Gouache in Jaffa again

I'm in Jaffa again, having some sketching time with my friend Nathan. We're looking for the perfect spot, were we can combine drinking coffee and sketching. When we pass near Dr. Narghile shop, the decision comes to us simultaneously. We sat down in front of the shop on the heavy old chairs padded with red and black stripped cloth. I'm starting to sketch three men smoking narghile near me, but they're taking out their wallets and paying - what a pity! I need to wait for a new victim. It comes immediately - young bearded guy, looking for some calm moments and the last rays of the spring sun.

My second sketch - glance to the opposite side, to the busy junction with Jeffet street. There is so much going on all the time - tourists, locals, Arabs, Jews... looks like everybody have enough place and understand each other in different languages. 

I'm looking for the spot for the another sketch, decide to sketch the view just opposite me. It looks boring, big motorcycle is blocking my view, but I want to find a story in what I see. Suddenly interesting couple entering to my frame. Big blond woman wearing long black dress with a big split and red high heel shoes and red bag which complete the look. "Please, stay here for a while!" - I'm whispering. And what a gift - looks like the woman asking her man to take a photo of her, they are staying there for a few minuets, talking one to another and looking for a nice spot, finally leaving the place without taking a picture. But I got my few minuets to add them to my sketch and have the story I looked for!

I decide to do my last sketch inside my new sketchbook, which has horizontal panoramic format. Asian guy, obviously tourist, sitting down near us and ordering narghile. It turns out that the guy is from Hong Kong and he's narghile lover, have one at his home. Everything is global now ;)

Few hours passed like a one minute. Street is full of stories, all you need is to sit down in one place enough time, and all the stories will come to you :)

Trip to the North

Last weekend we had a short trip to the North. Its always relaxing - change of the landscape, a lot of nature and some sketching, of course ;)
I did this sketch at the entrance to Fassuta - Arabic Christian village in Galilee, decorated for Christmas.

 

 Series of sketches done during our dinner:

barmen telling us the story of his life

These two paintings were done in Haifa on our way back. I miss painting!

Magic Alps

Last week we went to the family ski vacation, where  I was mostly... skiing ;)
Still, I managed to steal some minutes in different days to sketch the breathtaking view from my room window. Every time I looked at the window I wanted to draw the view. It's just so different from my regular surrounding. It's pure magic!

take 1 - watercolor

take 2 - graphite

take 3 - colored pencils

These are fast sketches during Après-ski ;)

I miss you, Alps!!!!

Two views

These two recent sketches from my sketchbook have something in common. I always prefer human landscapes to real ones. But sometimes I need to kill a time, and then even people-less panorama can be fascinating.

Après-ski

There is no time for sketching during ski vacation - I was trying to exploit the snow as much as I could. I just couldn't resist not to sketch this beautiful view from my room.

one of the airport sketches

Après-ski at the bar

Après-ski at the bar 2

Quiet and boring Ra'anana - is that so?

Usually I have much more motivation to pull out my sketchbook  in Tel Aviv or Jerusalem, where I always feel like a tourist. But actually, sketchbook helps me to feel like a tourist in the city I live for the last 20 years, know so well all its corners, and looks like there is nothing special about it.

Here are sketches I drew in Ra'anana during the August, all of them done between running errands and I didn't choose the spots. 

I've always liked this small city, but drawing it is definitely the way to fall in love with it!

sketches from Kinneret (Sea of Galilee)

I'm back from a short family vacation on Kinneret - lake at the North of the country. I didn't expected to sketch too much, but actually I came back with lovely memories not only in my had, but in my sketchbook as well :)

barbecue at the evening we've arrived 

first beautiful morning at the Kinneret 

at the surf beach

and the swimming pool, of course!

my nephews - twins taking a bath

Short trip to the north

From time to time my husband and me succeed to manage short trips by our own - without the kids. Here are some sketches that I did during our short trip to the north part of the country during this weekend.  Our first stop was at Nazareth - beautiful city full of history.

at Nazareth we ate the best hummus ever!

street near the market

quick sketch at one of the streets

another plate of great hummus

view from Tiberias to Kinneret, our biggest lake

As you can see, it was really fun trip!