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| ©thatgirlwithasketchbook First snow in my village!
Dear friends!
At this time of the year people usually spend time on... no! Not sending wishes! This is the perfect time to have a coffee, when you finished doing everything and wait for a party!
It was such a nice year thanks to all of fantastic people who I met over those months.
2014 started with me being upset about my current living in Łódź in Poland. Quite soon I moved out to Sopot at the Baltic Sea, then to Cologne in Germany and now just two months ago I landed up in Gdańsk (Baltic Sea again). Each time I had too leave behind so many good people. Nonetheless, the best what happend to me is ...( yes yes, I am already finishing this sentimental part) - on September 2014 I have started to sketch and the results you can watch on this blog!!!
Can you imagine it was only 4 months ago?
(Now I shall quote my very good friend ) "That's craaazyyyyy"!
Oh, it really is :)!
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As you may expect, there is no post without a sketch and a story - and this is it.
A sketch and an unbelievable story! Here you have.
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Yesterday I decided to get a bit more feeling of Old Town of
Gdańsk
that I had visited only maybe three times in my life. A pretty intimidating encounter with Couchsurfers from couple of countries (hello to you all) ended up in an nostaligia styled pub with lots of Polish music from 80s ("No to cyk" - recommendable). Now the story!
I have met a girl with a sketchbook!!! Can you imagine???
You dont believe me? Fotos below!
Admittedly, I was extremely happy about meeting another girl like me. Niuta comes originally from Ukraine, and had sketchbook full of people sketched outdoors! Her way was very inspirational. She managed just within 10 minutes to finish a portray of my Spanish friend (who, by the way, almost fell head over heels in love with her for that) and another sketch of an companion of ours.
Then I took her sketchbook and doodled a sketch of her while she was talking with us. Quite a challenge - as you have probably noticed, people is the least interesting subject for me as I am in love with landscapes, bridges and so on. Indeed, it was my first try with crayons and first try of a portray. Well, give me a shot of vodka, sketchbook and crayons, than no fear will endanger the future of a new sketch! I
In the end, I got from her also my portray. Such a genuine girl with a great eye for catching the people's characters in just some couple of lines. I hope you like her sketches too! She is also that girl with a sketchbook!
Conclusion? If you can draw, do not feel afraid of it and try!
Take a sketchbook, look around for a subject and face a challenge!
Also you can be a girl or a guy with a sketchbook!
yes, yes - after that you can send it to me and I will be just as much enthusiastic as about Niuta's pictures!
I shall leave soon for a NYE party, however I would like to wish you a beautiful and inspirational new year 2015! Let it be full of beautiful moments worth to sketch.
that girl with a sketchbook
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Wednesday, 31 December 2014
How I met that girl with a sketchbook?
Friday, 26 December 2014
#Barcelona in the paper
Visit in Barcelona at the end of November was one of those quick and surprising once. Nonetheless, I could not have missed a chance to sketch around.
Surprising as it may seem, I have never been to Spain before. No wonder, that my friends equipped me with a great deal of dreadful stories about thieves and no less advice about "must-seen-things" and "to-do-lists" that I had no time for. Unfortunately, it was just a quick business trip with work and time after work at the dark afternoons. For the real discovering of the city I need to plan another trip, but certainly some time for sketching was a must.
Botero
The one with horse will be recognisable for many of you, as the Botero's black horse is one of the most visible signatures of Barcelona's airport. Well... if you waited once too long at the airport, now you know how to kill your time...
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| Colours added later. |
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| Even down south its getting dark so quickly. I have started having a beautiful blue sky out there. |
La Boqueria
At the market of la Boqueria I fell in love with all those fresh fruits and vegetables that I always miss at this time of the year.
Santa Maria del Mar
Have I already admitted that I am in love with cathedrals? (No wonder, that I loved so much living in Cologne with its beautiful cathedral!). When the most famous one of Barcelona was hiding its towers in the darkness, I found myself just in front of Santa Maria del Mar in Ribera district, that is 700-year-old and was built by the people of Barcelona and for them. In the 13. century the Lady had in her protection all sailors and people whose lives depend on the sea. Hence, not far away from the cathedral, they helped building a beautiful special and full of light church that would welcome everyone, poor and reach and in which the whole city could gather.
Indeed, Santa Maria del Mar moved my imagination and during my next visit, it will be definitely on the top of my list.
Barcelona on the paper
Although I am not a great fan of travelling guide book, I love reading literature with a city in the background. Even more - with a city as a character with its own role.1. The historical novel and bestseller of Ildefons Falcones 'The Catherdral of the sea" belongs to those that is a must to read, if you want to get a bit of magic of this city on the paper. Although the book is not the pearl of literature in my opinion, the 700 hundred pages are quick and easy to follow; I enjoyed a lot the story of the cathedral from the very begging.
2. The Shadow of the Wind, written by Carlos Ruiz Zafón, and the magical story of Daniel Sempere I shall not introduce to anyone, as I happened to see this book on the bookshelf of people, who I never considered as literature lovers!
3. Both of them are back to the library. The one I am currently reading is another bestseller of catalan writer from Barcelona - Confessions (Jaume Cabre).
Some other books with Barcelona in the background I shortlisted for the future. Maybe before another trip to Barcelona. Do you have any other to add?
- Eduardo Mendoza, Mauricio o las elecciones primarias,The Truth about the Savolta Case, The City of Marvels, The Labyrinth of the Olives, No word from Gurb,
- Martin Esteban, Andreu Carranza, La clave Gaudí (The Gaudi key) and some others. I think there is no much to expect here than from "Leonardo da Vinci code" but it seems to be good for a plane.
- Carmen Laforet, Nada, story of a girl from the time of war in Barcelona.
- George Orwell, Homage to Catalonia
- Ángela Becerra, El penúltimo sueño
- Andromeda Romano-Lax, The Spanish Bow
- crime stories of Arturo Pérez-Reverte and Vasquez Montalban
I love to read about urban sketching that is so popular within Barcelona's artists. Admittedly, some of my favourite urban sketchers are exactly from Barcelona or Iberian Peninsula! Excited, I decided to visit some bookstore in quest for some local publications. Unfortunately, I was probably in the wrong place, because in the bookstore was only one single book related to the topic.
In the huge bookstore at Passeig de Gracia I found the book Thomas Thorspecken. Edited by British, it contains, however various chapters, written also by Spaniards with beautiful illustrations of Barcelona. If someone was interested in the review, please leave a comment below. Briefly, I can only say that the book is a nice source of knowledge also for all beginners and contains plenty of examples for techniques, colour theory or perspective. Plus a nice motivation to improve the language skills as the book (although with many pictures) is still in Spanish. English version to be found on amazon I guess.
While in Barcelona, my flatmate texted me on messanger:
- Hi, when are you going to be back?
- On Thursday at night.
- Are you sure? It's December coming.
She was right. If you happen to go there during autumn or winter time, plan there some more time than me :). It's difficult to leave.
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| Palms speak for themselves I guess ;)!. |
Wednesday, 24 December 2014
Sketch for Christmas!
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| © thatgirlwithasketchbook. Christmas Market in Gdańsk |
Dear friends!
Winter holiday has come unexpectedly. Again. Behind the window, autumn screams for attention, whereas everyone keeps dreaming about flocks of snow and making snowmen (or maybe its only me?). Whether we celebrate Christmas or any other *mas, the simple fact there is some time off is undisputable.
Therefore, I wish to all of you that you use this time in the way that makes you and your beloved happy! Stop complaining, don't be angry, release your stress and bring out all the good and joy you have inside. Share the good vibes with the people you care about. This is what we celebrate for.
In order to not pay a lip service, I would love to share with you my xmas comic. My friends are usually aware of this little hobby of mine, in that I am laughing out their malignant character features or ludicrous life experience they had. Last year my best friends where surprised with their personal strips of cartoon. Although this year girls are everywhere else but in Poland, I refuse to give up the tradition and present you one with Polish traditions in the background.
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| © thatgirlwithasketchbook. Gdańsk, Długi Targ. |
However, firstly, take a notice of Polish basics: the celebration starts here with the occurrence of the first star on the 24th of December. After that the whole family can start a festive dinner where 12th dishes on the table is traditionally served.
We eat barszcz (soup, a must!), several sorts of herrings and certainly a Karp (carp, a freshwater fish). As a vegan, you shall not be surprised of the point of this sketch. Wigilia bez karpia, or a Christmas Eve without a carp is something I support since years, due to the terrible conditions that this fish must faced in the markets and stores. I encourage you - show some love to the people, but also to animals!
Have a happy winter holiday!
that girl with a sketchbook
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