Day in Jerusalem

Last week a I had errands in Jerusalem and was lucky to spend some time at Machane Yehuda Market. Visiting Jerusalem, which is only one hour drive from my house, always feels to me visiting very far land. This city is not like any place, it has so many levels in any aspect, so each time I touch it, it feels like a magic, something I will never get to know, but it always will magnet me.
I think I can seat and absorb its citizens for a hours, but at some level I feel pity not trying to capture them in my sketchbook. So I did, sitting at one of the pubs in the middle of the market.

people are buying food for the holidays 

I love to sketch Hassidim in their fur hats

it's tradition to eat (and sleep) in nicely decorated Sukkah (kind of tent) during the Sukkot holidays

Music and souvenirs from the childhood near Cinematheque Tel Aviv

So, at our last Sketchcrawl we had: December's gentle sun, unexpected Jazz festival, vintage flea market, coffee shop across the street, great company of sketchers - old friends and newcomers, all injected by the same germ of sketching. Could it be better?
Wonderful street musician was playing beautiful songs at the entrance to the flea market. I set down on the ground and started to sketch, feeling like I'm inside the movie with the beautiful soundtrack. 

great street musician near the flea market

I passed between the stands of the market and stooped near the stand selling Soviet souvenirs. There were pioneer badges, exactly as I had when I was a kid! The seller approached me, I spoke to him in Russian, and he started to show me his goods: "All my badges are original, I also have medals from the WW2, they are great presents for the Novi God (New Year)!" I asked if I can draw him. " No! No!" he answered . "Why? I draw very nice!" - I showed him my sketchbook. "Yes, but I don't want to stand still." - he said. "you don't need to, don't worry" - I calmed him down and got the approval to draw him. "There is not enough people arrive here..." - complained the seller. "What is your name?" - I asked. "Boris" - he answered. "Nice to meet you. I'm Marina. I'll promote you in my blog!" - I promised. So here, I fulfill it. Please come to the Boris' stand at the Vintage Flea market at Tel Aviv! ;)

Boris sells Soviet souvenirs at the market

some characters at the square

player and listeners

As usual, time flew up so fast, I need to come back to this area!

Sketching "One Moment"

Last Thursday our local USk group was invited again to be correspondents of the Municipality of Tel Aviv event - "One Moment, art in unsuspected places". As usual, the combination of live shows, various public and great company worked perfect!
Here are what I had succeed to "hunt".

the great band

the security guard

another security guard

nice to see the variety of ages

the nice clown

the sound team

the beer team

We displayed our sketches during the event and it was fun to see people finding themselves inside them :)

brave sketchers that stayed until the end...

It was great event, you can see more photos here.

At Loveat again

Here are some more sketches done in the different branches of coffee shop Loveat - I was checking places for our Sketchcrawls.
Every place has it's internal pace and life of its own. When you come the same place several times, you start to see familiar faces, feel more at home.
I tried out different points of view and different materials, looking for the sketch that tells the story best. But maybe all of them are telling the different side of the same story.

view on the front side of the Loveat at Barzilai - people out and inside, divided by the glass

they look like permanent clients 

view on the street - palms vs skyscrapers

interactions and overheard conversations at Habima branch

the man and his tablet

See you tomorrow at the sketchcrawl, sure will find some more stories!

Revolution on the bar

In a one month we have an elections in Israel, and many politicians trying to get to their potential voters. I sketched at one of the events, called "Revolution on the bar" - meeting with one of the leaders of the block that wants to knock down the ruling party and to bring a new hope to the people here.

Sketching the "storm"

The year has started in Israel with "stormy" weather. Ok, it's probably regular European autumn weather, but here we're waiting for some "wind+rain+even snow" all the year. As a Russian-born girl, few drops of rain couldn't frighten me, and yesterday in company of two other brave fellow sketchers we went to sketch the storm ;)
We've set down in a coffee shop on the beach, and as the beach was totally erased by the wild waves, I felt like I was sitting directly by the sea.
It's so difficult to transform the atmosphere, the sounds, the salty smell... But it was a great experience, and that what's matter at the end!

The routine of difficult times

I hate politics and don't like to listen to the news. I always joke that if the news will be important enough, they will find their way to me. Unfortunately, now the news found me and I found myself surfing at the news sites all over the web, desperate to find the answer. Actually, I'm tired to think and speak about it. I just hope so much that this war will end as soon as possible, that both sides will find another language except the language of force to talk to each other, I do believe there is a way to live together side by side.
You can say that sketching is a kind of escapism, but we all need to go on, so here they are, pieces of my routine.

yesterday cease-fire on the beach

playing games at home  

everyday alarms get us everywhere and they are part of our routine...

Home sweet home

Here are some recent sketches done without getting out of my home with my usual models - my children and their friends. When I'm sketching at home, I can choose any tools, it's easier to experiment and sometimes to try something less familiar. There is nothing like home :)