Ink/marker/ballpoint pen portraits of coconut saleswomen in Cape Verde

View of Cape Verdan coast from the Citadel, the first structure built during Portugal's initial colonization of Cape Verde.

Study from Cape Verdan music bar 

Study from Cape Verdan music bar

Study from Cape Verdan music bar 

Study from Cape Verdan music bar

Food diary, entry 1: breakfast at Hotel Santa Maria 

Watercolor study of a Portuguese hospital converted into a living complex, with artful paint splotches added by the kids living in the area.

Graphite study of a family house.

Watercolor studies of Nandenha and Ronaldo, who so kindly signed their portraits for me! 

Food diary, entry 2: first foods eaten in São Tomé. The fish filet pictured is peixe andala, or marlin, and is often served with the bananas that grow everywhere on the island -- the two together is an ubiquitous meal throughout all of São Tomé. The sandwich came from a restaurant that touted itself as an American snack food place and tasted like nothing I've ever had in the U.S. 

Gouache study of manmade laundry/swimming pool, opposite the start of a flower painting colored (improved) by the village kids. 

 

Study of Patrique, who not only asked me to draw him but was the most patient and still kid I drew on the trip. He tried to look tough for the drawing, but he smiled so widely when he saw the final result! 

On-demand graphite portraits of various kids. The crowd that formed around me was much larger but also much less still.

Character design based off of a child's drawing

Watercolor study of fishing boats at Santana beach

Pen drawing at Ponte Figu. There are virtually no washing machines on the island, and laundry is mostly done by hand on the beach or in freshwater streams like this. 

Watercolor/ink studies of abandoned, rotting ships along the beach. 

Marker study of abandoned, rotting ship (plus the classmate who climbed in). 

Pen nib/ink study of sunken ship

Marker/ink studies of costumes from Tchiloli, a quintessential piece of São Toméan theatre. 

Ink drawing from Tchiloli, a quintessential piece of São Toméan theatre. 

Ink/watercolor study from Tchiloli, a quintessential part of São Toméan theatre. 

Sketches from musical and dance performances at the Cacao Space, an art/performance space in São Tomé. 

Musican study at a music bar in Cape Verde. The wash is local Cape Verdan wine, the grapes of which are grown in a volcanic soil unique to Cape Verde. The wine color changed to the grey on the left a few hours after being painted on. The color on the right is an edit to show the original color.