Barcelona Art Update!

Things have been BUSY, but the good news is that there’s PLENTY to share with you. So much that this update is going to be split into two segments. The first segment being ALL about Barcelona, and the 2nd will be a more classic update with art news and non-Spain related work. So pack your bags, pull on those cozy travel pants, and let’s venture to Barcelona!

DAY 1 - TRAVEL DAY

Let me begin by mentioning this is the first time out of the country in over two decades. Despite hermit mode being fully activated, when one is given the opportunity to travel to Spain for a work offsite, YOU TAKE IT. Plus my good friend Franklin (also works with me) and I decided to extend it a week to get some plein-air painting in. Who could say no to that?

Things started off great when I arrived at the airport ridiculously early. For some reason I thought I needed to be there three hours in advance (4am) but realized it was still a domestic flight since my layover was in New York. Such a rookie. Got some doodling in though. Be gentle, I haven’t sketched in ages.

Franklin is a work-travel pro and regularly makes work trips to Spain. As a result, he’s built up a hefty number of miles to gain us access into those fancy lounges. Talk about a premium experience. The food and drinks were FREE and there were so many cozy spots to relax in. I get why people go manic over the miles and statuses now.

The flight from NY to Spain was so nice. We were treated to premium economy class, which gave us reclining chairs and extra leg room. This was all so exciting to this Southwest economy girl, that I couldn’t even sleep.

Once we landed, we dropped our bags off at the airbnb we were staying at and went straight out to go painting. The Parc de la Ciutadella was a short jaunt away, and it was unbelievable how gorgeous it was. So many painting possibilities, too little time! I honestly could have painted there every day of the week and wouldn’t be bored.

I settled with painting the fountain and statues. Each statue was a little different, but they all felt equally epic. The water was a crystal turquoise, and the park was PACKED with people. There was some sort of race event going on for a while, but also you’d see random groups of people dancing and just enjoying life and the outdoors. It was a great first impression.

Unfortunately, I was ill-prepared for this very warm climate. The weather app said it would be in the mid 70’s which I assumed would be a moderate to cool temp. I was wrong and burnt to a crisp on day 1.

It would be cruel to not share with you the amazing food we dined upon, so here was part of our first meal. Pan Con tomate is so simple but delicious, just grating raw garlic over toast, and then scraping a raw tomato on top, with a final drizzle of olive oil. The garlic, while it’s only just a tiny bit, adds a strong kick and the fresh tomato will make your heart sing. And of course some freshly sliced Jamón as an appetizer.

DAY 2 - La Sagrada Familía

After a much needed full nights rest, we made a beeline for the famous La Sagrada Familía, a church designed by Antoni Gaudí. We didn’t even try to go inside since reservations need to be made way in advance, but just being outside of it was incredible. Gaudi’s architecture is so whimsical and interesting. On this magnificent building, you’ll find random pieces of fruit, a Christmas tree, as well as completely epic statues and glass spires. I’m not doing this building any justice, so please go and read about it yourself!

Initially, the view with the water was what I really wanted to paint, but it was SO crowded that we eventually opted for this less claustrophobic spot with some shade. I got to practice some of my Duolingo Spanish IRL which was kind of awesome. My whole life I’ve wanted to learn another language, and the fact that I can sort of grasp it in my 40’s is pretty cool. Despite everyone there talking a million miles an hour and confusing me even more with Catalan sprinkled in, everyone was SO kind and we were able to carry real conversations!

This piece sold! It was one of my favorites of the whole trip.

Franklin was set up farther down under the unforgiving sun. We were both pretty wiped by the end and needed to refuel.

Which meant, CHURROS! They were the first of many that we had that week, and they were delightfully crunchy, light, and the chocolate was a perfect pairing.

After that, we made our way back to the Airbnb to get in a full days work on US time. It was truly mind-blowing how much we could squeeze into a day there, and made me realize that my time could be spent much more efficiently.

DAY 3 - Casa Battló

On Day 3 we walked down to the shopping district and gawked another famous building by Antoni Gaudi, this was called Casa Battló in the Passeig de Gràcia. We were lucky to have visited during a big roses and books festival, Sant Jordi, and the building was decked out in ornate red roses for the occasion.

I decided to focus on the bright Catalan flag that waved against the beautiful mosaics and roses, only in the sun for a quick moment before it was under the shade.

We were standing right at the edge of the sidewalk to not be too in the way of all the tourists. Unfortunately, everyone wanted to see what we were painting and I saw a person almost get “Final Destinationed” as a bus flew by inches behind him. Luckily he was fine, but I don’t think either of us are forgetting that moment!

Our post-painting treat was at a Peruvian/Japanese fusion spot, a combination of flavors that worked surprisingly well. This ceviche might have been my favorite meal from the trip, and I couldn’t stop admiring all the ceramics.

DAY 4 - The Gothic Quarter

Day four we took a long walk to the Gothic Quarter, where I was tempted to paint every single alleyway we walked by. All the old beautiful buildings were so paint-worthy!

I really wanted to paint this pretty famous bridge (Pont del Bisbe), which in hindsight was probably not a good idea given the tight quarters. Actually, even at the time I knew it wasn’t a great idea, but we both loved the spot too much to leave.

It was a challenging one, and the light moved very fast. I had fun though, and included Franklin (even though we joke that he looks like a giant).

Afterward we shared some squid ink paella and other dishes which was delicious! Franklin did a great job at introducing me to all the crucial must-try dishes for the full Spain experience.

DAY 4 - The Plaça Reial & St Jordi Festival
For Day 4 we went back to the Plaça Reial, which was where we just had the paella. The spot was very appealing for many reasons, but really it was just all those palm trees against the ancient architecture. And pigeons!

Bikes with baskets, flowers overflowing balconies, diners under umbrellas, pigeons looking for scraps, mysterious alleyways with dramatic lighting - all things that felt iconic to me for Spain. Really, I was trying to soak in all the sights and appreciate every little detail I could.

Franklin gifted me this BEAUTIFUL painting he did of me painting - Paintception. I appreciate that he made sure the pigeons would be my subject. I in turn am gifting him the one of him, but I definitely got the better end of the deal.

Our post-painting meal this time was at a small sandwich shop nestled in the alleys. The sandwich maker was gruff but kind. Okay, this might have been my favorite meal of the trip. Ham and melted cheese with a crispy yet soft bread…SO GOOD.

This day was the actual celebration of Sant Jordi (aka St. George’s Day, aka The Day of Books and Roses), and I was a kid in a candy store. There literally couldn’t be a more exciting festival to me. The entire CITY was lined with vendors of books and roses, and my faith in humanity was almost fully restored just seeing the thousands of people out all excited to buy books. While Franklin had to get some work done, I ventured out alone and went shopping. I even got some books signed by the authors which felt like an extra special experience and souvenir.

The book stash. It was SO MUCH FUN!

DAY 5 - Everyday Life in Barcelona

Day 5 we stayed close by and just explored more of the everyday life kind of scenes. This spot with a community garden and graffiti was really interesting to us, but ultimately I decided to paint a more subtle spot.

This little scene under the dappled light won me over. The third moped drove away almost immediately but I managed to get it in there early on. These quieter scenes feel most authentic to me, and it definitely ended up being one of my favorites even though it’s a little less glamorous than the rest.

Once again, we rewarded our efforts with more food. This time was a hand pulled noodle place that was so tasty and fulfilled our cravings for spicier food. Turns out the area we stayed in had a large Chinese population and had several Chinese restaurants that all looked delicious. What I didn’t get a photo of was the 50 million bubble tea places we stopped by to get Franklin’s sugar fix.

Speaking of sugar, apparently the pastries of Barcelona are a must have as well. Lots of food requirements! Luckily Franklin could eat enough for 4 people, so I was able to try a little bit of everything without the guilt.

That night we went out to see some of our coworkers that were trickling in. If we were not completely drained of energy by the end of the night we would have painted a nocturne. The Gothic district at night felt like a movie production! It was so well lit and perfect, I couldn’t believe it. I kept thinking I was in the Epcot center at Disney World lol.

The pizza we had was fluffy, and drool worthy. The bartender was charming and kind, and even though it was really cramped we felt so welcome. Unfortunately, I don’t have the names of any of the places we ate since I was just blindly going with whatever Franklin recommended.

DAY 6 - Parc Montjuïc

Day 6 was Saturday, and was really the only full day we had to paint and explore. Thanks to my friend Sidney’s recommendation, we ventured to Parc de Montjuïc, which was HUGE and incredible. We only had time to visit a small slice of it, but the spots we did go to were gorgeous.

Franklin was very distracted by his birding hobby, and this park was bustling with bird activity. Between me being distracted by painting spots, and him with the birds, it was really amazing that we actually painted anything.

The landscapes had gorgeous architecture around every corner. This walkway with wisteria smelled delightful and was so picturesque.

As soon as I saw this lily pond with the bright blue tiles, I was sold. It was stunning!

Post painting fuel was again Pan Con Tomate, and some less memorable fish and steak. Can’t win them all.

We had time for another painting, so we kept walking and went to the area of the Museu Nacional d'Art de Catalunya. This spot was incredible and had roaring waterfalls and gorgeous staircases all around.

We both settled on this scene overlooking the city. Franklin forgot his water bottle mister, so he stuck very close by to borrow mine, and we ended up painting almost exactly the same thing without even trying.

I think it’s actually very cool when we paint the same thing. Everything I paint, I feel like I am physically touching and analyzing, so when someone else paints the same thing it seems like we are both touching every surface we look at. Is that weird? I don’t know if I explained that well, but it’s nice to know that we both know exactly the color and shape of the railings, how many spires are on the rooftops, the way each hedge is cut and how the shadows move across the land.

On our walk back home I spotted a jumble of twigs in a tree and thought it might be a larger birds nest. Turns out it was a little apartment building of nests of these Monk Parakeets that are popular there, isn’t it cool?! I was thankful to have had upgraded my phone before the trip because the zoom on the 17pro is incredible.

DAY 7 - Back to La Sagrada Familia
Bear with me, we’re almost done! On day 7 we left our cozy airbnb and walked a half mile down to a hotel before we were shuttled off to our offsite location for work. We had breakfast with more coworkers that came in, but still took a few hours to squeeze a painting in.

Since we were tight on time we went to the Sagrada Familia again. That afternoon there was a market complete with a marching band and lots of activity.

We found a spot backed up to a guardrail that blocked off traffic. La Sagrada Familia in the afternoon light was really beautiful, the warm colors of the bricks seemed to glow in the sunlight.

Franklin decided to tackle a much more ambitious composition full off people, and ended up with this stunner. I had finished earlier, so spent the rest of the time wandering slowly through all the shops and buying knick knacks.

DAY 8 - The Last Painting

We peeled ourselves out of bed extra early before the shuttles came in to get one last painting done. This was a really cool spot overlooking the railroad tracks, and we got to watch all the trains coming and going.

Not only the trains, but all the commuters! By foot, train, bus, or bike. I really had fun with this one. 8”x10”

The shuttles left the building shortly after, and I enjoyed staring out the window on the 2 hours drive through the countryside. It really was surprising how much it looked like we were in the midwest, and a coworker mentioned it as well.

At a not so pretty rest stop, but it was fun to reunite with another co-worker Lam! We had worked together at two previous game companies as well.

Finally, we reached our destination at La Ballena Alegre along the Costa Brava. I’ll spare you of the boring work stuff, but the following week was jam packed full of work-related activities! Franklin and I DID do a presentation together about plein-air painting though, so that was a cool way to share some of the work we did over the week.

Special shoutout to Franklin for being such a great and patient guide, helping me with the first trip out of the country in ages. He really went above and beyond, and I feel so lucky that we had this opportunity to travel and paint. I promise to pack less next time ;)

To wrap it up, a day after I landed back home I started coming down with a cough and sure enough got the flu. It was brutal, but I lived to tell the tale!

Thanks so much for taking the time to read this extra long post. I’m sorry I have been absent these past few months but hope this made up for that a tiny bit. I’m also back on Instagram, which I’ll talk more about later, but you can find lots of little daily updates and posts there. Round 2 of the Update will be up later this week, so stay tuned!