ultraMARIN Sketch

It was very sunny Saturday after very stormy week. We met for our month Sketchcrawl at Bialik Square - Tel Aviv's one of the most iconic public spaces. We filled out the square, serving one of its attractions to the coming and going groups of tourists ("look, here is a group of artists that are drawing the square!") The square is rounded by s ome of the best examples of the Bauhaus and Modernist buildings, so an architecture lovers had a plenty of subjects to sketch. The pond in the middle of the square, with its beautiful plants and golden fishes was another nice point of view to take.  I started from these two  gouache  sketche s, which was done from the border of the pond.  At the end I couldn't resist not to sketch some of my fellow sketchers :) Daniel and Reuven Nathan is sketching Reuven  Cant't wait to meet our always growing and renewing gang of sketchers next time!

Finally, winter have arrived to our sunny country as well. We had very stormy weekend, with snow in Jerusalem and some other high areas and a lot of rain everywhere. We decided that the best place to spend such a rainy Saturday is in museum, where we went with our youngest daughter. We started our day at jazz concert for children - really beautiful program, with some explanations for small ones, we all enjoyed it so much! We continued to museum exhibitions, starting with "kids' expo", which was called "Toy Paintings", and was dedicated to Andy Warhol's colorful prints of toys. Except of works of Warhol on the walls, the room was full of different activities that children could experience - trying out Warhol's techniques from various sides, listening to Warhol introducing his theories and even "interviewing" him!  I think it's great way to introduce to children a subject. It was a great day, worth spending not only at rainy weather ...

I was lucky to by invited by James Hobbs , one of my favorite sketches, to take a part in his new book -  Sketch Your World . Finally I got this wonderful book, full of inspiring stories behind the sketches, new approaches, tips and... sketches, of course :)   Going to sink into this book and be inspired!

Here are two sketches that I did today in Jaffa. First one - at "Puah" - trendy coffee shop at Flea Market, there is always busy inside. Second one - at one of Jaffa's streets. This colorful house captured my attention and I stopped my car on my way home to sketch it. Jaffa is a perfect place for sketchers - you can find stories everywhere!

Dizengoff Square , one of the icons of Tel Aviv, was our meeting point for the last Sketchcrawl. It'is challenging for me to transform the feeling of such an iconic place, that was drawn and photographed so many times, without falling into "postcard view". I started from colorful flea market under the square, full of special objects and people :) I got up back to the square, and sketched this very urban view down to the streets. Finally, I've got to the bride - colorful fountain!  People that crossed the square competed with her :)  I used last minutes capturing people at square. This sketchcrawl was especially fun  - the place, the weather, and the most important - the company. It is always exciting to see at the end all these different approaches and points of view of the same place!

Here are two recent sketches of my daughter and her friend. First one done on iPad with Procreate: Second one - with ink on paper: There is nothing like "real" tools - you get dirty, you make mistakes (there is no "undo"). But still, digital toys are also nice.

When I go to the bicycle trip with my family and friends, I take with me only necessary stuff. It includes my sketchbook :) There is always what to sketch during the resting time!

  These two sketches made from a balcony in old Jaffa. I'm in love with Jaffa and its streets, flowing like a streams into the horizon. I think I can observe, watch and listen for a hours - to mix of languages, colors and sounds. Unfortunately, my time is always limited. Hope to be there back again and to sketch more.

Finally, I've scanned sketches from our last Sketchcrawl in South Tel Aviv. I love this colorful area and it was a problem to choose what to draw – it’s too many subjects I would love to capture! Our group met at urban garden, very quiet at the morning, occupated by dog's owners only. We moved then to the Levinsky Market area, full of colors and sences. When rain has started, we did't run away! It was a great day, so nice to meet all these talented sketchers, to see what stories they captured from the same area.

After two weeks at the beautiful Thai islands, we've arrived to Bangkok for the last 4 days of our trip. We've already absorbed "Far East" atmosphere, but Bangkok is the most extreme place, where all the contrasts get stronger. Of course, we tasted some touristic sites of the city - the Royal Palace, beautiful temples, colorful markets. There is a lot places to see, which left for me not so much time for sketching. So, I was more than happy to take half a day "off" from my family and to join hospitable Bangkok USk group. The meeting was organized by my friend Pramote and it was so fun to sketch together with the group, which took me to non-touristic places, so I could to feel a little bit of real local atmosphere! Thank you all for the great day! our first point - sketching Wat Traimit capturing some of the sketchers as well on the sprayed by Pramote page having the most delicious meal at China Town - I miss this food!  my family joined and m...

I'm back from our family vacation to Thailand, my first visit to the Far East, and I'm totally charmed! Everything's very different there, even for me , living at the Middle East for the last 20 years. If I were needed to use graphic designer's terminology,  I would say that this place got more contrasts and more saturation. There are most beautiful, calm, white-sand and turquoise-water beaches and busy, super-crowded streets, full of colors, smells and sounds. There are modern luxurious buildings and infrastructures, and people living in primitive sheds, as they used to live ages before. I know, two and a half weeks isn't enough to understand anything, but it's enough to charm me and to make me want to come back. I'm not so good with words, lucky I have my Thai sketchbook to share with you, which I hope will show a bit this wonderful journey. I wish I could sketch all the time, unfortunately, I could mostly sketch at waiting times, but I'm happy with w...