Windtowers Dubai

In Dubai there is this old quarter called Bastakiya. It is beautiful restored and most of the houses are used as cultural spaces. From the terrace of the new Tashkeel house you can see this landscape of windtowers. They were use to collect the fresh breeze, cooling the air in its way down to the central courtyard.
Tashkeel is a cultural organization that promotes the arts in the UAE.

January 22, 30th Worldwide Sketchcrawl (first UAE)

January 22 was the 30th Worldwide Sketchcrawl. I have never been in one, So I organized one in Dubai, I guess is the fist one in the UAE too.
I had meet a few people in Dubai that also sketch and they were happy to join.
One of them was John Knight, an architect resident in Dubai, he has been sketching all his life, and has wonderful sketchbooks. I convinced him to open a flickr account to share his drawings but he still have to scan more. Please check his profile here and encourage him to share more sketches.
There were also many kids present. It was really a joy to see them sketch.
We met in the Dubai Creek and then we moved to Bastakiya (the old part of Dubai).

Here are John's two drawings followed by mines. Since most of the people left after lunch. I could not make pictures of the others work.

Radio Interview

I have been so busy doing thing that I have not have time to post anything here...
An article in the Gulf News newspaper talked about me and my participation in the Pecha Kucha tonight! here the link
I got an interview in the radio... here is the sketch I did.
an on Saturday I want to organize a sketch gathering in Bastakiya Dubai.

Xmas in Dubai... new year eve I still don't know

I wish everybody a Merry Xmas and share with you an sketch from Dubai.that I did last week

Dubai Film Festival

I got just one day free: friday.. and last friday a good friend of mine convinced me to go to Dubai. "lets go to Dubai to see a film" he said. I was afraid not to find any free place, since I had heard that everything was sold out, but not having anything to do and to do nothing together in Dubai is always better that not doing nothing in Al Ain. And besides I considere driving with an uncertain plan as my own private road movie, because in the two hours we have time to talk a lot, get to know each other better and fullfill the rituals we have when we go to Dubai, like his usual prayer at the mosque and my cold coffe at the Gas station.
We were lucky our road movie turned very well. We found out that there was a free film showing open air at JBR and besides it was an egypcian movie about underground music bands in Alexandria, where my friend comes from.
The film name was "Microphone". I loved the movie and the music and although the film doesn't have a happy ending, cause the bands weren't allow to play in the concert at the end, you know that the film itself IS the happy ending cause they had reach through it a broader audience that they would not have done with a concert.
After the film there was a concert with the bands and I did some sketches of them playing and also from the two main actors that where also present. The funny thing is that I got them to write their autographs on my sketches. So it was an ecceptional day! I also posted it in the urbansketchers blog

Sketching in Joumeira Souq for EN MUSIQUE

Here a few pictures of me if you want to see how I look like when I sketch....
I noticed a few things I didn't know about me...
1.- I look too serious.. even a little scary.. maybe that's why people usualy don't talk to me by sketching...
2.- All my pockets transform into material containers
3.- Now I know the origen of this funny ink marks on my lips.





Photos:Arnaud Humbert

En Musique, Dubai

On the 2nd of December is the celebration of the National Day on the UAE. For that day the Alliance Francaise, Dubai, organized an event called En Musique at the Souk Madinat Jumeirah. Groups of Musicians played in different corners of the Souq and in the anfitheather. I was asked to sketch the event. I was enjoying the day and was very experimental in my drawings, looking for different ways to catch the music and movement of the players.

Travelling to UAE

It is a long time since I last wrote something and I also decided to change the language. My english is not perfect but it is the language I used in the other two blogs I contribute. And before I get some language confusion in my head, with the continuos changing from Spanish, German, English and Italian.... lets write in just one language only..
The reason I have not written much was that most of my post here was very similar to the post by urbansketchers... and I got bore to repeat things.
But now since I 'm contributing to some other art projects it seem relevant to use this blog to unified the information of all activities.
News:
so as I have put in the tittle I'm currently in the United Arab Emirates.
here are some sketches i did in Dubai mall last week end.