Essaouira Morocco

In august we went to Essaouira (Morocco) as students of the academy. We were 12 in total.

Essaouira is like the cave of Ali Baba for sketchers! There's no traffic, there's a harbour, souks, bazars and beautiful people... and good food!

This is a sketch made in our hotel 'Les matins bleus', a beautiful riad...

A corner of the harbour of Essaouira

On the old walls of Essaouira...

At the foot of the walls an old man made colourful hats 

Two boys joined us and we gave them a paper and pencil and started sketching with us!!

I loved the mornings. Before breakfast I went out alone to sketch... Sketching is an ideal way to make contact and have a little talk with locals. They didn't mind being sketched. They recognized people I sketched and wrote down their name in arabic...

The mornings are quiet, shops still closed, tourists still in their hotels...

A summer sketchday in the Middelheim parc in Antwerp

Last wednesday, the 25th of July we had the perfect summerday!! We went sketching in the Middelheim parc in Antwerp. The weather was perfect, the company was perfect... It was Mia her birthday and she brought along some tapas and drinks...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5-ltDECc2bA

Urban sketching: Brussel Bad - Bruxelles les bains

Last week we went sketching in Brussels...on the beach of Brussels!! A real urban beach is installed along the Canal of Brussels. People come to have a drink, eat something, dance, enjoy music... the ideal place to sketch people!!

 

for the ones that wonder what's going on in that sketch... it's a couple, the girl is lying in his arms, her hand rest ons his stomach... I wanted to sketch him, but a flamenco dance started and they jumped up!... and me too...

The yellow house in the middle will be destroyed soon... a pitty, it's the only one with a soul...

Charleroi

Veerle Vercruysse organised a sketchday in Charleroi, that is a big industry town. But almost all big factories are closed down. There's a lot of unemployment and visable poverty. We met with Nicolas Buissart who brought us to a beautiful sketh location. 

Nicolas  organises safaris in his town and he can show you his home like you have never seen it before!! A real recommendation!

http://www.charleroiadventure.com/index.php?page=home

(pictures: veerle vercruysse)

Place Ste Catherine, Brussels, Miriam's last day in Brussels... no better way to wish her all the best than with a sketchcrawl. We're going to miss her!!!

Place Ste Catherine

Maison du spectacle, La Bellone