Chani's Creative Space

Of course, in Portugal, I also drew. But I realized how delicate it was to make sketches in streets of remote areas. Even if Elvas and Évora are to find on the UNESCO World Heritage List, there are not Disney World. Many streets were definitely too private to draw in front of houses were people live in.  Enjoy! Houses in Elvas Estremoz Door in Elvas Town gate in Redondo House in Redondo  Cork oaks  Cork oak Our wooden lodge  Cork oak Goat shelter

Some towns are so beautiful that I would like to get lost in them for ever.  I do not mean big cities, but rural towns where neighbours leave with open doors, greet the strangers who pass by, where the  houses are crooked and the streets narrow. I spent one week in the remote region of Alentejo, in the south-east Portugal, and it was definitely not enough. But the four towns I could discover (Redondo, Elvas, Estremoz and Évora) give a little idea of the appeal of the area. Enjoy! Redondo Redondo  Redondo    Redondo   Redondo Redondo  Estremoz    Estremoz Estremoz    Elvas  Elvas  Elvas  Elvas  Elvas    Évora Évora  Évora

There are some places that I would never leave. The region around the small town of Redondo in the region Alentejo (south-east of Portugal) is such a place (I had the luck to spend last week in a small wooden lodge in the middle in a cork oak forest . Of course, I also visited some historical towns and drew there - but that will be for another day).  The form of those evergreen trees with corky are of singular beauty. Enjoy!

The project "A Paper / A Day" has almost reached its end, but I have felt in love with drawing small sketches outside and I suppose I will go on with that. During the last weeks, I have been reflecting a lot about painting, drawing, figurative and abstract art.  I like creating abstract works because I feel totally free and it is the natural way of expressing myself. Not having to look for a good spot and trying to represent as good as I can a building, a tree, a scene,... that is already there, but putting what I feel as a visual artist on canvas or paper . Nevertheless, looking for a nice spot and finding it has its charm too! Working outside reserves you surprises that you would never live in the privacy of your studio.  Another positive side effect of my participation in this project is that I got to know the refreshing work of Natacha Dimovska and the organization Urban Sketchers . Most of all, I am absolutely grateful to my translator colleague Valerij Tomarenko ...

Despite of the wind, drawing outside is fun and has become almost a habit. ;-)  Castillo de Santa Clara (Torremolinos, Spain) Casa de los Navajas (Torremolinos, Spain) Bodegon Alyca (Torremolinos, Spain) Crocodile Park (Torremolinos, Spain) La Cizaña (Torremolinos, Spain) Cacti in the Parque de la Paloma (Benalmádena, Spain) Torre Bermeja (Benalmádena, Spain) Playa El Saltillo (Torremolinos, Spain) Playa Carvajal (Benalmádena, Spain) Capitanía Puerto Marina (Benalmádena, Spain) Castillo Bil Bil (Benalmádena, Spain)