Live from Jaca, Spain, urban sketching capital of the world

I'm in Jaca, Spain, participating at the University of Zaragoza summer workshop Travelling with a sketchbook, which started today and lasts through Saturday.

I think it's fair to say that Jaca is at this particular moment the urban sketching capital of the world. More than 70 people have come to this beautiful city in the Pyrenees to sketch for three days in a row. That doesn't happen every day.

I'm honored to be among the visiting faculty along with Eduardo Salavisa, from Lisbon; Enrique Flores and Antonia Santolaya, from Madrid; Simo Capecchi, from Naples; and Lapin, from Barcelona.

I missed the morning sessions because I was still making my way here from Seattle but here's some of the action I was able to catch after I arrived.



At about 4.30 p.m. we gathered near the 17th century Ciudadela fortress in the heart of the city to start the afternoon sketching session. We broke in three groups and headed to different places to sketch. My group chose to draw at Calle Mayor, where I did the sketch shown at the top of the post. Above right is Rubén, a doctor from Teruel taking part in the seminar. I want a hat like that.



Once we were done sketching at Calle Mayor it didn't take us too long to find a nice outdoors terrace to sit for a drink and pass around the sketchbooks. Each of us has been given a sketchbook specially handcrafted for the workshop. Kudos to Clara Marta, who teaches artistic drawing at the University of Zaragoza Design School, for all the effort putting together this program.



We wrapped up the day having dinner at Mesón Serrablo, where more drawing and drinking took place. On the photo, from left to right, sketches by Javier, Enrique and yours truly. It's amazing how much better you can draw under these circumstances. Being in Jaca I mean.

If you like these live reports I'll try to do more as the seminar continues. Hasta pronto.