green ballons

sketches from sketchcrawl

And finally the sketches from our sketchcrawl in a sandstorm, those first ones are mine with a view from the boats in the beach at the "Port de pêche artisanale", Sidi Yahya sketching and a lady filming the whole thing.

A view from the sketchers sketching and the onlookers. The sea front with a chinese fishermen and a woman that had just bought her fish from one of the boats arriving so that she can go and sell it at a local market. This one was blogged at urbansketchers a few days ago it shows one of the buildings built by the Chinese here in the port.And now some drawings from some of the people that joined us.

Marion

Simon

Mokhis

Bruno Borges

Oumar Ball

Lauréne

And the youngest of all Marion a five year old sketcher.

Sketchcrawl in Nouakchott's fishing harbour

Saturday, june 20th, we met at the fishing harbour around 4pm temperatures were high and the color you see in the photos is due to the sand storm. But by the sea side there was a cool breeze and we were happy we were sketching here.

The building you can see was built by the chinese, they're the ones that have given the city its most important and necessary buildings like hospitals, the Olympique stadium, the Palais de Congress, the President's residence and many more. We have to say that they also bring thin quality plastic bags that burst the moment you put an item into them so that the city is covered in those plastic bags.

Those were the late arrivals, they belong to the "maison des artistes", Amal, a moroccan artist living here and Mokhis an Mauritanian artist. I hope to post all sketches in the next days.

Omar Ball one of the favourite and youngest artist in Mauritania.

One of the youngest participants but not the only one. He felt a bit intimidated by the attention but then started to cope with it. Next time we'll bring extra paper and pens for any one that will want to join us.

More photos at http://www.flickr.com/groups/mauritaniedessins/

A photo taken by Patrick Flouriot of me sketching in the fishing harbour.

june, 20th, around the world

At the same time I'll be going to the Nouakchott sketchcrawl, people in Iran will be demonstrating for their rights, even after they have been forbidden to do so.

I don't know anything about politics but its clear to me that you don't risk your life in vain.

My thoughts will be with them and I hope that all will go on peacefully.

wall painting 2

Drawing done in my sketchbook in February 2007 from a cushion found in a shop at Ayoun el Atrouss, Mauritania.

the beggining

with a bit of help from my friends, Bilal and Hermann (taking the photo)

Fatima and the finished wall

Here is the second wall I got to work on, using the same pattern as in the first one, i decided to repeat half of it creating this way a new one, the original pattern was taken from the ones used in a leather cushions.

Leather art and crafts are the work of Mauritanian women belonging to the cast of the "maelemins" they create utilitarian objects in leather and decorate them with exquisite patterns, different groups will have their own "motifs" making it easier to identify from which village the work comes from.

This works has to do with the disapearence of a memory. Knowledge is transmited orally and as the newer generations are being scholarised and opting for different jobs, this "savoir faire" is not being transmitted.

Most objects are for daily use so their life span is reduced.

The patterns are first recorded in my diaries , latter those patterns will be reworked and used in a new surface, wood or walls or both.

sketchcrawl Nouakchott

 

  Viens dessiner avec nous :

   Samedi, 20 de Juin a 3.30 on se trouve au Centre Culturel Français, destination le port de  pêche artisanale.

  Tous le monde est bienvenue.

  C'est la deuxiéme fois qui on va dessiner en groupe à Nouakchott, le premier "sketchcrawl a eu la participation de Bechir Maloum, Sidi Yahyia, Mouna et Mehdi, vous pouvez voir les photos et dessins içi

 Et decouvrir plus sur sketchcrawl à niveau mondiale içi

  

 

 Come and draw with us:

  Saturday, June 2oth meeting at 15.30 at the  "Centre Culturel Français" destination the fishing    harbour.

  Open to everyone, young or old, begginner or experienced.

  This will be the second time that sketchers will meet and draw together in the streets of  Nouakchott. Check the first one here.

 

Casamance, Senegal

Two "talibés" and dotted chicken

fromager

river

cook and a cow

butcher table and barmaid

airport and first impressions

Some old sketches on brown paper from a visit to Casamance in Senegal a few years ago.

Summer workshop in Spain: travelling with a sketchbook

 

 The University of Zaragoza in Spain is organizing a summer workshop  about travel sketchbooks in Jaca a picturesque town in the Pyrenees near the french border, September 10- 12.

 

 The speakers include an awesome representation from urbansketchers: Eduardo Salavisa, Enrique Flores, Antonia Santaolaya, Simo Capecchi, Lapin and the founder of USk Gabriel Campanario.

 Clara Marta Moreno, who teaches artistic drawing at the University of Zaragoza Design School, is organising the workshop.

 An event not to be missed if you're in Europe. How I wish I was there!                                                                                     

Western Sahara refugee camps

 feeding the camels

evening drink, trying to warm up

school

tea 

toys

 January 2008, I spent 5 weeks living in the refugee camps of the Saharaouis at Tindouf, Algeria.

Those women, men and children became my friends. I was there to draw the women and their activities in the camps, running schools, health centers, coops etc.

 The courage and the determination of this people even after spending 33 years in the camps waiting for a solution, its impressive. Morocco occupied their country as the Spanish left this colony in 1975. United Nations has from as far as 1974 been saying that the western Sahara should decide by referendum of their future... too many economical interests and a strong adversary have kept this people waiting in the refugee camps at Tindouf,  in Western Sahara where they're now a minority due to the colonisation of the area by Moroccans and spread a bit all over the world. To find more about them you can check the diary of my stay here.