Greetings from Barra do Piraí

Hello, everyone! I believe you've never heard of my city before, and let me explain why: It's a small city in the countryside of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, but it was pretty important by the time Brazil had great coffee plantation farms, called "A Pérola do Vale" (translating roughly, 'The Pearl of the Valley', refering to the Coffee Valley region). Around here, there are some historical buildings and farms, many of which I intend to sketch in the near future.

About me, I'm an English teacher who has been in love with drawing for years, but only in 2012 did I have the guts to get some pens and paper and start sketching and taking classes. It's been an important part of my life, and nowadays I can't go out without taking at least a pen and a small sketchbook. My favourite medium is the coloured pencil; though it takes more time to colour big areas, I really like the precision and the effects I can get in different kinds of paper.

If somebody wants to find me on Facebook, here you are my link: www.facebook.com/figueiredosantos

So, this is it: a small part of Brazil being humbly represented in the USK Symposium blog!

Yesterday, it was a bit cold, but I decided to get my sketching stuff and sit down in the square to sketch one of the most beautiful buildings (people call it the 'postcard' in my home town), 'São Benedito' church. And, on top of it, there is a statue of Christ, that I decided to represent in colours. Hope you like it, and I'm looking forward to seeing you all in Barcelona!