby Parc de la Ciutadella and then onto the Palau dela Música Catalana.

Hats, hats, hats A5 sketchbook.

Parc de la Ciutadella © Sue Pownall 2012

At the Palau de la Música, we had to join a tour to view the beautiful building - next time I'd like to go to a concert there. First we watched a short film on its history in the new auditorium, which is when I sketched the lady on the left of my sketchbook. Then, walking around the old auditorium I tried to quickly capture some of the flowing sculptural elements.

Palau de la Musica A5 sketchbook.

My last sketching outing in Barcelona was on 7th August when I met the animator Dave Coogan in Rambla de Catalunya. We met at the La girafa coqueta so I tried to capture its lines as my warmup, but my proportions are out. Then, we sat in the shade to sketch the various people.

On Rambla de Catalunya  A5 sketchbook.

From the Rambla, we went to join some of the Barcelona sketchers who were at La Sagrada Familia drawing with Nina Johansson who was over from Sweden. La Sagrada is dauntingly large. My view was chosen for me, as Dave and I sat on the only available empty bench, and I had this view through the trees (top and below).

Sketching at La Sagrada Familia

Drawing & dallying for Dalí

Whilst in Barcelona, I was lucky enough to have my mum and dad come over to visit. On the weekend, we caught the train up to Figueres to visit the Teatro Museo Dalí. The photo below was snapped by mum as I sketched the long, long queue (I forgot to pre-book oops) dad is stood next to me as we chatted & I drew whilst waiting. Of course, the museum was worth the wait but I have to confess I was hungry afterwards having queued through lunchtime.

It's summertime

and this nomad is wandering.

The map shows my key stops, although the majority of the summer will be spent in Barcelona.

I'm off tomorrow morning!

I'm not sure how much time or opportunity I will get to post whilst I am away, but please pop by in case I do. (Saturday is WorldWide SketchCrawl #36, so I will definitely be sketching)

Also, I'm not sure if I'll be able to  visit your blogs, so I apologise if I miss anything.

I'm back in Muscat 23rd August.

Have a good summer everyone.

Sketch books

As I wrote at the bottom of my last post, I am currently using 2 sketch books. The first drawing in the larger A5 one, was from Jordan March 2005, and is a pencil drawing done in Jerash. Whilst the A6 was started in Madrid a couple of years ago, September 2007. It is a disgrace that they have been hanging around partly used for so long, but with my renewed passion for drawing I hope it won't be long before they are both complete. In the meantime here are those first sketches. Also, right is a sketch from Acebo, Camino de Santiago, which is page 2 in the small book. Whilst above, is a sketch I did this afternoon on Qurum beach, Muscat.