September full of events

September is coming to its end - it was the month full of sketching events. This month Urban Sketchers Israel had their second group exhibition, taking part in Illustration Week Tel Aviv. The expo was called "Sketch It @ Loveat" and it told the story of the coffee shop "Loveat" through sketches made on location in different areas of the coffee shop, inside and outside.
27 members of USk Israel gave their authentic view and told their story about the place. The expo took place in one of the central branches of the coffee shop, so both the sketching team and customers could recognize themselves in the sketches.

During Illustration Week the group also held 3 sketchcrawls for the wider audience. At the opening event, visitors were invited to do spontaneous on-location sketches and to take part in the expo on a special "live" wall.

It was a lot of work, but I think it was worth it! It felt like our annual party - celebrating another great year of sketching together, mutual passion and friendship.

Here are the sketches I did during the last sketchcrawls:

Now, back to the routine!

Pictures from the expo

Our first exhibition is going to close at the end of this week. Now it's time to take a breath. It was a great experience. Urban Sketching is something that turned over my second nature for the last 8 years, I can't imagine myself without a sketchbook and pencils in my bag, always ready to capture small and big moments, turning my regular life to a journey. When I've established almost 3 years ago Israel branch of USk, I didn't suspect to nothing, just to find some local sketchers to share with them my addiction. Now, after 22 Sketchcrawls, active blog, 680 members in constantly growing FB group,  I can say we have a real community, where I met wonderful sketchers, and some of them turned to be my good friends!
This exhibition gives an opportunity to peak into our sketchbooks. It built not by artists, but by geographical areas of Tel Aviv - city we sketched most, still open for a last few days until the 6.6.14.
Thanks to everybody who made it happen, thanks to those who came to see it, and see you at the one of the corners the city with the sketchbook!

more photos are here.

Urban Sketchers Israel's first expo is coming!

I'm excited to invite you to our, Urban Sketches Israel, first expo, as a part of Illustration Week 2014. 
For the past two and a half years, we have been meeting once a month at different sites around the city to sketch together and observe with an attentive and fresh look at this unique urban landscape and its residents.  
At the exhibition you'll be able to see works from 25 sketchers, each one with his own style and unique point of view.
A lot of work had already done, there is still a lot preparation left. If you're in Israel - hope to see you at the opening: 22.05, 20:00.
Come and see Tel Aviv, one drawing at a time!

Our event on FB.

For more info (in Hebrew).

Participating in USk first group show!

I'm excited to participate in USk first group show at the Ackland Museum Store. The exhibit features ninety sketches in a variety of media, by thirty-eight of the group’s one hundred contributors. All work shown will be available for purchase and a majority of the proceeds from the sale of the sketches will go directly to Urban Sketchers to support their educational programs.
Here are my contribution, various sketches from the last period:

Tel Aviv port

coffee shop at old Jaffo

playground near my home

Special thanks to Laura Frankstone for her hard work in putting this amazing show together.
The show will be on view through October 6 - come to visit if you're in North Carolina!

Food for thought

Yesterday was an opening of an exhibition organized by Israel Association of Illustrators, in which I took a part. The subject of the exhibition is food - very wide subject, so is the variety of styles and interpretations in illustrators works.
Here are my works, kind of placemates, decorated by sketches of people eating:

Actually, that's what I often do - sketching people eating near me directly on my placemat ;-)

The exhibition will be on until 17/03 in Yad Lebanim Ra'anana.