ultraMARIN Sketch

We set our last sketchcrawl at Rothschild corner of Herzel - the South part of Rothschild Boulevard, one of living arteries of Tel Aviv. I came there few days before to check the spot. Started from a cup of coffee at fancy DaDa&Da - all these small tables facing boulevard and a lot of French speakers at the background (because of closeness of the French Institute) made me feel that I'm sitting at Champs Elysees. After that I walked down the Herzel street, looking for something less fancy and more authentic. Finally, I found a bench from which I could capture a view to the street with iconic Shalom Tower on the background and all the colorful mess of people, smells, colors and noises in front of me.  Here are sketches from the different places at Rothschild Boulevard - looking so different depends on point of view. people waiting for the green light - challenging to capture elder couple were sitting in front of me and sunken into drinking coffee and chatti...

Here are some sketches I did at the festival of 3D pavement paintings in Afula, where Urban Sketchers Tel Aviv was invited to take a part during Sukkot holidays. It was really nice event, full of colorful events, challenging, but fun! my first "model" - street artist taking different postures and the audience Hasidic wild dance street musicians-kleizmerim  the view on the bulevard with the 3d painting on the pavement audience watching one of the street artists in action It was really fun, different and in fresh Northen atmosphere!

It have been a long time I wanted to set meeting for the Sketchcrawl at Dizengof Center - crazy urban Tel-Avivian labyrinth. Our last Sketchcrawl of the end of summer were needed air conditioned place, we met at the second flour and I saw excited and a bit scared gazes of the arriving sketchers - so many things, angles, subjects... what to start from? how to choose the scene, the tools, the time to invest? Indeed, the place like the Center, with so many irritations, more than any place, deserves time for loitering, understanding the space, its energy, what attracts us here. While waiting for the other sketchers, I tried to think what I want to start from. I wanted very much to start from the space, black and white drawing which will deal with the monster building. But when I saw the "parliament" - the group of old men sitting around the table in MacDonald's, I couldn't resist! Sketching with markers is something I don't do very often, and I felt that this scene f...

Last Friday we met for the our group sketchcrawl at the Jerusalem boulevard in Jaffa. Our sketchcrawl started from the guided tour about the history of this beautiful 100-years old boulevard. We learned about this place, full of layers of history and different cultures influences. The silent witnesses -  tall green trees, giving a great shadow and so unique look to the boulevard - are going to be uprooted soon, because of building there one of the lines of the light train. By the initiative of Orna Marton, one of our group members, USk Tel Aviv decided to join the struggle for keeping the trees. Tel Aviv sketchers documented the Jerusalem boulevard, each one from his authentic point of view and small group exhibition, which will be open soon, will help people to rise an awareness about this place and hopefully we will help to save the trees. warming up at one the coffee shops at the boulevard huge trunks and small coffee shop at the background all kinds of people...

Every time I'm in Tel Aviv - I can't not to sketch. I wonder when I stop to feel like tourist there. I hope never ;)

Last Friday I joined newborn Jerusalem USk branch for a sketchcrawl. Every time I visit Jerusalem I feel like a tourist, this city is so different from every place in Israel, it has a plenty of levels, each time it shows me his different side. The skechcrawl was at very colorful part of Jerusalem - Nachlaot Neighborhood  and it was fun to meet new sketchers. Here what I managed to sketch. I loved colorful lamps decorating  pedestrian street and couldn't help not to draw it.  I did this sketch trying to capture other sketchers sketching :) Various public filled Zion Square  There were a group of teenagers dancing and trying to  fund-raise money for something. group of young people smoking Shisha amazing girl-violinist playing at the Zion Square people passing by and listening to the music religions Jews offering to put Tefillin   two religious Jews It was a great sketching-trip - feeling a tourist sharpe...

Friday morning we meet at the Greek Market in Jaffa for the sketchcrawl. It was perfect spring weather, little by little narrow streets started to become full by merchants and buyers. Here every merchant feels like an owner of his street. At least Arik, who manages used bicycles shop, feels as a king of his corner. He yells on his workers, bargain with clients, arguing with competitors, chatting with passers by. He was very proud to be our "model". "In real life I'm ugly! Draw me young and beautiful!" - asked Arik the wish of the most of models ;) Later I sit down to drink a coffee at one of the coffee shops, full of models as well.

Urban sketcher always attracts people. It's easy to start conversation with someone sitting at the middle of the street and drawing his surrounding. It can be just a few words, someone would drop while passing by, or it can start real conversation and sometimes connection. Last time I met my friend and fellow sketcher Nathan at the "Congress Bazel" bar, our sketching meetings almost always accompanied by some food ;) After finishing plate with hummus and shawarma we had a perfect mood for sketching customers of this very typical Tel-Avian place. Suddenly, colorful woman with dreadlocks designed into a tall tower on her head approached our table and started to talk to us. After a while, he and her husband passed to seat with us and we continued chatting as an old friends and sketching them, of course! She told us the she's also an artist (sure!), she's painting on a flour kind of oriental carpets (she showed us pictures). She also communicates with ...

Beta and Grega - is the name of the coffee shop at the corner of Alenbi and Levontin streets in Tel Aviv. This area of the south of the city is full of contrasts - beautiful renovated Bauhaus buildings and crumbling walls full of graffiti, trendy coffee shops full of celebs and beggars passing through. As you can understand - perfect place for sketching and finding stories. it was Nathan's last day with his new beard ;) Cowboy in Tel Aviv Sima - woman that lives at the street, everybody knows her, asked us to draw her