Travel Diaries : Barcelona
Our journal is back!
This is the first post in a while, so bare with us while we settle into the flow of writing again. It may feel a little a little rambling - but it’s real, raw and a place for you to see a little bit behind what goes into the studio work. As a little refresher The Old Brick Studio journal covers inspiration behind the studio and the work created here. Anything from exhibitions, travel, design, food, people, stories and more.
Photo by Sienna Chapman
A 3 day trip with friends started with traveling to the village just outside of Barcelona - Alella. Staying in a beautifully traditional house nestled within the vineyards, this honestly would have been enough to just stay here for the whole trip (and we mainly did). Although there to celebrate a birthday milestone the creative inspiration was unavoidable. From the beautiful surroundings, gallery visits and plenty of food and wine at design conscious restaurants - this trip had it all.
Sketches from the villa
Whilst in Barcelona the Musue Picasso was at the top of the list. Opening in 1963 it features a collection of around 5000 pieces, spanning from Picasso’s early career to more later pieces. Picassos work has long been an influence in our studio, from colour importance, to loose linear studies and wonky shapes his practice is a firm favourite. It was a joy to be able to see so much of his work in real life.
His pigeon paintings are a particular favourite. The colour palette, the naivety of the painting and the shapes of the pigeons are among the elements that draw us in. Picasso painted 9 oils of the young pigeons that lived in the loft of his workshop in La Californie, Cannes. His exploration of colour and light are evident in these pieces - as they are with many of his works and speak to the mediterranean influences.
Sketchbook pages, photographs and some images of Picassos ‘Pigeons’ below
Food is often at the centre of connection, bringing together friends, family (and sometimes strangers) and we certainly leant into this. A lot of our time was spent enjoying long lunches in the sun. Barbecues at the villa, sipping local wines and making large salads from fresh local produce (why are European supermarkets so good?) But we ventured into Alella and Barcelona to discover some more great food at times.
Early on we stumbled across a perfect local for breakfast, Frizzant. Coffee, juices, pastries and smoothie bowls were amongst the favourites. Just a short walk from the villa and with great coffee you can imagine it was easy to spend our time here.
On the Saturday we visited Rabbits Bar (recommended by a local) and it did not disappoint. From the amazing service, gorgeous interiors and incredible food its safe to say we had a good time. Unsure what to choose our waiter recommended a sharing table of a little bit of everything, from crab croquettes to tomato salad. Our work here at The Old Brick Studio often consists of illustrations for events and businesses so this setting fed into our creative brain. The tablescape, colours of our food and the red interiors all stood out.
A short blog post for the return to our Journal. Sketches from holiday highlights, illustrations from revisited photographs and words to remind us of all the inspiration that can be passed by. A trip centred around art, food, people and celebration - the core elements that make up The Old Brick Studio.