Monday 8 February 2016

Bandits and Thieves






A couple of sketches from last week and a lovely morning sketching and listening to the sea and surroundings.  My favourite part of sketching outside is absorbing the sounds and sensations of a place that then become part of the sketch itself.




This time I was with the Urban sketchers group at a tiny harbour hidden away in the city.  While we sketched fisherman mended and prepared their nets chatting and telling us stories from the area.  Little wooden boats came in and out of the harbour, usually in twos as one with a motor towed another without.




The area we were in is known as 'La Bandita' and used to be a fishing hamlet in its own right.  Over the years it became engulfed by urban sprawl and went into decline, polluted and dirty.  Now it is struggling to survive, the sea seemed to be clean but the little beach was still littered.

The name Bandita has various legends and stories attached to it but the general theme is about a woman who kept a nearby tavern. This tough talking woman gave protection and shelter to bandits and thieves earning her the name of  La Bandita or a sbannuta in Sicilian dialect.


Yes I often use the back of my hand to clean my brush!