the things i saw on november 17, 2009

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exchange 13 and urban sketchers

The rain today was unlike any rain I have seen in a long time— massive drops flying sideways, up and down. It was a perfect day to stay in, drink tea and do some drawing. I finished my final entry in Emma's Moleskine for Moly-X13.


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Emma's work is so full of life, colour, fun and a looseness that I would love to achieve. The characters she creates have so much personality, they seem to leap off the page. I highly recommend visiting her site.

If you find yourself stuck inside on a rainy day, or curious to see what the world looks like through the eyes of its artists, Urban Sketchers is a great place to get lost in. You may have noticed our logo on the right side of this page. Urban Sketchers was founded in November 2008 by Seattle sketcher Gabi Campanario, to showcase the work of artists around the world who draw the cities they live in and visit. We've got over 70 correspondents on six continents— I happen to be one of them. The talent contained within Urban Sketchers is truly inspiring, and it's a wonderful way to travel to different countries and learn about other cultures. In addition to looking at all the beautiful sketches, I love reading the stories that accompany them.

Since I've posted all of my Istanbul sketches here, I thought I'd share with you some of the ones I did back in San Francisco.

new shoes, an early gift and an experiment.

Isn't it marvellous when something you've had your eye on is suddenly 60% off? I've been dreaming of these strappy gray babies since before the holidays. Today I'm wearing the 10 lira/6 dollar shirt-dress I found at the Levent market in December, my souvenir-scarf from Lebanon and the belt I got for Christmas from my mom. I ended up switching shoes before running out the door since I was planning on going to Ortaköy, a fun part of town with narrow cobblestone alleys that while charming, can eat up your heels. It was a quick trip— tea in a cosy café, a game of checkers and peeking in boutiques. As an early birthday gift, my sister bought me a gorgeous handmade necklace of antique beads crocheted onto the trim of old scarves. I fell for it instantly, it so reminded me of spring. I still can't quite believe I'll be 30 in the next two weeks. I'm excited—
I plan on having much more fun in my thirties.



On Tuesday I went to a café in Yeniköy called the Yeniköy Spor Kulübü, where people often get together to play Mah-jong, Okey and cards in addition to having lunch. I decided to try sketching with gouache in an attempt to loosen up my drawing style. I think I'll keep trying to see what happens.

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It is imperative that any Sketcher have within reach a delicious Turkish coffee, or kahve. A Turkish coffee is thick, silty and strong, served in a dainty little cup. I like it best orta, medium-sweet— your other options are şekersiz, sugarless and şekerli, sweet. There's a tradition of flipping the emptied cup upside down onto its saucer and reading the future in the sediment left behind. I've seen a jungle full of animals and patterns in mine, but I haven't the foggiest what it all means!