Noamy's Birthday Sketchcrawl

It was very special sketchcrawl, dedicated to 15th Birthday of one of our group's youngest members Noamy. Noamy's sketches are always inspire me, her vision and hand are so fresh and she succeed not to fall to an automatic solutions and approaches. We all tend to fall into our comfort zone, to use tools and  techniques we're "good" in, and for me it's very inspiring to see bold brave voice full of talent.
Orna, Noamy's mother, hosted us in her beautiful and very artistic house in Jaffa. It's amazing that short time after everybody arrived, greeted each other and chatted a bit, suddenly the house became silent and the scribbling of pencils were the only noise in the air :)
It was a nice opportunity to sketch other sketches - something I don't allow to myself usually at our sketchcrawls.

Sketchwalk with Jane's Walk.

Yesterday our group joined the Jane's Walk events. Actually, our usual sketchcrawl format fits the concept of Jane's walks perfectly. As it described on its official page - "Jane’s Walk is movement of free, citizen-led walking conversations..." We also do "citizen-led walking conversations", our conversations are our sketches. The process of walking, loitering without any purpose is a good beginning for finding a spot for sketching. Looking at everyday with eyes of a tourist is a must point for finding interesting story.

Purim Sketchcrawl

Every year I want to set our monthly sketchcrawl at the Purim street party, and every year I afraid to make life of my fellow sketchers too tough :) This year I dared to do it. Now, when it's over, all I can say is - well done! we're amazing group! It was so fun!
We met one hour before the party started, stated by sketching security guys, busy by preparing to the event.

my friend Rachel is ready to the sketchcrawl :)

policemen and thieves

people are waiting to enter to the party

Finally, the party were officially opened and Rachel and me entered to the State Square together with hundred of people wearing colorful costumes. The amount of people were relatively not so big, we could even buy a beer without staying in the line and find plenty of place on the grass to sit down and relax. It was so fun to sit under the sprig sun, to absorb the atmosphere and to observe the public wearing costumes and moving around. At the beginning it was difficult to concentrate, but little by little the beer and the atmosphere were absorbed inside me and I started to sketch. Each time I "hunted" with my eyes interesting character or interaction I tried to put it on the paper.

The music and the amount of people increased together with my sketching pace. It was almost meditative - free and unconscious flow. At some point I woke up and felt overwhelmed. Just in time when Rachel reminded me that we need to return to the meeting point.
It was huge fun, fantastic experience for the people sketching lovers!
I'm already waiting for the next year :)

Sketchcrawl at the Fleamarket

Sketches from our last Sketchcrawl at the Fleamarket of Jaffa - always vibrant place, full of colorful characters and stories!

started sketching together with my guest from Germany, Karin

people at Shafa Bar

municipality official arguing with a peddler, both of them cursing in Russian

Ethiopian boys managing the bussuness

after the sketchcrawl - hummus at Danny's buffet - yummy!

What a fun day!

People from HaTikva Market

Hot Friday morning at the beginning of July - nothing couldn't stop us to meet for the sketchcrawl at the HaTikva Market - small market in the South Tel Aviv.
It's really perfect place for sketching, with plenty of authentic stories, colorful characters, without poses and without air conditioner ;) Yes, it's challenging, but once you got the adrenaline of sketching, you don't care about the heat, the shouts, you simply flow with them.
I started sketching from the entrance to the market - vibrant place where people move non stop, caring their shopping bags - you need to hurry on Friday morning to be ready for the Sabbath evening!

We were sitting opposite to small Shawarma place, so I couldn't not to sketch its owner, chatting with his customers about everything - from politics to arts and everything in between...

After the warm up we dived into the market! I couldn't help not to stop near the beautiful melons-seller, reminding by herself ripe melon ;)  

In the meat place were more reddish atmosphere ;)

Some more sketches from the central avenue of the market - and time was up.

There is nothing better than sketching in the authentic place, were real life is going on. Such a place fascinates me million times more than any fancy aesthetic place, here are people without poses, and stories without poses. I must to come back for more!

All colors of rainbow - sketching at the Pride Parade.

I checked very well that I have a sufficient range of colors in my pencil case before I left to our last sketchcrawl - we decided to go and sketch at the Tel Aviv Pride Parade! I wasn't sure that I'll be able to concentrate, it was possible that this colorful human mess would sweep me away and wouldn't allow me to be in the position of the observer. It took me a while until I pulled off my sketchbook, but once I did, I couldn't stop!
The atmosphere was great, finally nobody cared about the group of people sketching what's going on - anyone around us were more peculiar and strange than we were, and set of colored pencils hanged on my neck looked like a small pride flag.

It was really awesome experience, now I need to wait a whole year until the next time!