King Kong the Musical

 

Tonight, I had the opportunity to attend the dress rehearsal of the new King Kong musical on Broadway. It premieres on November 8. It is awe-inspiring and so worth seeing! The stage set designs are breathtaking. As well as the insanely big and life-like King Kong animatronic puppet. Here’s how the NYTimes describes it: « a moving sculpture, with sad eyes and a fearsome roar, requiring 14 performers, as well as 16 microprocessors, to operate.»
 
I made some quick drawings from my seat, in the dark. It was fascinating to watch the puppeteers maneuver the ape and at the same time continue to believe that the beast is alive and has feelings... just wow!

Weimar Republic-era Cabaret at the SoI

Weimar Republic-era Cabaret with the *incredible* model Kim David Smith at the Society Of Illustrators sketch night, curated by Bil Donovan
 #societyofillustrators #sketchnight #juliasverchuk #fashionillustration #drawing #art #inkdrawing

Porto! Porto! Porto! (and a little bit Madrid)

Drive from Lisbon to Porto. View from the car.

Rest area between Lisbon and Porto

Porto’s incredible Douro river bank.

Porto in Tiles

Last dusk in Porto - view onto the beautiful bridge by Gustave Eiffel across the Douro river.

 

Madrid

SoI Fashion Night

Drawings from the Society of illustrators fashion drawing night. Loved these models, Pearl and Devin!

Boylesque

Great models from “Boylesque” #burlesque at the Society of Illustrators. And some bizarre costumes that were so fun to draw... Thank you, @companyxiv @markozzie @ianspring @zanepilhstromdesigns @aekieren

Pharoah Sanders at (le) Poisson Rouge

Pharoah Sanders

Free jazz saxophonist who played with Coltrane and is still igniting at 77, Pharoah Sanders. It was a transcendent musical experience.

Argentina: Buenos Aires and Iguazu Falls

Tango in La Boca, Buenos Aires, Argentina. Soft and oil pastels on paper. 

I recently returned from Argentina - it was my first time below the equator - and brought these drawn memories with me.

Buenos Aires felt like a sprawling cosmopolitan collage of a city, with a mish-mash of architectural styles from different time periods. La Boca, a kitsch touristy neighborhood filled with street vendors, paper mâché toys and tango dancers, was the most fun place to draw: a fauvist dream come to life.

Restaurant in La Boca. Buenos Aires, Argentina. Watercolor and pastel on paper.

Tango dancers in La Boca. Buenos Aires, Argentina. Watercolor and pastel on paper.

We stayed in Recoleta neighborhood, and frequented this square near the old cemetery, to eat, have a coffee or an ice-cream break, or to watch the sunset.

Gigantic Fig (Rubber) Tree, which is actually classified as a shrub, because there's no central axis (trunk). These gargantuan shrubs surround Recoleta district in Buenos Aires.

***

Iguazu Falls National Park, which was a short flight from Buenos Aires, is a remarkable wonder of nature. The magnitude of Iguazu waterfalls (and there are many, comprising one giant conglomerate) is truly awe-inspiring. We spent a long day at that park, walking various trails all around the Falls, amidst many colorful butterflies, wild birds and animals, and fragrant prehistoric flowers (I lamented not being able to draw a fragrance... because some of those flowers were just intoxicating).

I've been recommending to put Iguazu Falls on everyone's bucket list. It's so worth the shlep :)

That orange triangle at the bottom is a boat with brave souls who ventured to take the lower trail and experience the waterfalls from underneath. One of these boats capsized in front of our eyes. I was not brave enough to go on the lower trail. Instead, I made some drawings. 

Showing this butterfly my drawing. 

Notes From Venezia

The main artery of Venice, the Grand Canal, from atop the Rialto Bridge. Such an elusive and surreal city...

Early morning by the Rialto bridge in Venice

Basilica in Piazza San Marco in Venice

Passing under the Bridge of Sighs

Gondola rides are the most magical way to experience Venice.

Missing this view...

Murano, the glass-blowing island of Venice

Early morning in front of Basilica San Marco

Early morning in front of Basilica San Marco

Gondola rides are the most magical way to experience Venice.

Gondolini, arriving to the blessing ceremony before the races

2-men racing gondolas, called gondolini, in a blessing ceremony before the races.

Gondolini races in Venice

Under the Rialto Bridge

The Rialto Bridge

A building under renovation on one of the side streets, away from the touristy bustle. Construction worker is getting supplies from his boat. Love the little bridges that lead directly to private doorways.

From the Rialto Bridge