Escape to Ibiza, September 2022 

Some thoughts from my trip to Ibiza. This was a 'holiday' but when you're an artist you never really completely switch off. I totally recommend a visit to the Museo de arte Contemporaneo in Ibiza...all about this, some sketchbook pages and more below.

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Clear cobalt, warm salted sea, unknotting all the tensed-up months that passed before. Floating. Escaping. Pausing life’s big rush. Ibiza’s tangle of passions and chill. The steady rolling metamorphosis of the pulsing beat, washed colours interpreted as sound. Bodies blending, not a care who’s watching. Warm brown, sand-blown skin, young, old and carefree, somnolent on the sand. 

Not looking for or expecting inspiration but it always sneaks up on you. Everywhere there were hastily plastered posters advertising nights of music and abandon, bursts of colour and graphics drawing your eye. They seemed to change daily. Always something new. 

The sea and rocks are always a draw with the sun setting and making way for the glitter of the moon creating the perfect backdrop for the Buah! beach bar. Never at a loss for sketchbook possibilities and there is always a variety of shapes and forms created by the uninhibited figures sunbathing on the beach - a chilled Ibiza life drawing session.

Climbing up the old streets to Ibiza's Old town, the midday sun beating down on us laughingly …mad dogs and Englishmen. 

The white cube of the Museum of Contemporary Art is strangely fitting tucked into a corner in between narrow streets and plant pot balconies. Undiscovered (to me at least) Spanish contemporary masters, lively brushstrokes, bold statements and a hidden little Goya gave me a burst of delight. Thick glass floors hovering over ancient remains were unnerving to walk across, but the colourful framed paintings beckoned. A great mix of work.

The beautifully styled sketchbook area with pencils, paper and interesting objects to pause and draw was well-considered and enough to make anyone contemplate trying their hand at some art. I was drawn to a large tree root, carved, to suggest an embracing group of figures. As the best sculptures are, suggestive with enough involvement to emphasise and reveal the beauty of the natural wood. Lots to inspire.

A thoughtful pause before ice cream and the sea calls me back.

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Museo de arte Contemporaneo de Ibiza
Zona Dalt Vila, Ronda de Narcis Puget Viñas, 07800, Balearic Islands, Spain

Buah!, Playa de, 07849 Es Canar, Balearic Islands, Spain