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Did you participate on Saturday's 23rd World Wide SketchCrawl? We'd love to see your urban sketches. Share them on our Flickr group.

Friday, November 21, 2008

Viva Las Vegas!

After reading and seeing all the posts here about Venice I'm kicking myself for two things. First, for not having been to Venice and taken a gondola. Second, for not having sketched The Venetian hotel in Las Vegas when I was there in September for a conference —the drawing would have come handy now. I know what you're thinking: how dare I compare a Vegas hotel with the magical and charming Italian city. Sure, no comparison, but may I say those Vegas hotels replicating cities like Venice, New York or Paris are a pretty wild sight? Here's what I sketched during a walk around Las Vegas Boulevard, also known as 'the strip,' on a hot September morning:

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The New York New York Hotel Casino. These buildings are not just a facade, they are the real hotel towers where guests stay. I came here with some colleagues from the conference and we went on the roller coaster, which goes in and out of the building and turns you upside down a couple of times. Then we watched the Cirque du Soleil show Zumanity, the top entertainment offering at the casino.

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The Paris Hotel is further north on Las Vegas Boulevard. The restaurant at street level happens to be called Mon Amí Gabi.

What do you think of the blatant copies of these beloved landmarks? I find them surreal but quite entertaining.

16 comments:

petescully said...

personally i love them! I got married in Vegas, we had our honeymoon at the Venetian. Well, we got engaged in the real Venice so it was fitting. If anything, the Venetian was less touristy!
Excellent drawings as usual!

lapin said...

I love that views, I would like to visit vegas too.

Lou s said...

I love them - totally kitsch, tongue-in-cheek - they make me smile! Fantastic drawings too.

laureline said...

I think they're great fun! Your sketches show how much delight you take in them.

Katherine Tyrrell said...

Great sketches Gabi.

Amanda said...

Great going Gabi. This place must be a sketcher's heaven. Vegas is at the top of my must-see list... now that I've check off Spain, Italy and downtown Newark.

Veronica Lawlor said...

These are great, Gabi! I've never been to Venice in Las Vegas, but I have been in EPCOT and also there is a gondola ride you can take in Central Park - and I love the city in all its incarnations!

Stephen Gardner said...

These are great Gabi, I was there two years ago but it was way to hot to draw. Your sketches capture exactly all the craziness. I'm in a better mood for having seen them.

Laura Genz said...

Just alive, and your comment is wonderful... like the sketches !!!

marina said...

Spectacular drwaings!

memi said...

What's entertaining, Gabi, are your drawings!!!

You have captured- and commented- on exactly what Vegas is about!

They are wonderful....

suzanne cabrera said...

Wow Gabi....I can't believe how well you were able to transfer the excitement of Vegas onto paper!!! When I was there in August our hotel window looked right out onto the scene you've shown from New York, New York! but I was too timid to draw it....

Sketchalina said...

Wow! Just love these.

Nina Johansson said...

Wild sketches! Now I´ll have to add Vegas to my list of places to go...

Beegirl said...

Never been to Vegas, would love to go...so LOVE these sketches! Fantastic color and detail. Congrats too on the success of this fantastic site! Wonderful....

Barbara Weeks said...

Spectacular!

 

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