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Tuesday, March 19, UW Quad

Monday, March 2, 2015

Urban Sketching in Spain

It was in 1998 when I first visited Spain. Since then, no other travel destination has compared to my two favorite Spanish cities, Barcelona and Sevilla.  It made sense that 17 years later, I would want to spend my 40th birthday returning to beautiful España this past February! And she didn’t disappoint…

More so than my first visit, I really connected with my Spanish-influenced heritage. Maybe that’s why I love it so much -- it reminded me of growing up in a Filipino home.  The cuisine – empanadas, arroz caldo, chicharron, pastillas de leche – looked and tasted very familiar. The Spanish colonial buildings are reminiscent of some of the homes I remember in old-town Manila. There is so much to be inspired by in Spain, from Picasso's paintings, to Gaudi's awe-inspiring designs, to the islamic architectural influence in Andalucia. I could literally stand on any street corner and find something interesting to draw. Here are a few of my favorite sketches from the trip!

La Sagrada Familia - Nativity Facade

La Sagrada Familia - Passion Facade

Barcelona Pavilion designed by Ludwig Mies van der Rohe

Basilica at the Santa Maria de Montserrat Abbey

Patio de las Doncellas (Courtyard of the Maidens) - Royal Alcazar of Seville

Patio de las Muñecas (Courtyard of the Dolls) - Royal Alcazar of Seville

3-min sketch on the left and 10-min sketches on the right

Here's a timelapse of the 3-min sketch (above) - Alley in the Gothic Quarter of Barcelona:

5 comments:

  1. Fantastic, Allan! These bring back fond memories of when I was in Barcelona in 2013. Your sketch of the Sagrada Familia is amazing.

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  2. Allan,
    These are great! And such a great use of color. Your Seville sketches actually remind me of the Alhambra in Granada.

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    Replies
    1. Thanks Gail! It was hard to leave, but I'm also glad to be back home. I think I'll be able to make it to the Burke next week!

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  3. Alan, your sketches are beautiful! My boyfriend and I also just got back from a trip to Spain, including a visit to Royal Alcazar of Seville. By any chance, do you have an online shop where you sell your sketches? I would love to purchase one, if available of course, please let me know. Thank you.

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