I have recently returned from a wonderful week in Venice with my parents. We explored the small winding streets, seeked out the spots where Sargent and Whister sketched and ate many many exquisite meals. Venice feels like a fairy tale, the kind of place that must be beyond reality. It is almost impossible to sit down and draw because of the thought of what might be waiting for you just around the corner. Absolutely everything is drawable, the canals, the buildings, the people, the food…the list goes on. I met my parents one afternoon in Campo Santa Marherita, were we ate lunch in a small candlelit cafe. I became a little obsessed with the paper they were using as place mats and couldn’t stop drawing on it. I folded up about 5 pieces of it and put them in my sketchbook for later. Here are a few drawings from Venice using the placemat paper.
Eating at the cafe with mom, dad and new friends sitting at our table. We had red wine, polenta, cheese and grilled vegetables.
Campo Santa Margherita in the rain. I was sitting with mom under an umbrella, sipping espresso…the kind of moment you wish would go on forever. 
Dad in his Esra Pound hat.
Mavi Lale 