ultraMARIN Sketch

We spend a weekend in Jerusalem - city I always feel like a tourist in it. One hour of driving from Tel Aviv - and everything is changing - the landscape, the architecture, the people and even the air (freezing!). I love the variety of this city, the sense of many layers of history and holy spirit that hover over it. One of my "must" places to visit and sketch is Mahane Yehuda market - big and vibrant area full of vendors and food stalls. I love to sit on the bar of one of the coffee shops, observing the human ocean moving all the time, trying to absorb the movement, sounds and smells and put it all on paper.  here is another sketch did there few month earlier: Here is my attempt to capture the view from the window - one hour of meditation, watching how everything is changing during the sunset...  At the evening we went to the Yellow Submarine, great place to see some music performances: And the next morning, before leaving, we had a breakfast in Tmol Shilshom...

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 motorcycl...

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!

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!!!!

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.

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

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!

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

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!