Newfoundland - Neufundland 2011

Martin Connelly, an american journalist, made this fantastic video when I was in Newfoundland. I met Martin for the first time, when he asked me for an interview (you can read it here)
Later we worked together for an article for Uppercase Magazine. It was an interview to a 90 year old fly-fisher (you can find an interview excerpt and one of the drawings here)

Martin Connelly, ein amerikanischer journalist, hat dieses tolles video gemacht, als ich in Neufundland war. Ich habe ihm kennengelernt, als er mich nach einem Interview für eine lokale Zeitung fragte. (Man kann es hier lesen) 
Später haben wir zusammengearbeitet in einem Beitrag für  Uppercase Magazine. Der Interview handelte von einem 90-jährigen Angler. (Man kann ein Auszug hier lesen (ganz unten in der Seite))

Newfoundland: Illustrations in Uppercase Magazine

In collaboration with Martin Connelly we did an interview to Mr. Riggs, a 95 years old Fly Fisher. We traveled with a small boat to his cabin in the woods. Martin did the interview and I did the illustrations. I am very proud of the result.
The Uppercase Magazine is a great publication you could check the Issue here. I am on page 74

Thanks to all the nice people I met in Newfoundland

Here is a beautiful video done by Martin Connelly on my last day in St. John's. Martin is a fantastic multimedia journalist . There was a wind storm in St . John's that day. Things were flying over our heads. I asked him if we should called it off and he said: " No,it is ok".
It is a relieve to know that in this world there are still people craizier than me. You should check Martin's website martinconnelly.com
I love the video and how he can show in a few minutes the essence of my journey to Newfoundland: coming , sketchig, sharing the drawing and going.
Thanks, Martin and all the nice people in Newfoundland

Sketching Downtown from Martin Connelly on Vimeo.

Good bye Newfoundland!

In a few hours I will catch my flight to London (there is a direct flight just 6 hours!) and then Frankfurt. So I had to said good by to Newfoundland. These two watercolors I did in Bay Roberts, one of the many beautiful small towns in Newfoundland (pronounced as in understand). The artist Peter Jackson, has a small studio there, and I spent really nice moments helping him to renovate his house (the blue house) and painting outdoors, specially now that the weather is so good! The best thing about his studio is that you don't have to move far in order to finds things to paint. Both houses I painted seating in his studio. His house on the right and the neighbours house in front.

Peter's house is bright blue. The roster is very important to check the weather. If the wind comes from the see it means bad weather.

For this one I got inspired by one painting from Fred Lynch. He wrote how interesting is the space in between houses.

Last Night in St. John's

Tonight is my last night in St. John's. Tomorrow at this time I would be in a plane to London. It is late and I am tired but I can't finish packing... I am a great procastinator.
The project St. John's is over. 87 days drawing and painting this city. I did today my last sketch of St. John's. To make the thing more solemn I asked my friend Martin to catch it on video. But today was not a day to be out from home, there was a wind storm out there! The winds were strong and things were fliyig around..and I kept sketching! Was it courage or just stupidity?
The video has still to be edited. I will share it with you when it is ready.
And here some music...

I did this sketch a week ago. It is from a rehersal at the musical Patsy Cline at the Masonic Temple...why I have to think about conutry music when I am leaving?

Biking across Canada

Ken and Drew (not in the picture) are from Vancouver. They flew to Montreal and from there they drove their bikes to St. John's. I met him at the secret concert in Quidi Vidi. It is funny but Newfoundland attracts very interesting people.

My friend Joy in Rocket's

There is that nice window in Rocket. the people like to seat there. I love how the light hit their faces and the shadows are warm, and the hair glow. My friend Joy has red hair and it becames streamly beautiful under that light. I asked yesterday if I can paint her. It is something funny to paint in a window a lot of people stopped to watch me painting.

Tuesdays at Rocket

Yesterday as at every Tuesday a group of people met to play traditional Newfoundland nusic. I am getting addicted to draw this!

Horses on Duty

What I love about being an urban sketcher is that I have many opportunities to learn from people and their work. How interesting is the job of the mounted police in the Royal Newfoundland Constabulary (RNC) for example! I always thought that horses were just a decorative element in the police departments but I learnt that their work is very important and useful in the city. Mounted Police are excellent for controlling crowds in pedestrian areas: it offers the police great visibility and the people can easily see them from a distance. Also the contact between police and people is more direct in that way. The day I went to the barn to sketch Constable Coombs and Day, they were preparing the horses for an important event at Government House.

Constable Day is cleaning Dobbin for work. She and Dobbin have been working together since April 2009. Dobbin is a five year old black male Percheron, born in Ontario. Dobbin stands 17.3 hands high and weights 1850 lbs.

Fraize is a 12 year old Percheron. He is 17 hands high and weights 1912 pounds.

On June 27 2011 at 6 PM there was a reception for the Governor General in the Government House in St. John's. All the Lieutenant Governors of Canada were present there. Constable Coombs and Day with Fraize and Dobbin from the Mounted Unit guarded the entrance.
Here is a link to the RNC if you want to know more about the Mounted Unit.
I also publish this in www.urbansketchers.org

Open house Exhibition

Hi blog readers I am doing a small exhibition at my parents house in St. John's. Thurday June 30 from 7:00 to 9:00 PM If you one want to come and see it please contact me (On the top of the blog middle tab) to send you the address.I will sell some watercolors, prints and reproductions of my work.
Here is one of the paintings you could see here.

Saturday Farm Market in St. John's

Last Saturday I got a stand at the Farm Market. Here a few things that you can do while visiting the Farm Market.

Buy flowers and vegetables from the wonderful girls from the organic farm.

Have a coffee and eat

Meet friends

Play sacky sack

Spend time with your family

Repair your bike at Ordinary Spokes

Delight: Bay Robert's View

I paint urban landscapes, I don't paint nature. However last time that I was in Bay Roberts standing on a hill facing the see, surrounded by the amazing colors of lichen growing between the rock I have the urge painted it, at least I gave it a try, I felt challanged to reproduced this imposible colors...
First I did a sketch in my moleskine, that I alredy posted in my blog. But the next day I have to come back again to do a bigger watercolor. Gosh! I love painting outdooors!

The War Memorial in St. John's

Probably is the port view or the fine sculpture, but the War memorial is a nice spot in the city. In sunny days kids play around with their skateboards.

Patsy Cline in the Masonic Temple

One of the most intriguing buildings in St. John's is the Masonic Temple (I painted it here). One day when I was painting on Gower St. I meet Peter Halley. Peter told me that they bought the building 3 years ago and since then they offer shows and musicals there. I think it is great that such an interesting building it is open to the public filled with new life. He invited me to visit their new show Patsy Cline. I never heard anything about Patsy Cline before (yes, it is true) but I enjoyed the show a lot. Ms. Shelley Neville was fantastic impersonating Patsy. Not only she had a great voice but she also played very well Patsy's evolution from a country girl to a star.
Peter Halley played the radio moderator. He established from the beginning a good link with the audience and narrated Patsy's life with a lot of humor. I had a great time!

The port of St . John's

A port is a living organism. Every day changes. St. John's port offers a very recognizable skyline, but the boats are always different. My favorite are the small fishing boats

I also posted this a few days ago in the www.urbansketchers.org where I am correspondent. The blog has around 4000 followers spread in the whole world. You can see drawings from urban life in Berlin, Tokio Paris, Seattle, etc. and for a short time while I am here also from St. John's, Newfoundland.

Packing my bags

Well, time flies. It is almost July and I will be leaving St. John's soon. I had painted a lot during this time and I have to confess that I enjoy so much exploring this city. I am also very grateful to the people of Newfoundland that follow my blog. I got this wonderful comment the other day from Jenny from St. John's. Check here. It really touched me. Because it is not only about me painting, but it is also that I want to share what I do with others, specially with the people of the place where I am. Comments and feedback is such a precious thing. It is the only way to get to know and understand a community.

By the way, I have many painting to sell before I leave, my bags are full and I don't want to carry an extra weight. Contact me for that. You can also can buy prints from my work in fineartamerica.com

Like this here:

Study of a cat

The cat's name is Toma and as every character in St. John's he has a story. Toma used to live on the streets and was know as the terror of the neighborhood. When Natalie took him to her home the cat was in a very bad condition. However a good home, food and affection had transformed this cat in a very beautiful animal.

A sailboat from Denmark in St. John's

Joy told me the other day that she meet some people from Denmark in Rocket Cafe. They were here in St. John's with a small sailboat. They were waiting a few days in the city until the wind change and they could sail and cross the atlantic back to Copenhagen. Last Wednesday the boat was still there.

Tuesday Night in Georgetown bar

I already wrote about the music. People in St. John's are crazy about music; people love to gather and play together. This sketch is in Georgetown Bar.


Here the whole group around the table

Tuesdays in Rocket

St. John's is full with music. Every Tuesday around noon people meet in Rocket Cafe to play traditional Newfoundland music.

You can buy a print of this in the following link. If you want a print of any of the images of this blog and you don't find it on that link, please contact me.