Beach life in Lido di Venezia

On the beach in Lido of Venice you don't go to the beach but you enter a world of its own. In the 'capanne' and surroundings, you can do everything other than sunbathing and bathing in the green waters of the Adriatic sea. Families bring their own complete meal at noon, people play bowls, cards, soccer and volleyball, people read newspapers and talk about card gamemes and how to cook new dishes. Children play every where but have to stop making noise frm one to 4 pm.

Street musicians

Gipsy sax player at the Piazzola sul Brenta
antique market.

National steel guitar player in front
of Pedrocchi caffè in Padova.

It's surprising the variety of music played in our cities'streets, from blues to jazz, from balcanian music to gipsy jazz, medieval and irish music, folk and new age. I have done it myself many years ago. I remember busking for fun 40 years ago in Edinburgh and in Venice, right under San Marco's square tower. Some players are very good some are average,  but it's always delightful to hear them play while you are walking around, it's like having an urban sound track as acconpaniament to your footsteps.

Diari di viaggio. Ferrara 12-14 aprile 2013

Springtime gave its blessing to this nice, warm and friendly event in Ferrara. It was nice meeting all the people of the association 'Autori di diari di viaggio' at Palazzo Racchetta in the Ferrara's Ghetto and all the artists who came for the sketchcrawl. Nice to draw toghether crawling trough the streets of the Ferrara: the castle and bycicle city, the city of Cappellacci di zucca and Salama da sugo (also renowed for its excellent univeristy of law). I was proud to show my carnets de vie and my 'carnet collage' panel at the exhibit among so many brilliant artistes de carnet de voyage. I have drawn some, walked a lot, ate very well at the Osteria del Ghetto and slept like a baby at 'le stanze di Torcicoda' thanks to Pietro and to the apple cake of his sister. Looking forward to next year.

out of focus Savonarola statue near the Castle

the jewish cemetery

the event poster by Silvia and roberto Cariani

at the osteria del ghetto

my carnets de vie

the carnet de vie panel at the show

Smartphones? Or not?

young girl catched in the waiting room of the dance school. So concentrated on  her mother's smartphone. Will our children become more smart?

mangiare e bere - trattorie italiane # 1 - all'Anfora

trattorie  italiane #1 - All'Anfora- Padova

The first drawing of a series on the italian 'Trattorie'.
I try to catch the spirit and the taste of the 'family' cooking. L'Anfora is an historical place in Padova, it has recently celebrated its 20th anniversary. It sits just behind Piazza delle Erbe, near the Ghetto, in the heart of the ancient city. People behind the counter and waiters are friendly as the food and wine they serve. Alberto runs it in a very offhand way, you often see him with a glass in his hand talking to his friends/customers.
People of the neighbouring shops go there every day for lunch and often gather around a big table as if they were inthe family dining room. You feel at home and the menu is made up mainly of local dishes.

Urban shows

Finally I go 'public' in an analogic way. Four of my travel drawings/sketches shall be in two different collective shows. The first, called 'Matite in Viaggio' (travelling pencils) http://www.matiteinviaggio.it/programma.php  

will take place in Mestre , near Venice, from the 5th of Oocrober to the 7th at Cenntro Candiani. The second, from the 18th of december onward, called ' Le metamorfosi del viaggiatore' - http://metamorfosidelviaggiatore.blogspot.it/

 - organized by the Italian Illustrators Association, will take place in Milan at the Credito valtellinese gallery - Palazzo delle Stelline. It's a nice late start. If you come hope you enjoy the shows.

black beauty

Finally I am back (it's a message for me...) after two years in which my work and my personal life washed out my love for drawing people. I have made only five drawings in 2011 but now the strength has come back. I travel often on local trains in north eastern Italy, packed with so many different people. It's a mine for portraits! I schetched this beautiful woman with her child between Padova and Venice.

26th sketchcrawl - the public

26th sketchcrawl - the public, originally uploaded by andrea bayer.

27th February morning. There were some passers by that looked at us sketching but did not stop. This man, waiting for a friend, was dusting is car for half an hour so I had enough time to capture him.

26th sketchcrawl - the sketchers

26th sketchcrawl - the sketchers, originally uploaded by andrea bayer.

My first Sketchcrawl. It was a warm and sunny February day, the 27th. The group was composed by 8 roman sketchers (three in the drawing). We begin at 11. I have drawn for an hour or so, at the beginning I was very shy but at the end we talked a little about tecniques and showed each other what we had done. It was very nice. We decided to stay in touch and organize very sooon another informal sketchcrawl.

vineria

vineria, originally uploaded by andrea bayer.

In campo dei fiori, Rome, there is a place called Vineria, that reminds me of the 'Baccari' (popular traditional bars) in Venice, my hometown, that's why I am at ease here.
Before going home in the evening after work I pass by for a quick drink with my 'vineria' friends: english, american, dutch people and from all over Italy who live in Rome. The man portraied here with moustache is a marvellous person.