ultraMARIN Sketch

Last post about my Portugal trip dedicated to my love - Lisbon! Since the first Urban Sketchers Symposium I attended was in Lisbon, streets of Lisbon will always be connected for me to the sketches I did and sketchers I met there for the first time. Discovering this wonderful community 7 years ago for the first time in real, not online, was amazing revelation! I visited this beautiful city a few years later, when I was invited by the local branch of USk to give a workshop, so I had another opportunity to know the city better, and to add more sketchers to my Lisbon collection. So now it was like visiting an old friend - exiting, nostalgic, full of emotions. This time I came there with my husband, who came to Lisbon for the first time, so I was kind of a guide for him :) We strolled the streets a lot, and sometimes I just wanted to be there, without sketching. Some places that looked to me too iconic were the most difficult for me for sketching, as for example, the Belem  distric...

I could stay and sketch in beautiful Porto forever, but as every trip, ours had limited time, and in our plans was to end Lisbon, to which I had special sentiments. Here are sketches done during our way from Porto to Lisbon - we did several stops. These are from colorful and very authentic Coimbra - city with very old University and breathtaking panoramas: These from Medieval town Obiedos - very special place, still keeping his antique look: And one - I couldn't resist - from the local Portuguese beach: Wait for the last Portuguese post - from Porto!

So, the Symposium was over, and after the last evening with a lot of hugs, kisses and good-buys, I woke up at the next morning, finally having time to explore the city on my own. Many of urban sketchers were still staying in the city, so I had a calming feeling that the party is not over. We went with my friend Rachel to a sketching walk. Are you familiar with this phenomenon? All the busy days during the symposium, I was "eating" with my eyes beautiful views of Porto, thinking to myself: "If I just had half an hour!" Now, when I had a free day, suddenly I couldn't find a spot to sketch at... Anyway, here is the first "after-symposium" sketch, done after we crossed the river from Jardim do Morro:  One more while meeting some friends-sketchers for the dinner: And more sketches staying in Porto few more days, after my husband Marcos arrived to accompany me at the rest of the Portugal trip:

I'm continuing sharing my experience from the Porto USk Symposium (here is my first post ). The next day Symposium has started, but before that, I met my wonderful colleagues -  another two correspondents, with whom together we were supposed to cover everything. I din't get to know them yet, I din't know what an amazing experience of being in one team with Rita Sabler  and  Paulo Mendes  is waiting for me! And so they flied - four unforgettable days! A lot of faces, hands and sketchbooks, a lot of colors and monochromes, a lot of laughter, exclamations and quiet intimate conversations, sardines,vine and extremely tasty pastéis de natas ... and all these running up and down hilly and breathtaking beautiful Porto. You can see my posts on the main Blog, covering workshops,  demos,drink&draws, opening and closing receptions, and etc...:    day 1     day 2      day 3      day 4 Here are few sketches ...

It have been a while, since I got to post on my blog... Busy summer was planned and busy summer it was indeed! A lot of sketchbooks piled up waiting for scanning, but other projects postpone developing them. Finally, all my Portugal trip sketches are ready to post! I was so exited toward the Porto USk Symposium - meeting the world wide family of sketchers again! and in addition to this, taking this time new for me job of correspondent of the symposium! A lot of butterflies of expectations, excitement, joy and fear were flying inside my stomach :) This time I was coming to the symposium in a company of my good friends-sketchers from Israel, which was especially fun. Here are some of the "Israeli team" on the plain to Porto :) :  I arrived a day before the beginning, so I could to afford to myself morning alone - just to absorb the city by myself, before the madness of sketchers everywhere begins. Later at the same day I took a part in the Faculty Tour to P...

It was really wonderful experience - I was honored to take a part in Vor Ort - an exhibition and a workshop project organized and hosted by Landesmuseum Mainz and  Jenny Adam  in association with Urban Sketchers, Teaching and exhibiting with such a great group of sketchers and friends:  Lapin Barcelona ,  Sebastian Koch ,  Johanna Krimmel ,  Inma Serrano , and Felix Scheinberger. Now, when I'm back home, left with my sketches and memories, which remind me this fabulous weekend - perfect combination of exhibition, workshops and, the most fun - a lot of great interactions between us, sketchers, coming from different backgrounds, different countries, but having so much in common! ♥ Here you can see some photos from my workshop "Face to Face" - all the participants did just great, practicing portraits in not traditional approach, trying to get real likeness, connecting to the emotional side, seeing person...