people

landscape sketches

Azougui, Adrar

Terjit, Adrar

One of my blogger friends posted today some landscapes he did on his visit to Mauritania in 2004. You can see them here.

Those I'm posting where done a couple years ago when I worked as an interpreter for 4 days taking two Spanish men to the region of Adrar.

Pepe and Chiqui work for the Parque Nacional de DoñAna in Spain and had come on a visit to the Parc Nacional du Banc d'Arguin. They're also full time photographers.

They decided to visit inland Mauritania against the clock.

We kept stopping for photos and I tried as best as I could to sketch as fast as they took photos.

street seller and Obama's message

This is an old sketch but today I feel like Abdou Karim. I'm just sitting and waiting for clients to

arrive to Auberge Sahara where I'm substituting Hermann for a month and a half while he's taking a break in France.

Contrary to Abdou Karim that walks around town searching for buyers I just stay at the Auberge. Today is the first quiet day since I've started so that I managed to read Obama's 11 July speech at Accra,Ghana.

He starts with "... Africa's future is up to Africans."

Unfortunately his speeches don't seem to get much airing. So here in Mauritania young people that represent the future of the nation might not even be aware he visited the Continent.

He also says in his speech "Africa doesn't need strongmen, it needs strong institutions."

Well American President does deliver the best speeches ever, connecting with people and making their dream of another way of doing things and living.

For most Mauritanians that have just seen the "coup d'état" General take his place as a elected President. A strong man is what this country needs as if all its inhabitants where not much more than a bunch of young mischievous children!

How can you instill in people a sense of responsibility on their own destiny?

Something wrong with those typeset but don't seem able to correct it!!

elections day, Mauritania

Quick sketch done before going home after work. Ahmed Daddah political headquarters are just across from where I'm working. As it had been a quiet day in town as everything was closed for people to vote I wondered why they were gathering there.

They were putting up a stage with red carpet and chairs and big speakers. People would gather here with their leader to attend the first results from the voting. Its going to be a close race and unpredictable, as one men said to me while I sketched, political forecasts don't work here as things can change very fast meaning alliances.

travellers

Albert Casals

This young man of eighteen in the wheelchair is called Albert Casals. He's been travelling since the age of 14 on his own and with a budget of 3 euros per day.
Last night he slept at Auberge Sahara where I'm working for a while substituting my partner that went for a visit to France.
The first thing I said to him as he was getting ready to leave this morning was:
- Can I draw you?
He said yes. He was in no hurry to get anywhere he said so I did this sketch.
And then he left on his way to Rosso and Senegal. I looked for him in the net and you can find about him here and in Spanish here you should check the Spanish link just for his photo as that's how he looked this morning just with the blue almost faded having instead a blond head with bits of greenish strands.
Later I regretted not having had thought about asking him to stay.I do know where handicapped children play basket and I'm sure they would have loved to meet him.
He makes us people aware of the limitations we put to ourselves and to our happiness.

today sketches

Hanna my neighbours daughter wants to roll the couscous like her grandmother. So she was given this big plastic thing used by her nanny and some flour and she rolls.

My neighbourhood, Ilot K.

Bilal preparing the first morning tea at Auberge Sahara, Sidi Ahmed is a late sleeper.

Four Moroccans from Casablanca arrived last night at the "Aubergue Sahara" after 29 days on their bikes, they left for Dakar, Senegal, this morning.

You can see photos of their adventure here.

set of playing cards

Spoonbill

Fennec

Pelican

Black cormoran

I might be illustrating a children's book about the biodiversity at the National Park of "Banc d'Arguin" in Mauritania. The book will go together with two sets of playing cards one of which will display all the animals you can find in the park.

These are some of the studies I'm doing.

bits and bobs from this week