Showing posts with label Suhita Shirodkar. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Suhita Shirodkar. Show all posts

Saturday, July 13, 2013

Day 2, Usk Barcelona

Day 2 at the Urban Sketchers Symposium was off to an early morning start with a panel discussion with instructors from the previous day's workshops.

9am Panel discussion, CCCB

Eduardo Bajzek's 10am workshop was an eyeopener. Eduardo uses markers in such a painterly fashion. His two mantras are: 'Large to Small' and 'Mass not Line'.
Notes from the workshop 'Straight to Masses' by Eduardo Bajzek

Lynne Chapman's 'Sketches that Sing' workshop dealt with the use of color in non traditional ways, and with mark making.


Lynne-Composite

Choni Naudin lead the Bookbinding demo at Sant Lluc. What a gorgeous setting it is for a workshop!

Inside Sant Lluc, Barcelona. Bookbinding demo

Norberto's 'Dynamic Ink' workshop was all about using non-waterproof ink in sketching. It was so liberating to draw and then see the water make some of the lines disappear.  I did a quick little sketch before heading out to the next workshop.



Norberto Composite

I just HAD to run over and catch an hour at Jim Richards' 'Life between Buildings: Capturing the Energy' workshop. What's not to love in a workshop that encourages you to draw the crowds. Have you ever drawn a crowd of people and noticed they look like layers of people floating around a page? Here's a little tip from Jim that I will never forget: however many people you have in a scene, all of their eye level, whether they're close or far from you, is at the horizon. We sketched the crowd at the Placa Catalunya: the tourists, the little kids, the balloon sellers and the pigeons.


Placa Catalunya, Barcelona

And a sketch in the early evening. The Sant Pere Nolasc church near CCCB, Barcelona. It's Friday and the crowds are already gathering at every bar and cafe.

Sant Pere Nolasc church near CCCB, Barcelona

If you're wondering why these posts go up in the wee hours of the morning, imagine this: 23 Urban Sketchers at one table. A dinner that arrived with long pauses between courses. Almost everyone at the table was sketching.

Dinner, Day 2 of Usk, Barcelona

Day 3 of the symposium coming up tomorrow. Can't get enough of Usk Barcelona? Go to the Usk Barcelona flickr group to see lots more from Barcelona.

Friday, July 12, 2013

Day 1: Usk Barcelona

8:00 am and participants start to collect at CCCB Barcelona. The volunteers handing out goodie bags and schedules to everyone are so patient with questions. Swasky gives the opening speech welcoming everyone to Barcelona.

registration_composite

10 am, time for the morning session of workshops. I follow Marina and Ea's class to their workshop in Marcat Boqueria which is already teeming with life. The group loosens up with quick gestural sketches from around the market. I do a couple of pages of sketches, take in their talk on negative space and then sketch my 2 favorite stalls in the market. One is a mass of colored juices, and somehow, sipping a glass of juice while sketching the scene makes for a better sketch! My other favorite shop is adorned with hanging legs of ham.

marcato_composite

I stroll out of the Mercato to see Melanie Reim's class out on the Rambla for her session entitled 'Channeling Picasso'. They're talking about expressive mark making and are creating wonderful pieces inspired my the teeming crowds on the Rambla.
rambla_composite

A quick lunch break and it's afternoon demo time. I attend Ch'ng Kiah Kiean 'Dry Twig and Ink' demo where he talks about his tools and technique. He uses really unusual tools: a peeled and sharpened twig and chinese waterproof ink. He and his dad carefully peeled and sharpened a twig as a little gift for everyone in the demo. The sketchers give sketching with the twig a try. Just when they think they're producing pretty decent results, KK gives a demo...

demo_composite

Rain surprises everyone in the afternoon and Shari takes her Triad Symphony session indoors, into the inner courtyard of a church. They discuss building paintings on a base of just 3 primaries. Shari demonstrates how a 3 color palette can give you an endless range of exciting shades to work with. It's a fascinating coversation that I could learn so much from and it's is one of those times when I wish I could just stay through the entire workshop. Shari, don't be surprised if I pop back in tomorrow to catch the rest of that session!

shari_composite

It's time to go catch Inma and her class as they capture the Rhythm of the City. Inma's unique perspective on drawing architecture and using color makes for an interesting workshop. The group sketches Roman pillars and the view from the History Museum.

composite_inma

Heading back to the evening Drink and Draw session, I get totally lost in the labyrinth of the city, so I stop and sketch the beautiful Miro mural in the middle of the Rambla. So many people walk down the Rambla right over it everyday. Rarely do they notice the piece beneath their feet.

Miro Mosaic, Barcelona

Tapas for dinner, and my day is done. And what a day it was...Looking forward to day 2 and 3!
ps: Paul, the Roasted Peppers and Cod salad were excellent suggestions.


Tapas at the end of a very long day, Barcelona

Wednesday, July 10, 2013

One day to go...

The Symposium only opens tomorrow, July 11th,  but the city is already teeming with sketchers. It's exciting enough to be in Barcelona, but to be in Barcelona AND meet sketchers everywhere you look is wonderful. I came in late and missed part 1 of the 3 park sketchcrawl this morning, but still caught the rest of it.

Jumping right into drawing La Sagrada Familia as my first sketch in Barcelona was hard. That might be when I drew so many of them.. just have to keep at it till you get it right!

Sagrada Familia, Barcelona
Sagrada Familia, Barcelona


Sagrada Familia, Barcelona  Sagrada Familia, Barcelona

Walking down some more, we sketched the La Pedrera building, one of the most gooey buildings I have ever seen.
La Padrera, a closeup.

FCBarcelona

And, inspired by Lapin, I've been sketching Urban Sketchers everywhere I can.

Sketchers all over Barcelona
 
Sketchers all over Barcelona










Follow us as we sketch our way through the rest of this week, and remember, you can see ALL the Barcelona sketches here on flickr.

Saturday, July 6, 2013

Whats in YOUR sketch bag? And, Hi from San Jose, California!

After quite a bit of drama with getting a Schengen Visa to be in Barcelona, I finally got one today, so yay!, it's official, I'm coming to Barcelona!! ( Thank you so very much Gabi... but that's another story, ask me over Drink & Draw some night...) See you all on the 10th, when I arrive from California.

What's in YOUR sketchbag? Mine is pretty simple. It took a while to figure what colors to bring along. I've dropped some greens, inspired by so many of you that carry no greens, but mix them as you go. And, I'm leaving one little pan in my palette empty: who knows, I just might discover a new color I just cannot live without. It'll be my color-of-Barcelona :) And I'm sure I will come back with a LOT more supplies than I left with. My Stillman & Birn Beta books come along, but I'm holding them at 2 books, since there will be so many more to try and to bring back with me. 


Packing for Barcelona

Those countless trips to the Spanish Consulate in San Francisco? Painful, yes, but I did get some sketching done. Here are some Painted Ladies of San Francisco, sketched along Geary street, between the parking garage and the Spanish Consulate. I did that walk a few times!

Painted ladies, San Francisco Painted Ladies, San Francisco 
Houses, San FranciscoHouses, San Francisco

See you all very very soon. Looking forward to being there as correspondent!

Wednesday, March 27, 2013

Suhita Shirodkar to report live from Barcelona as the International Correspondent Volunteer

We are pleased to announce that San José-based urban sketcher Suhita Shirodkar has been selected as our 2013 Symposium International Correspondent Volunteer.

Of the 83 urban sketchers from all over the world who responded to our call for submissions, Suhita was chosen for the quality of her visual storytelling and ability to report live from Barcelona, through sketches and writings. Suhita will give daily updates on the Urban Sketchers blogs about the events' activities, and will work together with a another correspondent chosen by the local Symposium organizers who will also be covering the event.

The Board wants to thank everyone who made this process possible, especially all of the candidates who applied for this volunteer position.

Suhita blogs at http://sketchaway.wordpress.com/