Argentina - episode 1

The Urban Sketchers Symposium in Buenos Aires enabled me to visit South America for the first time in October 2024

Plaza de Mayo - BA

After a week in Buenos Aires where I had not much time to visit and sketch, I spent three weeks visiting the rest of Argentina

La Bombonera - BA

In such a big country, I had not enough of three weeks and must make some tough choices

Fletes - BA

The Buenos Aires metropolis is home to a third of the national population and the other cities are quite remote

La Boca - BA

As a mountain lover, most of the destinations I had selected were natural sites located in mountainous areas from the Capricorn tropic to Tierra de Fuego

Long bus ride

I boarded a coach to take me directly to the northern province of Salta, on a direct but very long 22-hour daytime journey

Salta's Cabildo

In Salta I realize I'm in South America: Spanish colonial architecture, Andean folk street music, tropical heat, vegetation and exotic birdsong

Tilcara's bus terminal

Tilcara in Jujuy province is a 3.5-hour bus ride away, a small town of adobe houses in the altiplano

Hostel Tierra Andina

This first day of visiting and sketching this charming place ends with this vintage Chevrolet pickup in front of my hostel

Uquia

 

I spend the day after in Uquia, a village reknown for la quebrada de las señoritas, an incredibly colourful rocky gorge shaped by the winds

El Hornocal - Humahuaca

 

The next day, I head for Humahuaca and la Sierra del Hornocal, known as the mountain of 14 colors. This sketch is the highest I've ever done, at 4300 m above sea level. I'm running out of oxygen to gallop up the slope as usual.

To be continued…

USk Nantes 2024

 

The annual USk France meeting took place in Nantes from May 17 to 20.

After having organised the meeting in Toulouse in 2023, I had the pleasure to attend as a simple participant.

However, I only stayed 2 days and a half, that was too short to see all the places indicated in the program, but enough to see the ever-growing success of the USk.

In my sketchbook I am amazed by the oversized skies and the omnipresent boats.

 

 La rencontre annuelle des Urban Sketchers de France avait lieu à Nantes du 17 au 20 mai 2024.

Après l'avoir accueillie l'an dernier à Toulouse en 2023, j'avais le plaisir cette année d'y figurer en simple participant.

En revanche, je n'y suis resté que 2 jours et demi, ce qui était trop court pour voir tout ce qui était au programme mais suffisant pour constater le succès toujours grandissant des Urban sketchers.

 Dans mon carnet je remarque la taille démesurée des ciels et les bateaux omniprésents.

Friday night sketcher

In this early February Friday night, the temperature is pretty cool. I go out to sketch the church chancel that has just been renovated.

Tonight the cultural center is hosting a concert of groovy Indian music. From the aisles I can feel the excitement and joy of the participants who come outside to refresh their overheated bodies in a too long winter night.

Then the music fades, the crowd disperses, the streets are quiet again. At 00:40 the cats come out and the public lightning goes out.