Drawing My Way Through Morocco: A Visual Diary / Part 2

Travelling, drawing, and painting through a magical landscape

A woman selling spices and making argan oil.

I’ve been to Morocco to teach three times already. This time, I also traveled the country and experienced their beautiful culture, landscape, and history. I wanted to wander the streets with my eyes wide open and to commit what I experienced and saw to the pages of my sketchbook, as images and memories.

Every city has a souk, a marketplace that feels like the heart of things. In Marrakesh, where I started the trip, it’s a chaotic labyrinth of streets, motorbikes flying by, donkeys pulling carts, stalls spilling over with color and pattern. You need to be aware of your toes so you don’t get run over. I find it energizing and exciting, a feast for the eyes, but it can be overwhelming. I didn’t do a lot of drawing while wandering the souk, my eyes were too busy seeing. When I drew and painted, I focused on simplifying the chaos. In the spice lady painting; above; I kept the rows of buckets behind her in dark green tones, letting her dress, in an analogous blue, help her stand out. She became the calm at the center of the storm. A man with a cart stood out against a quiet red wall, which gave the scene some breathing space. Traveling this way, seeing with an eye for what I’d love to draw, changes how I look. It’s less about capturing everything, more about distilling the feeling of being there.

A man pushing a fruit cart with rugs overhead. There was a lot more activity and stalls than I depicted here.

We visited Jardin Majorelle, Yves Saint Laurent’s former home and garden in Marrakesh. It’s beautiful, with a lot of visitors. What stuck with me most was the color: bright cobalt blue and bold yellow everywhere. It’s a strong impact.

Quick sketch I did while having some mint tea in the garden. I used colors I had in my bag; there is always some personal interpretation.

Our next stop was Fez, an older Imperial city with a slightly slower pace. The souk there is quieter—no motorbikes or carts. It was just as interesting and exciting, but without the risk of getting run over. Many artisans make what they sell right outside their shops. The city is full of tiled courtyards and rooftops, something you see all over Morocco.

Capturing a view of the city, most floors and walls were covered in tiles. There isn’t much of a cafe culture that I found, but we did find a spot one day, and I caught this man playing a “lute”? I’m not sure what this instrument is called.

We hired a driver for the rest of the trip. There were a few very long stretches in the car, but it gave us a chance to see the country in a different way. One of the places I was most excited to visit was next, Chefchaouen, the blue city.

I only painted once on the travel portion of the trip. Which makes the drawing so satisfying, I can fit it in anytime, all the time.

Two men hanging out in a square. The quote is an often-said line there, which makes sense not only direction-wise but also life-wise. “When you get lost, you refind yourself”

Most women in Morocco don’t want their photos taken. One woman got so visibly upset that I put my camera away for the rest of the day. Instead, I drew the small moments I noticed. It made me slow down and look rather than just snapping. I leaned against walls, sketching quickly, trying to catch a gesture, a person in motion. It helped me see more than I would have through a lens.

People and items from shops, rug patterns, and a doorway. There were so many cats.

The next stop was the Sahara Desert.

Drawings from the car of the landscape I was passing. It seemed that every 1/2 hour to an hour, the scenery changed. There were villages, mountains, farmland, and desert.

The ride up to the desert camp was bumpy, but as the dunes came close, vast and silent, we were in awe. At first, we weren’t planning to ride a camel (technically, they’re dromedaries). But to get past the camp and truly into the dunes, we had to do it. We chose a short ride, just half an hour, and it was perfect. The other guests at the camp went for an hour, so we had the views and our Berber guide, Hedi, all to ourselves. Also, riding a dromedary isn’t exactly comfortable. Getting from Fez to the desert felt like traveling to the edge of the earth; it’s a long drive. But when we finally saw the reddish sand, the rolling dunes, the wide sky, and the sun, it was completely worth it.

The Sahara looks like all the desert movies you’ve seen!

Hedi was so sweet, he couldn’t speak a word of English or even the few words of Arabic we learned. But we communicated.

In the Sahara. Hedi and the dromedary, sunrise, the dunes. I haven’t attempted to paint this yet.

In the past, I never came home with a sketchbook full of memories. Now that I’ve done it, I can’t imagine traveling any other way. I’ll be taking my sketchbook with me everywhere from now on.

I appreciate you all reading along about my journey,

There’s some more, the last leg of the trip, and new work. Part 3 coming soon!

There are a few spots left in our Portugal Workshop.

xxJennifer