Forte Sao Marcelo, Salvador

Yesterday I went to visit a very old fort that was built to protect the city of Salvador, Bahia in Brazil. I didn't have my camera and there wasn't an opportunity to sketch. Today I found this old photo of the fort online. Other photos of old Bahia are at this link.

There isn't a date but I'm guessing it was taken in the '40s or '50s, judging from the clothes. The fort itself is that oval-shaped structure in the upper righthand corner. It has only been the last couple of years that it has been open for tours, following a major recuperation. The different levels and curves and angles make it a very interesting place to sketch, even if historical landmarks aren't your thing. I hope to get back with more time and my sketchbook.

Comments

Post a Comment

Please leave me a note, it's nice to know you're out there!

Popular posts from this blog

Plein Air at Annie's Annuals

Image
Today was a plein air day. I met up with some other members of the El Cerrito Art Assn. at a garden nursery in San Pablo called Annie's Annuals . Tho I'd driven by before, today was the first time I actually went in and was hugely rewarded for my efforts. Just tons of plants to look at and buy, but what I liked most was the planted areas. If only I could transform my square of dirt that I generously call my yard into something like these. I painted for a couple hours in my sketch book. Then went searching for some plants. Although there are literally thousands of plants and flowers to choose from, I eventually narrowed my purchases down to 4 or 5. My criteria are tough: must be able to withstand drought conditions (cuz you won't get much water from me); be able to survive severe to total neglect; have a natural repellant that discourages weeds, snails, slugs, and hopefully raccoons; and ideally, be self-pruning and gorgeous. I know, I demand a lot. But there are a few thi...
Read more

23rd World Wide Sketchcrawl, July 11, 2009

Image
Yes! Today the local Sketchcrawl took place in San Francisco at the Presidio. This is an event that takes place every three months all over the world, well, not everywhere, only in about 90 countries. The last time, I was in Brazil, so this was my first in San Francisco. From the Presidio, the views are fantastic, everywhere you turn. A good time! To see more results, click here .
Read more

Happy End to 2009!

Image
Aaaaaaaaaaaah . . . . That's just me heaving a great big sigh of relief. Even though I know that that year-end blitz of too-much-to-do, too-little-time is coming, and try to downsize and minimize the stress factors, I still get caught up in it. Cards never got sent, packages didn't get mailed til after Christmas (it's in the mail, no really, you know how the Post Office is), and now I want to finish decorating, while everyone around me has all their assorted holiday crappage thrown out/packed away/put out on the curb. I guess I just move to a different (slower) beat. On a lighter note, after two months of eating like a sumo wrestler caught in a burning marijuana-field downdraft, I've lost three pounds since Sunday, after starting to eat more sensibly. No ice cream, no cookies. No white flour stuff, pasta, pizza. Just wanna lose another seven pounds. Time to get in shape for the annual migration to Brazil. Gotta dust off the old bikini. Figuratively speaking, of course...
Read more