My next Portrait, You!

New Self Portrait © Rita Draper Frazão

Hi everybody! A lot has been going on: new projects, new persons in my life, new me! Hence, I also felt the need to make a new self portrait.

I have so many persons asking me about my portraits.

So, I decided to do an article as a private tour of my drawings, my story and relation with portraits and new ideas I'm having.  

If you want to be my next portrait, keep reading. This is for you!

My Roots in drawing

For you to know the point I'm at now, I feel like, I need to share with you a bit of my personal story.

I love persons! That's why the tagline of this blog is, Ideas with people.

It was from early age, that I've developed curiosity about the other, the gusto of listening their stories, see the essence of the person, and try to convey that, in my artistic work.

I don't remember when I made my first portrait. But I know, that when I was about six years old, I've portrayed my Mum "officially", because she still has that drawing. I could barely write, but in that portrait, I drew her hairstyle, her glasses, her multiple color striped shirt with detail, her sandals, and even the sofa pattern where she was sat. According to my parents, I'd spend hours drawing, it was my favorite play. I think it still is!

Overtime, and regarding arts, I had several important teachers. Here, I will speak just about the ones, that, somehow, are related to my portrait practice.

Sweet Child of mine

Within drawing, portraits have a special place in my heart.
I grew up with it. I come from a family of artists, and my grandmother, Ildema who was a painter, did a lot of portraits too. She was my first real art teacher, during my childhood. And one I will never forget! It was with her I've learned all the drawing basics, for sure!
She was, also, the one that has taught me the importance of drawing daily, and to have a sketch book, always close, even beside my bedside table.
As a child, I was a model for some of her portraits, and later on, she was my model too (see here and here).
One of her wise advices was that hands and feet were the hardest to draw.
I wanted so bad to learn how to do it, that it led me to draw many. Ever since, I became an enthusiast of that theme. And it's kind of crazy to think how it's still, so very present in my work now!  Some examples of that are Helena Espvall's hands portrait, or Miguel Mira's foot.

Back then, and for a long while, my uncle Zé - that is also an artist - had his studio at my grandparents' place, where I'd spend afternoons after afternoons watching them (him and my Grandmother) paint.
I admired his obsession with painting, his surrealistic imaginary and his technique. I think kids are like sponges, and they can learn so much just through observing. 

My Father's inspiration, artsy stuff at hand, in our place, and in his architect studio, were very important too. And I don't mean just paper and inks, but musical instruments along with other things as well. In fact, this self portrait you see above, was made with colored pencils, that once belong to him. His influence was absolutely crucial in my life choices. And a lot more would have to be said regarding that.

My grandmother, Néné, and my Mother, were another major influence on my way, and in my deep love for Art's History that, later on, would reveal to be fundamental for my portrait practice.
My mother's graduated in History, and my grandmother was a living Art, Literature, Poetry, Travel, Languages and History encyclopedia.

Mum's always handed me a lot of history books. But two of them were special. One was about Ancient Egypt in particular, and the other one was about Everyday life in Ancient Art. Both were packed with illustrations, and photos that kept me dreaming. Eventually, those two became my favorite childhood stories. One can see a direct reference to this in my Hamid Drake's Egyptian God inspired portrait.

Also, I grew up with family and friends from several countries always around. I think, growing up in such a multicultural environment, has helped me a lot with being curious towards what was foreign or unknown. And portrait also became a way to overcome that. All this was very important for me and, and also the literary inspiration I got from here. Another theme, for another story!

Smells Like Teen Spirit 

For four years, Dina Gimenez and Patrícia Fonseca were my teachers during high school, and both have been absolutely instrumental. 

It was with my teacher, Dina Gimenez, that I've found my favorite ancient portraits, such as Romans' psychological portraits, and Minoan portraits, just to name a few.
I had such strong Art's History basis with her, that I never really had to study it hard, when I was in college.
She also helped to plant the photography seed, raised the team working spirit, and made us try different painting materials.

Dina was one of the teachers that led and supervised our work, for the biggest school party at the end of the year (called the Smashing Awards), so that an artistic work of excellence could be done.
We were involved in the whole visual concept of it, working for months, in costumes, prizes, props and theatre settings. I have so many good memories of this art laboratory-factory classes! With us all happy working, like ants, and knowing that, in tiny pieces, we were all laboring for the big picture, for the common good. A remarkable experience for the rest of my life!

One can see a bit of the traces Dina left in me, through some works that relate particularly to experimenting, Art's History and Photography.
 Some examples are in the content of my exhibition in Zaratan, in my illustration from a text of Bataille, inspired by the Katsushika Hokusai's wave, in the photos I took for my article about Coimbra, or in my group work with And Lab.

In this other Art Subject we had, there was some sort of suspense in the beginning of the year, since we were with a substitute teacher and didn't quite knew what was going on with our real teacher.

That happened because Patrícia Fonseca lived in Macao (China) for several years, and I suppose that due to it, she had some extra time off.
I was so happy to meet her afterwards and I had no idea how this person and would later be a key figure to me. It was definitely worth the wait!

When her classes finally kicked off, she blew my mind with her instigating drawing exercises. It was a boost in my visual synthesis capability. She also instilled in me the possibility of the graphic narrative, which is not surprising, since she's a brilliant comics author! For years, she's worked for the Macanese press. And boy, was I fascinated by the Universe she brought from her China years! Won't forget the day I saw her book Um caso de Ópio (A case of Opium with Carlos Morais José), during one of our art classes, twenty years ago. It was an eye opener!

She was also the first one to commission me, works of illustration and writing about music for the School Journal. My first press collaboration! Funnily enough, back then, I wrote an article about the Smoke City band, with whom I would work many years later. Who would've guessed that?

Besides that, I loved her living in the clouds, kind of almost permanent, state! She has inspired me in a way, very few did. An example of that, is my Stars Driller drawing, made in my graphic diary, in one of her classes.

And speaking of sketchbooks... I feel like she genuinely believed in my potential, and it was also her interest in my graphic diaries that kept me doing them until today! In fact, that graphic-chronicle-narrative axis, is still one of the basis of my work, today. Having this blog, with all its visual and written content is a great example of that.

Everything in its right place

My experience of entering the Fine Arts Faculty in Lisbon, was kind of surreal. I remember in the first days of college, it strangely felt like home. There was this weird, unexplainable, and really strong feeling of belonging to this place, where I had never entered before as a student.
My grandmother Ildema, my uncle Zé and my Dad all studied there too, and who knows if there was some sort of relation to this fact. Anyways, I simply felt I was in my element.

There, I was extremely lucky to have Américo Marcelino, as my drawing teacher. He is simply a true master in motivating students and conveying drawing techniques in a graceful way.

Funny, that his Phd thesis theme is the relation between optical devices and drawing, because one of the major things I feel I've learnt from him, is how to look and see. Or how to see and have a vision. Know what I mean?
(By the way, take a look at his impressive amount of inspiring drawings and portraits in the second part of his online phd thesis, here)

Also, he's pushed me to look, and find inside my personality, things I didn't know I had, and could bring to my drawings. Those drawing exercises changed my personality awareness. It pretty much changed my life, I have to say. I find this last aspect, regarding portraits, extremely important. 

I think that, that was the time I truly understood the psychological potential of drawing.

He's also found a way of making unforgettable our last day of classes with him, since he did a movie, with classical music and all of our best works. This was such a success that, he later told me, he started doing it every year. No wonder we loved him so much, and affectionately nicknamed him Superman ! 

Be my next Portrait

Writing about all those key figures and moments in my evolution process, can make you understand my work now, a bit better.

I'm truly passionate about depth and the conjuncture of people, things, and places. That being said, it's obvious why I mind so much about the personality of the person, and to what is happening in the moment that I'm making the drawing. So, for me, and depending on the circumstances, the personality and the moment are two ingredients that really need to be in a portrait.

When I think about drawing someone, I think about which drawing expression I want the portrait to have, which colors, textures, and senses that person carries in her soul. I feel like I need to adjust, all that, to the person standing in front of me.

I have been drawing lots of people, in the street, in public transports, in school, while traveling, during shows and now I feel an urge to draw people in other contexts too. I feel like there are endless possibilities here! 

A portrait is something that lasts and that doesn't resemble to anything else! It's a unique and unrepeatable moment.

Whoever's been portrayed by me, and feels like commenting it, please share your experience here!

And if you are interested in being portrayed by me or in having a portrait of someone else made by me, you can order it to me. Please send me a message for more details.

The portrait can be of yourself, to mark an important moment of your life, to make timeless a certain phase of your children or parents, to have your idol represented in a different way, a special gift to surprise your girlfriend, husband, best friend, or can even be a reminder of that special someone that's already gone. It's up to you!

My core concept in these portraits is that together, we can make unforgettable what we have best!

Dragon in my room

Dragon in my room

I started to do this drawing a while before last Friday's news. Having already this drawing in my mind, I did a little research about that mythological figure, to make my own version. 

Dragons were present in folk mythology, worldwide. From the Greeks, Chinese, Indians, Japanese, Fons, Vietnamese, Aztecs, Persian, Jewish, Christians, to the Vedas, and from the Middle Ages to nowadays, this creature has been represented overtime.

Believed to have super powers over natural causes like storms, floods and typhoons, at the same time, dragons profess an ideal of great strength, creativity, power and luck.

In Chinese Zodiac, Dragons are known to be blessed throughout their lives, they are very energetic, eccentric and megalomaniac. Although, they are also known to be selfish, and they might not always practice what they preach.

This short Chinese sign Dragon description, makes a bridge between its early representations,  aforementioned, and nowadays' role of politicians, terrorists and of us, citizens of this world. 

The dragon has a powerful force whose able to positively change or destroy. It's a power one should use very wisely and for the well being of all. The recent terrorism acts in Lebanon, Pakistan, France, Tunisia, and Turkey and the millions of refugees escaping from Syria, for example, are the result of the state this planet is in. And we, human beings, capable of loving, of caring and, that are lucky to be alive, have the obligation to change this.

Without borders, flags and religions, there is a dragon in my room.

To all the persons in the world struggling and suffering right now, my thoughts are with you.

Thank you Henning, for inspiring me in the title of this post. This is for you too.

AND, This song of freedom

And Lab © Rita Draper Frazão 

Last month I was invited by Fernanda Eugenio to draw live the And Lab workshop she was hosting.

Fernanda is a Brazilian anthropologist who developed a method to relate (it was what her Phd thesis was about and also a result of her collaboration with João Fiadeiro) - she called it AND.

Connect the parts involved, in whatever relation, promoting its life is, its main objective and, therefore, the word "and" to name it, as and links two different words.

This could be used in multiple situations. I'm naming a few examples: how publicity campaigns are done, how texts are written, how lovers relate, how a piece of art talks to its public, or how one relates with its peers in the office. It is applicable to all relations that involve communication and hence its utility.

A game (o jogo in Portuguese) was created in order to practice attention and reflexion on these matters. There can be several games, and the workshop was composed, in it's grand part by them. These games use objects as a mean of expression of its players. To have a complete insight about it please read this. It is quite complex*, so I'll keep it short and regarding the drawings presented here. Hope it gets you at least curious about it!

*The whole And Lab manifesto is here, and there, you can find the full info, if you're interested in knowing in detail about it.

Jogo © Rita Draper Frazão

The drawing above regards a possible game board, a table, and some of the principles of this practice are written on it: the game has the rules its participants define, it has no winner, it notices and uses observation*, it relates and regards the relation itself as its ultimate purpose.

I've put no outlines on purpose - the shape is defined by its ambience - its interveners, the players, not the opposite, as most of the times we see and do - the shape of things is delivered to us done, we don't have to built it. This question of the shape and the hollow has much to do with the exhibition I did in January. If you didn't see it yet, take a look here, where these matters are a bit further developed.

If I had put a black or dark background color, the table and the white would seem much lighter, even smaller. I wanted to do the opposite: I chose a light color as a background color so that the table and the white would seem bolder, fatter. In the end it's got a lot to do with the Gestalt Theorie - it is something I have studied at the fine arts school, and still consider it as one of the most important things in my work and in visual perception matters.

*In Portuguese we have a word - reparar - that means notice, but when written like it the drawing re-parar, it means also to stop again, so in this case it would mean something like forcing a stop, a pause, a reflexion.

1st game © Rita Draper Frazão

The image above refers to the first game done. Using a squared table, and without its players talking to each other, objects, available in the lab, were placed into the area defined as the game board - the table in this case - to start taking positions that have to be continued then by the other players, regarding its qualities. 

At this point 3 objects were placed there: a yellow tape-measure, a yellow pen, and a book with a yellow spine (it was on the other side). In this case, its possible relation - to be continued - could be that all elements had a yellow part and that all were placed vertically and parallel to each other.

While drawing during this sessions, I often thought on how, in Descriptive Geometry, a plan is defined and how it needs several elements to define its direction: one needs at least: 3 dots, 1 dot and a line, or 2 lines. This is crucial for the And method, since a game is only established, once 3 positions have been taken by its participants.

I wanted to draw the participants but also to use the method on my drawing practice. So what I did was trying to co-relate the drawings with what was happening, with the people, objects, animals, plants and situations I had in my front. Sharing with you now all the work done:

Ana Dinger © Rita Draper Frazão

Above is Ana Dinger, a researcher whose Phd covers these matters as well. These circles made part of Fernanda Eugenio's explanation on a white board to explain how the relations can be spirals (they deepen), as tangency points can become a new relationship, and so forth. But in my drawing, I included those circles as a thought tool, and I caught Ana exactly in the middle of her process, before she took a stand to play in one of the games done.

Soraya Jorge © Rita Draper Frazão

Above is Soraya Jorge. She is related to the Authentic Movement practice and teaching in Brazil. She is a force of nature, made us laugh a lot during the workshop with her lively spirit (hence I chose red) and with this drawing I wanted to convey her movement (one's action) as one of those circles spoken here before. In other words: our actions can be lines and the lines can be a tiny part of what a circle is. The vitality of a circle could be to create tangents - our encounters with others, when we meet, when we disagree, when we fall in love, when we fight, when we relate. 

Catarina Machado Faria's foot © Rita Draper Frazão

Catarina Machado Faria's feet are a masterpiece I could not miss in my drawings. I wanted to register I had noticed them! Catarina was sat in the floor with a pillow on her back, with those orange circles. Again, this important shape is here appropriated in a different way, like if her feet could spray circles in the floor - metaphorically a possible place to built something, by walking, by doing. Catarina's beauty lies beyond her feet, she is an anthropologist and a researcher with a love for arts to be embraced - the path to come. 

Ana Vitória © Rita Draper Frazão

This is Ana Vitória's portrait and an important moment in the game played during one of the sessions. Ana was lying down on the floor with her face below a table that was fragilely held by some objects. The table could fall on her face at any moment, she was behind an eight-ball situation. She portrayed the moment when, in a relationship, one makes a position that is risky, and dangerous, to the self and to the relation itself. It was a moment of tension, of thinking and learning. Regarding the drawing itself,  the table and Ana both have bolder outlines in contrast to the erroneous and fragile nature of the roughly sketched like objects below the table, reinforcing its unfinished nature - that they could change place and form at any minute. Ana is a choreographer, and you can see more of her work here.

The Simmel Cat © Rita Draper Frazão

Encapsulated in the vortex of a white time, are accidents. Things that weren't expected to arrive but that impose themselves in a way, we have to consider them as elements of the game we are playing -the reality we are living in. 

It was the case with this cat, named Simmel. I imagined the pet inside a blue capsule, could be an effervescent tablet ready to burst in fireworks, as here.

His name comes after the name of the sociologist Georg Simmel and his nature was of a professional "relationshiper" - several times he entered in our games changing its course in a beautiful and unexpected way.

Star feet © Rita Draper Frazão

One of the topics, approached on the art to relate and practice it, was the principle to observe the elements (already there) that allow a continuity. This means one should exercise its relating ability, establishing connections with the elements given. And that's just what this drawing above is about. On it, from left to right, are Fernanda Eugenio's, Flora Mariah's, Ana Dinger's and Catarina Machado Faria's feet. 

There was a moment that when I looked to them, they were all in line, all with black trousers, and Fernanda and Flora had both stars on their feet. The drawing just prolonged a possible (in this case visual) relation, sprinkling the stars to the other two as well. Making this relation about feet, stars and black trousers. 

Flora Mariah © Rita Draper Frazão

Inspired by her name, this one is Flora Mariah. She was close to some plants, and other stuff as well, but I selected just that, and chose earthy colors to give life to the nature of a wide jungle inside. Flora is ahead the Amaréfunk project in Rio de Janeiro, take a peek! 

Lilian Gil © Rita Draper Frazão

In between the moving lines, there is Lilian Gil. This dancer has the colors of generosity, of love and devotion. Her. Always with beauty and kindness. 

Francisco Gaspar Neto © Rita Draper Frazão

At a certain moment of the game, walnuts were used as an object-tool of a code to express a relation. Francisco Gaspar Neto had an active role on it as well, and I addressed his portrait with a linguistic gag: Nós Somos (we are, in Portuguese) sounds just about the same as Noz Somos (but Noz means walnut, not we!). If one wrote we are walnuts in Portuguese, that would be Nozes somos, so I wanted to make clear my wrong writing was connected to nós so I incorporated the accent in the vogal o (that does not exist in noz) as a reference to it. Metaphorically speaking, this little gag could translate in the "walnuts" of life - actions - we incorporate as bricks of a relationship, a "wall nut". 

Besides being an investigator, Francisco also runs his theatre company in Curitiba.

Mariana Ferreira © Rita Draper Frazão

This one preceded the moment when Mariana Ferreira had an eureka moment: we were all talking, exposing ideas, thinking out loud and then when she finally got a clue about what she was trying to understand there was an immense exclamation in her eyes, and she said aaaaaaaahhhhhh! She was more observant along the way, and here took place a release moment.

Mariana joins the world of psychology with physicality with her work in psychomotricity helping people with cognitive/movement disorders. I just got to know that, afterwords making this portrait, but I thought it was funny because there is some stiffness and liberation feel on this drawing.

Jorge Gonçalves © Rita Draper Frazão

This one caught Jorge Gonçalves in his brief participance in the workshop in a moment of pause and distraction. The colors are of a languid coffee break or a chocolate snack :) Jorge organized the Degrowth Public Policies Course, in Montemor-o-Novo. Take a closer look to it here and here.

© Rita Draper Frazão

Had in mind to draw all the participants that I came across with during the days I participated in the workshop (I didn't attend to all). Just to make it true, and as I was a participant in the workshop as well I made this little one with my feet and my sketch book. 

I have to say it was not an easy task to draw and participate in the games, conversations and activities since I think of drawing as the uttermost exercise of focus and attention. Due to that fact, I had to do the things I did, in different occasions. Drawing when drawing, talking when thinking collectively (with my drawing book closed), and playing when I was a player, and nothing else. 

It was fun and cheerful for me to do this, so I wanted the colors to match that feeling. All of them were indeed real, I just added the background color,  having in mind a nice contrast with the rest. 

Isso Isto © Rita Draper Frazão

This one above, could be the sum of the parts, that still, isn't equal to its whole, as the whole is a much wider concept. This, again, is one of the principles of the Gestalt Theory and is key to the work we were developing here. As much as we folded the sheet of paper, more and more folds were marked there, each detail could be a this (isto) and all of it could be a that (isso). 

Envergadura © Rita Draper Frazão

All the stuff we add into whatever relations we are into or that we create, are elements that compose it, that lead into a certain direction (as in Geometry the 3 points that create a plan with a certain inclination and location). It's with these elements that relations are built of - reach, magnitude, latitude, structure, wingspread, all words that in Portuguese are summed up in one: envergadura. 

The typography was written by hand and I had in mind never taking the pen out of the paper (always proceeding its movement with a continuos line). It resulted in a tower of eminently falling objects in flames over an horizontal patient word. 

The objects drawn were part of the last game played and the fire was the last action - not taken into reality due to its obvious dangerous nature. Hopefully, in drawings, everything's allowed!

Fernanda Eugenio © Rita Draper Frazão

This one is about the freedom and the individual. It is Fernanda Eugenio, the mentor of And Lab and of this workshop. I took her t-shirt print and though that, in my drawing, it didn't need to fit it in a t-shirt, in a content or in a shape, it could be leading a direction,  leaving at the same time, room for others to add other things. And that was exactly what Fernanda made possible. I also had in mind topics we discussed in the workshop: how individuality (and a so called freedom) can interfere with our perception of space (our own) and relationships. 

Thank you Fernanda for inviting, for trusting my work and to all the participants for having received me in such curious and nice way. Always making questions, asking me to see the drawings but, still, respecting my space while doing them as well. These persons are all special and it was a privilege to draw them.

In the end, this whole thing of the And Lab is about being happy in a sustainable way. Everybody can learn these tools. One does't need to be an artist to learn it, just curious and persistent enough on wanting to improve life. 

Let's not just write the book. Won't you help to sing these song of freedom?

Pietà

Pietà (name taken from the Michealgelo's masterpiece with the same name) is the name I gave to this portrait. It is my grand mother.

She was a painter and a gallerist, and I had written before about her on this blog, here and here. She died with Parkinson and, at the moment this drawing was made, she couldn't move or speak, but she could see, hear and think.

As soon as I entered the room where she was, there she was, laying exactly in the same position as the Christ in Pietà, and hence its title, that totally suited the situation - Mercy.

The family already knew about her fragile health condition, and I went to the hospital to visit her, properly equipped with my drawing and painting gear.  I wanted to paint her as she did with me when I was a child, and I asked her permission to do so, although she couldn't answer.

The contrasted colors I chose, the type of nervous sketch rhythm, and the descendant diagonals in the black typography, reflected the violence of the emotional situation - she was dying.

When I finished the drawing I showed it ho her, and to my surprise, she firmly grabbed my hand.
I guess art's is about some sort of communication, and in that very moment that had never been so true to me. She got it all!

One day afterwords, she passed away and I keep this drawing as memory of that amazing moment.

It comes across to talk about this, also because yesterday I told this exact story to a class of medical related areas students from 3 different universities.

I was invited by the Faculdade de Ciências Médicas (Lisbon's Medical School) as a "creative advisor" on their Agedness Workshop.

It involved students from Faculdade de Ciências Médicas, Escola Superior de Saúde of Instituto Politécnico de Setúbal (Health Sciences Faculty from the Polytechnic Institute of Setúbal) and Faculdade de Motricidade Humana (Human Kinetics School).

The aim was to think and produce material to raise awareness towards elderly falls. How to prevent them, how to inform people about it, how to manage it, how to involve and motivate the patient and its family, how to improve someone's life after a fall.

Having in mind that, each and one of us age, senescence and its meanders are a matter that many of us don't want to think about but that we should pay a little more attention.

Using the World Café method, the workshop ran into small groups of work that worked out different solutions for several given case scenarios. And as they came from three different areas (including myself), a multidisciplinary approach was used.

We listened to people that study these matters pretty seriously and it seems relieving that a good family support, a good physician, physical activity, good alimentation, and an active social network can do wonders. It was refreshing to me to know so many students so motivated and with great ideas to make a change in these peoples life's. They can transform the future of society.

From my experience, with elderly people - mostly with my grand parents and their cousins or siblings, I felt how important it was for them to feel creatively stimulated, apart from their physical disabilities. Meaning thinking out of the box. Some of them already died, but this drawing here, was one of the examples I mentioned in the class because I used Art as a mean of communication with someone whose sensorial perception wasn't completely damaged. My reasoning was to focus on the things she could still do and not on the things she couldn't.

So my question would be: don't elder people deserve - besides their medical condition, treatments, etc - to have a source of pleasure at the end phase of their lives? Wouldn't it make a difference if they felt still active?

Topics for us to think and reposition our place in the world.

In the end, it was a lot of fun participate on this initiative, thank you for inviting me. May it be the start for further investments and research on this area, including arts and design (this was a first at the medical School, I was told!) as a mean of improving one's life.

Relax in Ericeira

Last weekend was time for a break in Ericeira. I'm sharing here my favorite things there, the drawings I've done about it and some of what I have learned too.

Its name Ericeira, comes from Ouriceira, the land of sea ​​urchins (Ouriço = Urchin in Portuguese).
One stumbles into these sea urchins till today, and while going to the Empa beach, I was amazed by the beauty of the colors of the varied sea weeds present there. Light brownish kelp, light green, red and garnet sea weeds, the color palette seemed a living watercolor.
I took a garnet one as a memento to this beauty and did this drawing: the beautiful see weed that amazed me by its color, who happens to be side by side to the sea urchins (which I chose to draw the shell) who gave name to the famous Ouriços, the typical cupcake from Ericeira.

It was a delight to eat those while there! I have tasted several and my favorite ones where the Ouriços from Café Central made by Manuela Estevão who bakes them since 38 years ago! Amazing!
Café Central is in the centre of the Village in a square known by Jogo da Bola.

I haven't been there since I was a kid and went on vacation with my friend Carol and her family. It was really funny to return to this square and notice the scale differences! The trees seemed huge at the time!

The extinguished pastry Casa das Cavacas was said to be the fist place who ever made this pastry delights, and the first to have a TV in Ericeira. Old stories reported by the nice and chatty waiter of Café Central, Sr. Manuel. It sure made a difference to be waited on with such sympathy and hospitality. Definitely recommend it and I will come back, but next time I think I will buy a whole 10 Ouriços's pack or so!

Other delights of Ericeira's typical food include sea food dishes (like Lobster Açorda, for example Açorda da Lagosta) and fish dishes as Caneja de Infundice. (Dogfish dish)

Indeed, Ericeira used to be a fisherman village but nowadays it is very famous by its Sports Life too: Surf.

As the World Surfing Reserve stands for, it proactively identifies, designates and preserves outstanding waves, surf zones and their surrounding environments around the world. This is the case of Ericeira, that back in 2011 - and along with Malibu and Santa Cruz, in California, and Manly Beach, in Australia - was chosen to be the first World Surfing Reserve in Europe.

Due to its outstanding conditions to surf, Ericeira has hosted important events like ASP World Tour and Quik Silver Pro Portugal.

The village overflows Surf and sea related items everywhere: the surf schools, the hostels, the street fashion, the film festival, the music festival... If you are in Portugal and are into this sport this is definitely the place to go.

I was pretty privileged since I had three super guides - Alexandre Costa Cabral, Duarte Bettencourt and João Guedes who generously received me on their Community Surf Hostel and gave me the best tips to enjoy the most.

The Community Surf Hostel started with three friends who had the passion for Surf, for Ericeira and for receiving others as part of a Community, and hence its name. I loved their informal tone.
Nil, who makes part of the staff was great too. Everybody was always helpful and friendly.

The three of them are experienced Surfers (João was the National Surf Champion in 2009) and will teach you how to surf or improve your skills if you're willing to. You can also try Stand Up Paddle. They actually even have a special offer, the Wave Hunters Pack thinking on this. Check out their prices here. And if you want to know some more Surf meanderings in Ericeira, its story, waves, beaches, swell and wind conditions, among other details, please check this out.

The hostel, just in front of Coxos's Beach, in Ribamar (is also very close to Ribeira d'Ilhas and São Lourenço beach) has a nice sea view, a fully equipped kitchen ready to use, and a little garden with a hammock in a tree, my favorite part of the decor.

I have to say I was impressed with the amount of work that these three had made in only two months so that the hostel was ready in time for this summer. I'm glad you made it because it is now the most comfy new place in Ericeira!

The famous Coxo's Beach wave has triggered the whole World Surfing Reserve application process. The Coxo's Beach, or literally the Lame's beach has several possible funny stories behind its name. Some claim that back in the days, the access to the beach was so rough (not anymore!) that people seemed like limping; others allege that after a shipwreck took place there, its lame Captain came ashore and was mistakenly shot. The beach was supposedly named Coxo's Beach in his honor. Some others yet say its high iodine levels took people with bone problems to visit it, looking for a cure. True or false, Charles Lepierre, a water expert chemist, considered Ericeira the most Iodine concentrated point of the Portuguese coast. Well, whatever the reason was, it sure entertained my imagination to search about it. 

In the living room there is a table to eat, nice blue couches, TV, books, and a guitar - loved that last one! Cheers up any place! The hostel's decor is breezy and the color stripes above turn out to be its interiors hallmarks. It inspired me to do this drawing with a wave taken from a Surf magazine I was given by Duarte.

One of the places they've showed me (yes, they went there with me!) was the Pizza Mobile Restaurant just in front of the amazing São Lourenço beach. The view of the restaurant is top.

Their relaxed mood and friendly tone led me to think about how that is present in the Surf world and how could I draw São Lourenço's name in a more informal typographic way: no serifs, no fixed widths and less color opacity. Had in mind too those days I devoured Sublime's music.

The paper table cover pattern was beautiful and the pizza I've ordered, great - it was half Rucola half Vegetarian one. (Check out their Menu here) I wanted to include some element of the restaurant so I started drawing during dinnertime and then cropped the paper table cover to finish painting it.
Loved the sight, the pizzas and specially the company, always with lively talking.

Night clubs and bars are pretty active in the region too. I was lucky that on this weekend, it was Barzinho's 26th anniversary and Ouriço's Sunset Party the next day. Ouriço exists since 1960 and is known to be the oldest disco in Portugal.

Yen Sung was in charge when I arrived. With her beauty and master skills in the music selection, I pictured her narrating and conducting a purple storyline. Like a Rhythmic Gymnastics Athlete, she made the music turn into a purple ribbon in the air.
No wonder she is a veteran, Yen makes part of Portuguese Electronic Music history since she started in the mythical Fragil and is a resident Dj in the most famous Lisboner disco worldwide - Lux Fragil - since its beginning, in 1998.
I loved the Ouriço club, its stunning view to Praia dos Pescadores (right in front), and its ever changing painted facade. It was just the happy day end I needed.

It was from Praia dos Pescadores that the Portuguese Royal family left in exile mode to England, when the establishment of the Republic happened, in 1910.
Talking about the Royal family, if you have time, also visit Mafra Palace-Convent, 10 minutes away from Ericeira. It is the maximum exponent of the Portuguese Baroque, built by order of John the V.
It's Library is famous as its stunning sculptures and Carillons. The construction took so long to built that an artists school was created there. Mafra gave visibility to Portuguese artists like Machado de Castro and Vieira Lusitano.
Also worth to know that this massive monument was the inspiration of the Nobel Prizewinner for Literature, José Saramago, for his book, Baltasar and Blimunda (Memorial do Convento in Portuguese).

Great to realize that 40 minutes away from Lisbon, there is such a mecca for Surf, a place full of history and tasty food with friendly people ready to welcome you.

+10.000 views

Inner Tour blog had more than 10.000 views! 

To celebrate I'm posting below the drawing used for Conversas LIII poster.

THANK YOU ALL!

Rainy Day

It was a fortune.  

No rain. I was walking, the sky was dark dark dark, and the street was steep steep steep. Suddenly this house with bougainvilleas - that by its color was already a painting - came across my way. 

I stopped for a moment, time enough for a rain storm to start.

My rainy day was made. 

Senhor Pereira nas Conversas :: Mister Pereira at Conversas

Live Drawing from Senhor Pereira, one of the guests of Conversa XLIII.
More about Conversas

The Saxophone Dream

Open Talho

Quis o destino que – em plena Alfama, rodeados do fado e do que mais característico em Lisboa existe – quatro criativos se encontrassem neste, que é o seu laboratório de 'corte' e definição da forma das suas ideias – o Talho.

Da antiga função deste espaço ficaram as paredes de mármore e o toldo encarnado, onde está escrito a letras brancas

                                                           T A L H O

O Talho está aberto Sábado, dia 13 de Outubro das 15H às 20H. 

Venham conhecer-nos!

Rua São João da Praça,17 perto da Sé de Lisboa

O Talho Aberto faz parte da terceira edição da Abertura de Ateliês de Artistas em Lisboa.

+ info:

http://assoc-castelodif.pt/en/event

Roses for me

Roses for You

Brazilian Post Cards 3

While in Brazil, I did a special series of postcards I have sent to some special friends. Here are some of my favourites.

Brazilian Post Cards 1

While in Brazil, I did a special series of postcards I have sent to some special friends. Here are some of my favourites.

 A night in Bahia to Stefanie

Dance

Color pencils and acrylic on paper.

Neue Kunst Galerie :: Berlin

From Mies Van der Rohe. One of the most beautiful buildings I ever saw.
Made in 2005.

Behind the Curtain :: Tabor Straße

2005
Für Felix Hautzinger who gave me his room, in Tabor Straße (Vienna, Austria) where this refers to. With this street name as address it seemed the perfect match to a musician´s place.

Dizzy Loving

Always inspired when I´m in Zambujeira do mar :)
2003

Exits

Did this one, bored in the plane during a trip to Italy back in 2004.

No pain

2003

Fura estrelas :: Stars driller