The Lost City Diner

Open publication - Free publishing - More baltimore

The Subway

Travelling by train in NYC is almost always a long trip, people don't look at each other, but I do, and I draw them discreetly.

The city #1

The first animation in the US is here:

http://vimeo.com/32190492

It's inspired by the city of New York, Philadelphia and Baltimore.

At the Inner Harbor

Inside the malls, the chess players don't share a word, and look like real enemies until the game is over. Then they laugh, talk, congratule the winner and just leave.

I love the Fudgery. They make giant bars of chocolate. But they also sing. They make giants bars of chocolate, they heat it, stir it up, make it jump in the air, while the guys and the girls sing soul classics like "Isn't she lovely?" or "I can see clearly now". 

I would love to see how do they hire people in that place.

Barnes & Nobles is similar to what Fnac used to be, a place to read and stay for a while with yourself.

The Maryland Zoo in Baltimore

I love to hear the children's thoughts at the Zoo. This one was beautiful, and the animals looked healthy, just like the one in Barcelona.

The Magic Soup!

Last friday I arrived home exhausted, hungry, and I found at my door a brown paper bag, with a tupperware, and this note. At the first moment I though "you're not eating this, are you?". But I'm travelling, I want adventures. And it was delicious. 

I'M ON THE CITY PAPER!

During my time in the US, the protests again the system are starting, little by little, and even if more than 700 people were arrested after the occupy of the Brooklyn Bridge in October, the continue. The protests take place in every city, and the people is camping on the main squares, like Wall Street in New York City, or the Inner Harbor in Baltimore, just like what happened in Spain last May.

I have a Visual Journalism class, very interesting because it helps me to visit the city in a different way. Our teacher, Shadra Strickland, decided to go to draw in the Baltimore Occupy, and take the thoughts and feelings of the people who were camping there.

The City Paper was interested in the movement and they decided to publish some of our drawings. I got 2, one in color, one b&w, and a small interview they made to me by phone. I'm improving my english, yeah!

INDIAN SUMMER LOVE

Autumn is here, and so are the leaves falling on the ground, and finally I can see their shapes and colors. Is at this moment when you walk through the forest or take the train and see the landscapes with the enormous and majestic trees. Their trunks are deeply dark, and the leaves get crazy colors. That's the moment when you can't help thinking about the native americans, they certainly used to live there and enjoy those incredible colors. And that's when you can feel the sadness and melancholy of the real autumn. 

The sun is strong during the day, it can be really warm, but it's cold during the night. The leaves react like a chameleon, and change to bright colors. Those leaves were just scanned, no photoshop. 

It's so ironic I guess, and somehow cruel, but they call it the Indian Summer.

As American as Apple Pie

As Jazz musicians used to say during the 20's and 30's: "There are many apples on the success tree, but when you pick New York City, you pick the Big Apple."

Apples are all over the world, of course, but america is very proud of their production (I heard there are aprox 10 000 different varieties of apples grown in the world, the US grow more than 7 000 of them.) It's some how part of the history of the country, they say George Washington used to enjoy pruning his trees, and the East Coast is the main producer.

Apple Cider is something new for me, it's not like the alcoholic drink that I knew, but it's thick and still delicious. You can make an amazing cocktail with warm apple cider, cloves, cinnamon and maybe a shot of whisky, rum.... It's up to you.

I met Mr. and Mrs. Baltimore in a flea market in W Mount Royal Avenue. I convinced them to come with me for just a dollar, of course in their days that might be a fortune. I hope they can tell me their story...

Philadelphia Stardust

Philadelphia, Chantelle and George are the perfect trio. 

Penn Station - Baltimore

A very old couple was waiting for their train, the husband was like made in papier maché, eating his breakfast. His wife was asking : How is the egg? Pure tenderness. 

When you are alone, waiting and you don't know what to do, 

you can do like everyone else: get a coffee and check your iPhone.

Police officers are very nice, when you are not the bad guy.

The shoe shiner with his majestic dark velvet seats 

makes me feel like in a time machine to the Dixieland Jazz times. 

The magical moment was broken by a drunk man who saw my drawing 

and started to yell to everyone: She draw a blow job!! Thanks.

The book festival in Baltimore this year was underwater... no much to draw...

Red Emma's tent was covered, and it became the refuge of the day. 

Red Emma's is a cafe/bookstore run by young alternative neohippies where you can take books to read while you get a coffee, or get informed about alternative movements in Baltimore and the East Coast. 

Highly recommended. And they have the Waxpoetics magazine, which gives them extra points.

Animation in process

You can watch the first 22 seconds here: http://vimeo.com/31140579

or here, if you prefer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OhScjUaHol8

First part of one of the animations I'm working on, this one about the big city. To be continued...

Some NYC

It's hard to stop and draw in NYC, too big, so many places to walk, so little time.

Students and teachers

During my classes I like to draw the students and the teachers. The system is very different from what I know. The faces too.

Occupy Baltimore

The occupation is starting now in the US, slowly, but who knows.... The information from abroad is extremely limited, in all senses like news, arts... Most of the people ignore what's going on in Europe, they don't know a thing about the changes in Iceland, and even think that the rest of the world is rising up in solidarity with the protests in Wall Street. 

It's a very sad situation.

Yes we camp!

Derek, one of those interesting people, and some of his thoughts that I could catch. He is cheerful, even if his life has been and still is difficult.