From incertitude to celebration

Mom was at the hospital in serious condition few days before Christmas. We waited for the 48 critical hours right after her admission to the hospital. Four days later she was released and she's doing well. We are not only celebrating Christmas... we are celebrating she is still with us.

Notebook and ballpoint pen.

I didn't have my sketchbook with me during this emergency. I found a notebook, cut the page and paste it on my sketchbook later.

20 x 14 cm AMI watercolor sketchbook, pen, ink and watercolor. 

Here my husband taking a nap one evening, on the couch at mom's room waiting for those 48 hours.

20 x 14 cm AMI watercolor sketchbook, pen, ink and grey Farber Castell liner.

Meanwhile, nurses receive instructions and fill patients' reports at the nurse station of the hospital.

20 x 14 cm AMI watercolor sketchbook, pen and ink. 

Back at home, mom breathing oxygen....alive.

Smart people saves trees.

A5 Hand.Book, pen, ink and watercolor.

I was walking my brother's dog in this neighborhood. I liked this place so I returned today with my tools to sketch this soccer field for kids. It opened not long ago and it's quite popular among kids and parents. What I really liked was the fact that this tree, much older that this place, was saved. The building was designed and built around it. It made me so happy to see this. Even if it is one tree..... there's people out there who cares for nature. Viva the smart people!

Railway Museum, San Luis Potosi, Mexico.

A4 Fabriano Artistico, pen, ink, pigment liner various sizes, watercolor.

I've heard about this museum. Before I moved to the United States this train station was still in use and now it's a museum. San Luis Potosi city is located in Central Mexico, that's why it became a city with strategic connections. The boom of trains lasted for over a century from 1850's to 1960's. There was an exhibit at the museum about people who immigrated from Mexico to the United States through a program created by the Mexican Government called "Programa Bracero" that lasted from 1942 to 1964.  This program consisted in sending qualified Mexicans to work legally in the United States, specially during and after the World War II. Farmers were hired to grow food for the Americans at war. The employers paid the round trip train ticket and the employees collected at the bank their mandatory 10% in savings so when the immigrants returned to Mexico they could use that money towards agriculture. This program was so popular that a lot of people applied to be elected but many of them didn't make it. These 22 years created a path that is still followed by immigrants from Mexico and Central America who are trying to enter the United States at all cost. Now trains for passengers in Mexico are almost nonexistent.  The romance of that time made me visit this museum. There is a big train outside in the front yard by the main entrance which sketch took me almost 3 hours to make.  

Few lines can reveal a lot.

A5 Hand.Book, Staedtler pigment liner 0.05 and watercolor.

My recent visit to a government office made me bring my sketchbook. Sorry to say that they are not known for their fast service, so I started to sketch this lady in the waiting area when few minutes later they called my number. Wow! I was pleasantly surprised! As you can notice I put very basic lines. So I finished from memory her hair, the brown lines of her jacket and the details of its top back. It's amazing how much I could remember by observing first my target! I also realized, based on this sketch, how do I approached my victim. I did her face first, then her arm which connects to what resembles a hand (fingers are a pain in the butt that's why I left them for later, hoping she will repeat the position of her hand) and lastly her back and butt. I figured I kind of sketched in a in-out direction, sketching first the parts that move more. Reading so many times about sketching first the parts that move more made it stuck to my subconscious, perhaps by osmosis. Yesterday, finally, that knowledge revealed itself.

Car service

A5 Hand.Book spread, pen, ink and watercolor.

It was time to change the tires of my car. My brother recommended this place. They did a great job fixing some issues the car had. I showed the employees of the place the sketch I finished and they really liked it. It was a way to thank them for the job well done. Everybody was smiling when I left, me too, I was happy for the good service and my car fixed.

Olympic Pool in Guadalupe, ZAC. Mexico

A5 Hand.Book, pen, ink and watercolor.

I visited family in Guadalupe. It was an express visit. The day I arrived I was invited to go to swimming classes. I went, but I sketched instead because I didn't bring my swim suit with me. The facilities are open to the public. My sister in-law takes classes at night. She works, returns to home prepare the meal for her family, rest a little bit and then goes to swim. There are instructors along the length of the pool and the swimmers exercise along the wide of the pool,  this way they make sure there's space for the many groups who attend. I sketched for about 50 minutes from the seats above. The view was pure joy, lots to see, including the spectacular view of the night lights of the city through the big windows. I used the white gel pen uni-ball signo to draw the light, the only white gel pen I like so far. There's a good video about it in Parka blogs, click here. 

The white dots didn't show the warmth of the lights, so later my niece applied watercolor over the dots and the image came alive. I think it worked very well. We had fun.

The love affair between street food and pharmacies.

I parked in Carranza Avenue near Muñoz Avenue. A young man was resting on the wall of a private school. He was selling potato chips in little bags, home made. They are delicious! and if you add some hot sauce or lime juice you make out of it a real treat. You can see street food vendors all over the city. In fact there was another vendor selling fruit next to him but he left before I started to sketch. We locals know very well we are taking our chances to become sick if we eat street food. There's a pharmacy beyond the corner across the street. Don't you think this is an irony? 

The drugstore mascot is a character called Dr. Simi, as a result of drugstore's name Similar. They sell affordable generic medications. There's a Dr. Simi in each branch. This character is very polite and quite funny, sometimes it can be a very skill dancer and entertainer. There are plenty of videos on YouTube. If my description didn't make you smile, then a video will.

Plaza Aranzazu II

A4 Acquarello Fabriano block, pen, ink and watercolor.

Since my arrival to San Luis Potosi city days ago, I felt the need to do some activities related to art. I found some courses open to the public with topics of low interest for me. I thought the subjects were very pretentious and useless, they were described in a way hard to understand (and I understand Spanish very well since it is my native language!) So the way these events are presented to the public to invite them to come and participate actually discourage people from coming, on top of that they are not free.  So I thought I could start a group on FB which I called 'Dibujando San Luis Potosi' and created the first event....free of charge of course. The message 'Come and Draw' is easy to understand, plain and simple. The meeting place was in downtown in Aranzazu Square. I've been there before, this sketch below is from 2012, but this time I sketched the opposite view from under one of the arches, in the sketch above.

A5 Hand.Book spread, pen ink and watercolor.

Was the event successful? Well, yes and no. There was some people who showed interest but at the end nobody attended but me. I really had fun though, since it's fun to sketch even by yourself, but I really wanted to create the opportunity to meet people in this city who has the same interest than me. I won't give up. I'll create more events, maybe one day some one will show up and we'll have fun together.

Men unshaved

A5 Hand.Book, Copic multiliner SP 0.5, and watercolor.

Flying to Mexico very early in morning yesterday, I couldn't help noticing unshaved man in my flight. Having to shave daily is a pain, my husband has mention that to me some time. I can imaging how hard must be to have to shave that early, I wonder if they were going to do it after the landing of the plane, perhaps in the restrooms of the airport before a meeting? How mysterious is this to me. 

San Francisco, CA Part 6. How to get warm in San Francisco

Stillman & Birn Beta Series 7in x 10in, pen , ink and watercolor.

Over 2 years ago, on my trip to San Francisco with my friends, I had the idea to spend one afternoon to sketch on my own . I made three sketches that day, but I only published two, the first was the wharf and the last one, the golden bridge. This is the second sketch I didn't published. I had the idea to walk from the wharf to the Palace of Fine Arts.  I gave up a wonderful supper with my friends at the very nice restaurant. It was cold and windy. When I arrived to the Palace I realized how big it was! I went close to it and wanted to sketch some details from up close. Needless to say I didn’t fit in my sketchbook. So I did what I could. I think I never published this one because in not one of my favorites, not  because I didn't like the result, but how I felt. The sun was setting, I was in the back of the Palace against a wall, a cold wall. No one was around, this is one of the few times I felt uncomfortable being alone. At that moment I regretted I wasn’t at a cozy restaurant having a warm meal with my friends. I walked along the bay back to the hotel and I saw the light, literally. The sun was setting and illuminating the golden bridge, I felt the need to call my husband while I sketched it. I was looking a way to warm-up in any possible way. After I finished the golden bridge I walked back to the hotel. I could take a cab but the view was amazing, and I’m not talking about the bay only. There was a pleiad of Greek gods exercising along the bay, why would I deprive my eyes from such a feast. Once at the hotel I was grateful for the warm welcome from my friends at the bar. It was a very productive long day and I needed a drink…… a warm one.

Red cheeks man

A6 Hahnemule Notebook, pen, ink and watercolor.

Just across my table I saw this average man in an average restaurant on an average day. I have not a story to tell today, this is just about a mortal waiting for its coffee. What I'd like to share is that I'm working on my sketches to leave more blank spaces, I'm feeling inspried by the work of Felix Scheinberger. Also, why does he have red cheeks when in reality he didn't have them red? Because I felt like it. 

Cleaning station.

A4 Pro Art Sketch Book and graphite.

I've been browsing through my oldest sketches and found some sketches I've never published and like to share. This is the cleaning station  at my mom's laundry patio. You'll see. At mom's house everything is old fashion. We wash the cloth and hang it to let it dry at the sun. In this patio, which is in the second floor, the sun is bright. I wanted to warm-up. Yes, my mom lives in Mexico and contrary to many people's beliefs, it can be very, very cold during the winter. Central Mexico can be cold at nights and warm during the day, that's how you catch colds. Anyway, going back to my drawing. I sat in the laundry patio, wearing sweaters and taking the sun but with my loyal pencil and sketchbook in my hands. The array of cleaning tools in front of me was so enchanting to me because they looked like trained soldiers waiting to accomplish their duty, well... except for that one on the floor, which looks like it's having a hangover. This is an old sketch but the story behind it is still fresh in my mind.

Open House Chicago 2015. Last Part. The Rookery. The best to the end.

A5 Hand.Book, pen, and ink.

The last building we visited was the Rookery. We had an hour to sketch before heading to have some food and drinks. I wanted to see the vault in the underground floor. It took me several minutes to get in there and browse the collection of original architectural elements. Once out, I picked this view on the ground floor. After several minutes a woman in uniform came to tell us not sketching was allowed. We were in shock, all of us. Oh well, we swallowed the bitter experience and moved on. I just had a chance to sketch the stairways. Ten minutes were enough after all, to resemble the signature feature of this building.

Open House Chicago 2015. Part 3. The Oriental Theather.

A5 Hand Book, pen, ink and watercolor

The Oriental Theater in Chicago was the second location we visited. As soon as got inside our first reaction was wow! This richly ornamented theater is one of those places hard to tackle. Many of us decided to sketch details, a statue or a lamp for instance. Other drew the whole scenario, and others like me, stayed in the middle. This sketch shows the top of the scenario. The light was subtle and the red of the curtains was deeper that this. There were a lot of figures and characters above the curtains. I'm sure there's a meaning for each one of them, but unfortunately I  didn't ask. I draw a little figure in green at the bottom of the sketch which is a man who wasn't there. I calculated the size of the  man using the back door of the stage in order to show how huge it is. Click here to read last part.

Open House Chicago 2015. Part 2. The McCormick Bridgehouse and Chicago River Museum.

The Urban Sketchers meet-up was scheduled at noon. I though it was good idea to take the train to Chicago early, so I would have time to tour some buildings of the Open House Chicago event that weekend before doing any sketches.  The first location we met at was the McCormick Bridgehouse and Chicago River Museum. We had to go down the stairway from the street level to access the Museum. The museum itself is small but has several floors. It was so tiny inside that it was better to sketch outdoor. We had an hour before we walked to the second location. Time flew. I didn't finish. Some day I will. Time to pack and move to next location.

Here, know the new face of the 2 dollar bill, at the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago Museum. Click here to read part 3.

Open House Chicago 2015 Part 1. Metra Train to Chicago.

A5 Hand.book sketchbook, pen, ink and watercolor.

A lot of people take the train from the suburbs to Chicago on weekends. I, for instance, met with members of Urban Sketcher Chicago to attend the Open House Chicago offered by the Chicago Architecture Foundation. Many buildings of architectural and historical interest are open to the public for free. During my trip to the city I sat in the upper level of the train. The view was awkward and with lots of metal bars, but I felt comfortable sketching it. This dad was busy clicking on his phone all the time while his son looked utterly bored. Click here to read part 2.

Healthy Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Bread

10 x 7 in (25 x 27 cm) Stillman & Birn Beta Series, pen, iinkk and watercolor.

I found this bread recipe online few days ago and everyone who has tasted it says it is very good. I know there are a lot of good recipes out there, but what is surprising is how good something can taste when it is not made with the traditional ingredients our mother taught us. This bread is healthy yet delicious. And before I'm bombarded with zillions of questions about the recipe, I'll share it. If you make this bread, please feel free to leave a comment to share your opinion. Or better yet, let the author of this recipe know about it clicking here.

Beauty Salon

When I pass by this beauty salon I think of how charming it is. There's always flowers and cute things hanging around the door. You might think how cute it is but this place is very deceiving. Inside you find nice furniture, a mix of ornamented traditional mirrors and modern chairs, even chandeliers. But there's always a fun element outside the door, recognizable characters like a witch or a bee. I'm almost sure they are hand made, either by the employers or perhaps the owner or a owner's family member. Today I saw a brigth pink thing, it looks like a walking bear or dog or just a monster. This is how I noticed this place existed in first place, by guessing "what on earth is that"? Their marketing strategy is working, at least with me.

A5 Moleskine, pen, ink and watercolor.

Ireland Part 5. Dublin.

THE BOOK OF KELLS.

Our first visit in the city was the Trinity College Old Library and the Book of Kells Exhibit, the oldest book known in Ireland.

A5 Handbook, pen, ink and watercolor.

This is a sketch of an image displayed at the exhibit to explain how the scribes who wrote this book used color on vellum made of calfskin. This is text on the wall and it quotes: 

"Methods and Materials

Ink. 

Most of the pages in the Book of Kells were written in a brownish  gallo-tannic ink known as iron gall ink. The wash was made from oak galls (or oak apples) mixed with iron, sulphate and wine or vinegar. A carbon black was also used, but less commonly. Some lines of writing were yellow, purple or red. 

Pigments.

Pigments were made from a variety of mineral and organic sources in early Medieval Ireland. Research at Trinity College Library has revealed new information about the pigments used in the Book. The blue pigment, previously believed to be lapis lazuli, is an indigo dye extracted from the wood plant (lsatis tinctoria species). When mixed with white, light blue tones were created. The white pigment was derived from gypsum. The predominant yellow came from the mineral orpiment (yellow arsenic sulphide), known as auripigmentum, or gold pigment, in recognition of its lustrous golden quality. Purple was created from the dye of an orchil lichen (Rocella tinctoria). This was mix with white to create pink. The two greens included vergaut, made by mixing orpiment and indigo, and copper green, known as verdigris. Verdigris was unstable when damp, darkening and perforating the parchment in some places. The scribes applied their pigments with great creativity, as pure color, in simple mixtures and sometimes in opaque or translucent layers. Areas of design were often accentuated with red dots made of red lead".

THE OLD LIBRARY.

A5 Handbook, pen and ink.

TOMMY KANE. 

During the visit to the Old Library, I ran into Tommy Kane, a talented New York artist whose artwork I follow. He was kind to let me take a photo. We chat a little bit and we introduced each other's spouses. I still cannot believe I met him in person!

ST. PATRICK'S GREEN PARK.

Later we went at St. Stephen Green Park, a private park that was open to the public thanks to Arthur Guinness. We had lunch there.

A5 Handbook, pen ink and watercolor.

ST. PATRICK'S CATHEDRAL.

We visited St. Patrick's Cathedral. This time I didn't sketch. I played with these metal plaques placed inside the cathedral meant to be used by children. Needles to say it was used by a bunch of adults. I wasn't the exception. I rubbed a golden crayon on a piece paper on top of the plaque which is hold by a frame made of wood. It's not a sketch, but still made on location, ha!

                                               

OLIVER ST. JOHN GOGARTY BAR, THE WRONG TEMPLE BAR.

We tried to find the Temple Bar, instead we found this pub without knowing it wasn't our target where we had a drink and dinner. It happened again, we were totally clueless. I mean food was good and we enjoyed it. I wondered why the wall were green,  I though they were red, maybe they painted it. Wrong! Later we went to the real one, oh boy! Was it crowded! 

A5 Moleskine , pen, ink and watercolor.

THE HOP-ON HOP-OFF BUS.

A5 Handbook, pen, ink and watercolor.

The hop-on hop-off bus was a great choice to visit further places. Geraldine, the tour guide, told us funny stories related to the history of Ireland. She explained that everyone who asked us "are you all right?" wasn't because we looked illed. It's the Irish way to say "how can I help you?" Ohhhhhh.

THE IMMA MUSUEM.

A5 Handbook, pen, ink and watercolor.

This the tower of the former Royal Hospital of Kilmainham, now the Irish Museum of Modern Art, IMMA. We didn't come in, it just happened to be walking distance from the Gaol Kilhmainham we just visited.

JAMESON DISTILLERY.

This is one of my favorite visits in Dublin. The Jameson Distillery. For those who are not familiar with whiskey I'd like to share something I learned. Whiskey is made of barley. The more times the whiskey is distilled the smoother it is. We had a taste of 3 of the top brands. Jack Daniel's, American whiskey is single distilled and it's made with corn. Johnny Walker, Scottish whiskey is double distilled and is made of smoked barley and. Jameson, Irish whiskey is triple distilled and made of barley. The winner for me? Johnny Walker.

Here's a sketch of the Jameson Distillery bar, conveniently placed near the entrance while we waited for our group tour.

A5 Handbook, pen, ink and watercolor.

CHURCH OF ST. GEORGE AND ST. THOMAS.

A5 Moleskine, pen, ink, watercolor and watercolor pencils

This is my final sketch the day prior my flight. A church across the restaturant of the hotel. It was full of South Eastern people. A group of kids was outside, I guess they couldn't find any fun inside the church. It caught my attention the draining pipes, I don't recall the name of it, the were so ornamented! They were black but I left them in white so the detail could be seen. Also the roof had weeds/plants growing on it!


Farewell Ireland. It was a fantastic trip. Exhausting but very worthy. 

Ireland Part 4. Still in the West Coast.

We returned to Galway city from the Kinvara Village. It’s party day. The final game of the national tournament of hurling is tonight. The crowd of fans had gathered in front of our hotel in the Eyre Square back in Galway to watch the game. Lots of flags in maroon and white are being displayed everywhere. People of all ages have great expectations for this game this evening. Beer is flying out the pubs and the excitement is growing. Unfortunately Galway team was not lucky tonight but a kid passed by and shouted "we’ll win next year!"

A5 Moleskine Spread, pen, ink and watercolor.

Next day Bob and I headed to the Cliffs of Moher. The roads in the country are narrow, drivers here salute each other waving their hand once they realize their vehicles  are cleared to pass. The first time happened when we were driving with Róisín, she wave her hand to the other driver  and the rest of us too. I thought he was saluting to everybody until Róisín explained it was only to the driver. I wonder what the other driver though about all of us waving our hands: what’s wrong with you all? You …morons. 

The cliffs are a wonder of nature in this country, outstanding views everywhere you look at. We had exceptionally good weather, there was no wind at all, it was cloudy but not cold.  The water was very still. Wild flowers in white, yellow, purple were all over the edge. I walked along the edge of the cliff beyond the fence of rock that was placed for the safety of us the visitors. I felt vertigo after some minutes and returned behind the fence. Lesson learned. We walked  as far as the second cave on the sketch. When we returned to the starting point I sketched this view for about 20 minutes. Mosquitos were all over. Days later I realized how bad they bite me. My cheeks and my forehead were full of red dots. Oh well...I liked my new me, also I brought with me a temporary souvenir from the cliffs.

A4 Moleskine, pen, ink and watercolor.

We were on board the bus in our way from Galway to Dublin when we realized we left Bob's tablet on Eyre Square...oh no. We got out of the bus, the driver was so nice to us! He down loaded our luggage and let us take the next bus. He was genuinely concerned, he took care of our luggage while I ran to the Square, yes I ran, go figure. It's been 40 minutes since we left the park were we stayed some time to enjoy a bit of sunshine. But guess what! The bag with the tablet and its content was there! Irish people we LOVE you. It was worth losing the bus and take the next one and give it a shot and have faith and trust the people of Galway. We were very happy to recover our items. The bus is the top line, electrical outlets, wi-fi, toilet on board. Now we are just waiting to depart to Dublin. We are on board of gobus.ie bus, very, very nice staff. Thomas is been a driver for over 30 years, he has probably seen a lot of things happening to dummy tourists like us. God bless his heart, I bet he has learned to be patient and thoughtful.

A5 Handbook, pen, ink and watercolor. 

Once installed in the hotel, I went to the bar, I needed a drink and I was hungry. It's been a long jogging day, and of course I took my sketchbook with me. This white collar man was wearing bright pink socks, I wish I had a pair myself, they were beautiful!

A5 Handbook, pen, ink and watercolor.

I ordered a lamb hamburger, it was served with no bread (?)It's all right, I don't need it. Everywhere we ate they served potato fries in little tiny metal buckets, so cute. 

A5 Handbook spread, pen, ink and watercolor.

We were looking forward to explore the city of Dublin next day. The story will continue, click here to read part 5.

Ireland Part 3. Sketching the Atlantic Way. Worshop in Kinvara by Róisín Curé

Fridays is market day in Kinvara. The energy was positive and it seemed like everybody knew each other. It was the perfect scenario to sketch people in motion. Stands of local vendors offered all sort of vegetables, fruit, flowers, crafts, food and coffee. There were some tables and benches in the center of the market which was perfect for us to sketch. I think it is a good idea, because it invites you to stay regardless of the weather. This time Mary, a sketcher from Manchester joined us this morning. Her husband Kelly came with her.  Here's is what I caught in my sketch: Claudia, Mary on the table and Róisín in the center. To the left of the sketch is Chris, the peas vendor standing with a hat. Chris was selling flowers and offering fresh peas to everybody who passed by. He constantly talked to people.

A5 Handbook spread, pen, ink and watercolor.

Later that day we went to The Dunguaire Castle. This time we came inside the castle. The walls of stone are 2.8 meters wide. As any castle they are dark inside. After exploring the castle, I found myself comfortable in the banquet room. A window caught my attention, it was more the contrast of light and the darkness of the room what caught my attention. It was a nice view to practice tonal values. After few minutes I found that it was difficult  to sketch since the eyes had to adapt to the constant change of light. I had to put an extra effort to constantly looking at the bright window and my sketchbook, Róisín warned me about this, she was right.  I left some spaces in blank, something that for me it is not easy to do, but I think I manage to apply what I learned in this workshop. The next sketches were finished on location, drawn and colored. Through the window you can see the hills of The Burren.

A5 Handbook, pen, ink and watercolor.

A5 Handbook, pen, ink and watercolor.

Later in the castle, we attended a banquet. A medieval show was presented during dinner. Song, poems and a little bit of laugh. I didn't sketch, I enjoyed the company, the show and the food. After the banquet show, we walked back to Kinvara and the group met at Greens, a pub. Turned out that the couple from Manchester, Mary and Kelly were two of the musicians playing at the pub that night! I hung out all day with them and I didn’t know! What a pleasant surprise! Also the same girl I sketch in the Connolly’s bar two nights ago, Laura was there as well. I don’t live here and I already knew this people as if they were my friends forever. 

A4 Moleskine, pen, ink and watercolor.

The next day we practiced color and cross referencing in the morning. We met at the Quay in Kinvara. During the making of the following sketch, Róisín shared some tools with us. She is an excellent teacher. I asked questions and she answered them with straight answers that help me to solve my struggles. The sun was behind the houses, that's why they look shady. To the right it was a cute dog waiting patiently to its owner who was working on the white and blue boat.

A4 Moleskine, pen ink and watercolor.

By noon we headed to Galway. Our next sketching spot was the Claddagh and our target was to draw the Long Walk. At this point, I started to feel fatigue, I laid down in the grass for good 15 minutes to rest, I closed my eyes and let go. I was very close to not sketch this magnificent view, but why would I cross the Atlantic Ocean to NOT sketch? I would regret it if I didn't. So I got up and started to sketch the raw of houses. Since  I was afraid that I wouldn't have time to sketch Spanish Arch, I included it in the very left. So I had to shrink my proportions in order to include this landmark. I used my small moleskine to simplify my sketch. Big mistake. Turned out I was sketching a lot of detail in a small sketchbook so I had to put extra effort. At the end it was worthy. Don't you think so?

A5 Moleskine spread, pen, inl and watercolor.

This workshop is a gem.  A selection of places carefully chosen, well planned and organized by an artist who delivers, whose  knowledge comes through and whose expertise in the area assures you will see, visit and eat only the best. If you have the opportunity to attend one of her workshops, do it. I already left there a friend for life. Visit her website at roisincure.com. Click here to read part 4.

I, Róisín and Claudia

Ireland Part 2. Sketching the Atlantic Way Workshop in Kinvara by Róisín Curé

A red hair woman came through the door of the restaurant, it was Róisín Curé. We met and greeted. Her very welcoming, cheerful and happy personality took us through the schedule of the Worshop in Kinvara: Sketching the Wild Atlantic Way. I came here enchanted by the sketches and stories she had written and I’ve read. Such detailed narrations of her surroundings made me wanted to come here and see it myself. I wasn't disappointed, in fact it exceeded my expectations.  I was truly thrilled to be here. The Wild Atlantic Way is a term created recently by the Irish government to advertise the scenic West side of the island. We had a wonderful dinner, we ate fresh seafood straight from the Atlantic Ocean. Later that night, Róisín took us to Connolly’s bar, where traditional Irish music was playing that night by a band of musicians formed by 4 violins, a guitar and an accordion. Róisín took her sketchbook out, I was about to witness an artist in action,soon after, I joined her. The lights were dimmed to create an ambiance intimate and cozy. The people there respectfully listened to the music that I, so eagerly, was looking forward to listening to.  I was so immersed in this Irish dream that I left my drink untouched.

A5 Moleskine, pen, ink and watercolor.

The tide was high next morning, we arrived to the outdoors of the Dunguaire Castle which is few minutes walking from Kinvara. Róisín made a demonstration of tone and value. I watched how she draw the clouds and water that mesmerized me for so long. The wind was strong but we were prepared for the weather. I have to say that this composition was Róisín's. I made my best effort to apply what I learned. I would say it was an improvement compared to my last sketch of clouds in my last post!

A4 Moleskine, pen, ink and watercolor.

At lunch, this view of a typical house in the area was the view through the window of the restaurant.

A5 Moleskine, pan, ink and watercolor.

Later that day Róisín drove us through the green country fields of the area to arrive to Killenaran Quay in Ballindereen. The tide was low and the boats were tilted on the side, placed like that randomly and whimsically by nature. I found a place to protect myself from the wind on the steps of the quay's wall. Behind me, I saw far away some man collecting the first oysters of the season. We were experiencing the best places of the area, carefully chosen and organized by Róisín, it was truly once in a life time opportunity. 

A4 Moleskine spread, pen, ink, watercolor.

Later that night, at Moran’s on the Weir Restaurant, I had the opportunity to taste those oysters nicely presented over a bed of fresh seaweed, a flavor I craved for almost a year since I read that post about oysters written by the very talented Róisín. I regretted I didn't sketched them, they went straight to my mouth, I couldn't wait! Yes, that's my long relationship with food. The round oysters native of the area were an explosion of flavors of the Atlantic Ocean in my mouth. You can read more about Oyster's Festival here. Click here to read part 3.