Ever since I started travelling (13 months ago) I have been following Urban Sketchers, a non profit organisation that was founded in Washington state and has a local presence in many parts of the world. We started tour travel around the world last June and most of the places I have been has an urban sketches presence and having signed up to the Facebook page so I get lots of updates about the upcoming events. I really wanted to join the symposium in Paraty, but it was two months after I got there, so I went on a sketching spree with my friend Winnie, also a sketcher, who joined us from Cape Town. Our little pre urban sketchers sketch scrawl. (Sounds stalkerish I know).
Serendipity in Buenos Aires
So when we got to Buenos aires I naturally looked up urban sketchers Argentina. My Spanish is still in its early stages and so when I serendipitously bumped into urban sketchers drawing in plaza Marco in Buenos Aires I was delighted that the lady I started bombarding with questions as she peacefully sketched spoke English. She told me they met once a month and at the moment that was their once a month and they were sketching different view points of Plaza San Martin. Silvina Grillo invited me to join.
Unsure at first as we had just finished a four hour walking tour of the city and my husband and I were both hungry, I thought twice. But my wonderful husband urged me and even offered to bring me lunch while I sat and started sketching as we only had three hours left. Sketchers spanned the place drawing from every angle. In different styles. A community of people sharing an experience I felt privileged to be part of. I drew until my fingers froze, it being June in buenos aires as the sun went down.
A community of people sharing an experience I felt privileged to be part of. I drew until my fingers froze, it being June in buenos aires as the sun went down.
Exhibit Time
Silvina had explained that at 5 pm everyone gathered and displayed their work for others to see. When if came down to exhibiting I was pensive, feeling a bit self conscious but then I thought, no one knows me and it can’t hurt. Silvina was kind enough to introduce me to a few people including Alejandro Perez who makes sketch books by hand. He couldn’t speak English and my Spanish is not great but we managed to come to an arrangement and I bought specially made handmade sketchbooks.
It is amazing to be let into a community of people who share the same passion for drawing. Being in a new city and feeling part of it at the same time. Thank you to Urban Sketchers Argentina for bring so welcoming.
