BCN.UK.2013: Day 3 Time for some Gaudi...and more!

August 7, 2013 | 2 Comments


Well the big event of the Monday before was the visit to Sagarda Familia….it is a fun building to sketch! I made one huge compositional decision on this first morning to draw this building on the angle rather than turn my sketchbook vertically and it impacted the rest of the trip!!

I am really concerned when travelling to make my sketchbooks into a ‘book’ that flows from page to page and was not sure how to best handle an odd sideways page if I went vertical…. so I  made a spilt second decision to go angled… from here on whenever I had a vertical subject (which happened frequently in BCN) I went askew… and then I got hooked on angles!

But first before I get into what I did and sketched on Monday… here is my page from Sunday- my day of rest and worship and sketch free (sketch is from a photo) I walked to the beautiful Parc Ciutadella and sat down on a quiet bench and went to church on my iphone – lovely cool breeze and peaceful outlook! Two amazing events occurred as a result of this. First, A local sketcher walked past and spotted my A4 size moleskine… so nice to met you Joan!

Secondly – I shared the bench with a woman and her mother and then on the Friday of the symposium, while taking a quiet moment to do a solo sketch before the afternoon session this same woman walked past me sitting on the pavement sketching and stopped to say hello!

It is a small world when you are out on the streets with a sketchbook!


So to start with Monday properly… I hadn’t been out sketching much in recent months so decided to do a warm up sketch or two of the buildings that I could see from my balcony. It is important to get a system down pat of how one is going to balance sketchbook and paints etc… so this sketching was good for sorting that.


We spent the morning in Sagrada familia with the SE Asian gang and the Montreal gang! Lots of fun!
For those that read my notes you will discover that I wasn’t so impressed with the interior…. I have found an article which articulates some of my thoughts….


The heat, the big morning,  long walk and subsequent blisters (even in the most reliable of shoes!) meant Chris and I decided on a quiet afternoon – “fancy checking out the tearoom I had discovered?” – it was great!!!


Quick sketch or two before dinner – at my favourite space in BCN. Placa de Rei! Love this place!


BTW- it was so great to have my Sydney sketching friend Chris  at the symposium this year! Someone to have a quiet cuppa with at the end of the day!

2 Comments

  • Hi Liz. Welcome back. So what is the verdict about the larger size Moleskine? Lots of room of course, which you use very well, but how was it practically? I love the smaller size for plein air but I don't add all those extra notes!
    Looks like a brilliant experience.

  • Liz Steel says:

    I LOVE the larger size… it would be my standard sketchbook if it wasn't so heavy. Only use it for trips when I carry it under my arm all the time. Love the larger size – can work A4 without working across a gutter and then can go larger or add more notes!

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