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Posts tagged ‘Dubrovnik’

Dec 31

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2014: My year in photos

It has become something of a tradition on The Daily Norm to spend the last day of the year looking back at photos capturing the 364 days before it, reflecting on all of the splendid and captivating sights which have made up the year. And perhaps more than any other that has gone before, 2014 has been a year which the camera has loved. For when I look back at my photos of the last 12 months, I am met with an overwhelming body of diverse and beautiful shots which encapsulate a year overflowing with incredible sights and experiences.

I count myself very lucky to have seen and experienced all that has passed in a single year. From the quaint dark streets of Barcelona in February, my travels took me to the incredibly unique medieval citadel of Dubrovnik, the jaw-droppingly beautiful Amalfi Coast (including Positano, Ravello and Capri), the inspiringly-vertiginous mountain town of Ronda in Southern Spain, the vine-rich planes of coastal Tuscany, the floral festival of Pilar in Zaragoza, and the much applauded Czechoslovakian beauty that is Prague. And travels asides, it was the year when I held my first solo art exhibition in 6 years – a huge amount of work which dominated the first half of the year, but a wonderfully satisfying artistic and commercial success which will mark out this year as a creatively significant one.

The famous clock of Capri's main piazza

The ultimate ripples, Palma de Mallorca

Paradise on earth - Capri

Floral walkway, Positano

Colour profile, Marbella

Grape harvest in Castagneto Carducci

Beach umbrellas, Positano

However, appearances can be misleading, and when I look back on these photos, in particular those taken while travelling around Europe, I remember those holidays as escapes into unreality, moments of happiness snatched and nourished in between a stark reality which was becoming more and more difficult to endure. Once my exhibition was over, I found myself faced with a career which failed to inspire me, a city which made life a daily grind, and my partner feeling increasingly depressed for the same reasons. And it was this realisation, and a very unique opportunity that came from it, which triggered perhaps the most significant of all experiences that 2014 brought: our move to Mallorca. A life changer on so many levels; a bundle of new experiences which have only just begun.

And so it is sitting here in sunny Mallorca that I make this review, delightedly gathering up my memories of the year full of the positivity which has accompanied our move to a new life in Spain. Fast forward 365 days, and I look forward to telling you all about it.

Happy New Year to you all!

All photos and written content are strictly the copyright of Nicholas de Lacy-Brown © 2014 and The Daily Norm. All rights are reserved. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of the material, whether written work, photography or artwork, included within The Daily Norm without express and written permission from The Daily Norm’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited.

Jun 18

Dubrovnik | Photography Focus: Part Five – Closing Miscellany

When I look through the Durbovnik posts which have dominated the pages of The Daily Norm over the last few weeks, I am struck again, not just by how incredibly beautiful the Croatian city is, and therefore how treasured my memories of my short time spent within it, but also by the sheer volume of photographs which the trip produced and which I have been able to share on this blog. And yet as I draw the final curtain on this grand Dubrovnik odyssey by posting what has now become something of a tradition with my travel tales – a post of miscellaneous shots – I cannot believe that I am sharing another 60 photos, each glorious in their own way. And believe me, I could post more.

Such is the natural consequence of a city which is so perfectly beautiful in every way, that for a photographer, artist or any creative, it is like having all your Christmases at once. No wonder as both photo enthusiast and artist, I have spent so long describing that mere 4 day trip to you through the pages of The Daily Norm. After all, it engendered not only photos in their hundreds, but also a sketchbook full of quick drawings, a collection of 4 new Norm sketches, and, almost certainly, a number of paintings still to come.

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So before I blab on further, let me bring this post to a close so that, as promised by the name of the article, it is the photographs that get the focus rather than the words. And what a collection of photos they are. From boats bobbing on the water and gliding along the Adriatic at sunset, and washing hanging out to dry like a picture postcard from another era, to the elegant architectural details bursting from the seams of this city, and the flowers which find their way into the most hostile of Dubrovnik’s mammoth stone walls, these photos are truly a reflection not just on a city bursting with an abundance of beauty for all its many visitors to enjoy, but also of my own personal deeply satisfying visit to this diamond of Dalmatia.

All photos and written content are strictly the copyright of Nicholas de Lacy-Brown © 2014 and The Daily Norm. All rights are reserved. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of the material, whether written work, photography or artwork, included within The Daily Norm without express and written permission from The Daily Norm’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited.

Jun 17

Norms in Dubrovnik | Up the Cable Car

Like us, Norms do enjoy a good view. After all, their faces feature not the nose or mouth of humans (although rumour has it that these intriguing little creatures eat through pores that open in what would approximately be the location of a mouth on a human face), but two huge wide eyes, which are perfect for taking in the most stunning of sights. And where better to indulge their view-loving tendencies than from the Dubrovnik cable car, where the very best aerial view of the city can be admired.

Of course these Norms are a squishy lot, and that means that when it came to filling the cable car, rather a lot could fit in. That didn’t mean it was particularly comfortable for the tightly packed Norms however, and as this much happier lone Norm photographs the city from atop the hill, he cannot help but notice how those poor cable-car Norms look rather more concerned with the crush they’re enduring than the view below them. Still, they’re almost at the top, and once they get there they can enjoy one of the most unrivaled views of the Adriatic.

Norms in Dubrovnik take the Cable Car (2014 © Nicholas de Lacy-Brown, pen and ink on paper)

Norms in Dubrovnik take the Cable Car (2014 © Nicholas de Lacy-Brown, pen and ink on paper)

And there ends my four-piece collection of Dubrovnik Norm sketches. I hope you enjoyed it!

© Nicholas de Lacy-Brown and The Daily Norm, 2001-2014. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of the material, whether written work, photography or artwork, included within The Daily Norm without express and written permission from The Daily Norm’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Nicholas de Lacy-Brown and The Daily Norm with appropriate and specific direction to the original content. For more information on the work of Nicholas de Lacy-Brown, head to his art website at www.delacy-brown.com

Jun 16

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Dubrovnik | Day 4 – By land, by sea, by sky

On our fourth and final day in the stunning Croatian city of Dubrovnik, we had the opportunity to appreciate the city afresh not just by land, but by sea and twice by air. Of course the second incident of airborne appreciation was also tinged with sadness, as it was accompanied by the whir of a Monarch airplane which was wishing us through the air towards the UK. But hours before that tragic departure from the city commenced, our first airborne encounter can only be described as an experience of utmost exhilaration, as we took to the city’s cable car up to the steep hills behind the city to enjoy an unrivaled view.

Seen from the cable car, and from the various viewing platforms at the top of the hill, Dubrovnik unveils the secret behind its beauty and its longevity. Perfectly encased in solid walls, and situated on rocky crags sticking out like and island in the Adriatic sea, it appears almost impenetrable – hence why history has so perfectly preserved its ancient streets and buildings – rich pickings for every visitor to enjoy. The views were just amazing. Beyond a sea of terracotta rooftops was an actual sea of every shade of blue and turquoise, and beyond that the almost hairy verdant island of Lokrum, and a scattering of other small islands as the Dalmatian coast stretched out into the distance.

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But it wasn’t just the views of the city that enthralled. Up on this hill behind Dubrovnik, beautiful mountaenous pastures were scattered with wild flowers and random rock forms for as far as the eye could sea, and cutting across the fresh mountain air, the quiet tranquil bong of bells hung around the necks of nearby cattle. Blissful. Sadly the onset of a passing rain shower had us running back for the cover of the descending cable car, and soon enough we were back in the little city centre, which had by this time become so much like home.

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Of course the clock was ticking and our homeward bound flight was not far away. So we decided to while away the last view hours of our trip not by moping around full of the inevitable depression which follows the end of a sensational holiday, but by appreciating Dubrovnik from yet another new angle – this time from the sea.

Dubrovnik’s old port is full of little boats taking tourists out for trips around the nearby coastline, for no trip to Dubrovnik can be complete without appreciating the sheer scale and magnificence of its walls and its geographical position from the sea. For only around £7 each, we not only got a boat trip, but also the boat and a very friendly informative driver to ourselves. He took us along the great walls, explaining the ravaged history of the city including the many attempted (and ultimately successful) invasions of various foreign conquerors, right up to the shocking bombardment of the conflict in the early 1990s.

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Then across the sea, we steered around the island of Lokrum which sits bang opposite Dubrovnik, and sailing behind the island discovered how rich an island of geological formations and unchartered natural beauty it is – there amongst sharply cut rocks were huge spooky caves and multi-dimensional forms – it was like a mystical land out of a fairytale. There were also a few nudist bathers thrown in for free – they might almost have been mythological, were it not for the trendy sunglasses placed upon their otherwise quite unaccessorised skin.

And so it was that, steering back into Dubrovnik’s old port, we felt fully satisfied that we had given this city our best, exploring its streets and slopes and squares and monuments on land, admiring its beauty from the height of its walls and the steep hill behind it, and appreciating its scale and magnificence from out of sea. Our final view of the city may have been from that London-bound plane, but we felt pretty sure that it would not be our last.

All photos and written content are strictly the copyright of Nicholas de Lacy-Brown © 2014 and The Daily Norm. All rights are reserved. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of the material, whether written work, photography or artwork, included within The Daily Norm without express and written permission from The Daily Norm’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited.

Jun 13

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Norms in Dubrovnik | Life’s a Beach

There is nothing that Norms like more than a good day out at the beach. Their little round tummies sit particularly well with lounging around by the seaside, although they have to be careful to protect their pearly-white skin. I’m not sure that the bottle of factor 15 seen in this little sketch would provide apt protection to these reckless beach-going Norms. But Norms can’t be mistaken for being lazy. They love the water too, and bobbing around in warm seas is one of their particularly favourite occupations, not least in waters so clear and clean as Dubrovnik’s, particularly when the waters, and the beach benefits from a sensational backdrop of the city like this one. 

So in my latest Norm sketch, we see the Norms in the midsts of a day of seaside happiness: one is sketching, sat up on the rocks, another teaching his baby Norm how to float with the help of a safety ring. On the water’s edge two little Norms are building sand castles from the rather limited stocks of sand to be found on Dubrovnik’s otherwise pebbly beach, and two more are being conscientiously healthy by playing ball games in between swims. One more Norm is about to go snorkelling in waters which are so clear as to afford him a great view of the fish within, while another is more concerned with that amazing city view, and has swum out quite far to get the very best vantage point.

Norms on Dubrovnik Beach (2014 © Nicholas de Lacy-Brown, pen and ink on paper)

Norms on Dubrovnik Beach (2014 © Nicholas de Lacy-Brown, pen and ink on paper)

Life truly is a beach for this little group of holidaying sun-loving Norms.

© Nicholas de Lacy-Brown and The Daily Norm, 2001-2014. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of the material, whether written work, photography or artwork, included within The Daily Norm without express and written permission from The Daily Norm’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Nicholas de Lacy-Brown and The Daily Norm with appropriate and specific direction to the original content. For more information on the work of Nicholas de Lacy-Brown, head to his art website at www.delacy-brown.com

Jun 12

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Dubrovnik | Photography Focus: Part Four – People Watching

I do enjoy a good spot of people watching – who doesn’t? And Dubrovnik, with its hoards of cafes set within picture-perfect squares and bustling marble-lined streets is the perfect place to indulge in a little people observation. What surprised me about Dubrovnik, a city famed for its tourist hoards, was how the character and spirit of the locals shone through, despite the fact that so much of the city is given over to tourism. Every day out of the church of St Blaise, wedding parties dressed in traditional costume would pile onto the church steps, let of celebratory smoke guns and fireworks and pose for group photos en masse. In cafes the same old locals who probably hang out around the same tables every day chatter calmly, oblivious or perhaps used to the fast pace of tourist visits going on all around them. In the local market, hardy street-sellers ply their trade to both locals and tourists alike, and in cafes, seasonal waitresses can occasionally be spotted daydreaming of another job, another ambition in their lives.

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All this made for a great excuse for taking photographs, and many of the photos in this post were actually taken by my partner who loves capturing the true essence of a town and its people in the same way that I love doing the same with my sketches, paintings and my own photographic tributes. So due thanks must go to him for his input into this post which truly does sum up the atmosphere and warmth not just of Dubrovnik but of its very characterful, warm and welcoming people.

All photos and written content are strictly the copyright of Nicholas de Lacy-Brown and Dominik Woloszyn © 2014 and The Daily Norm. All rights are reserved. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of the material, whether written work, photography or artwork, included within The Daily Norm without express and written permission from The Daily Norm’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited.

Jun 11

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My Dubrovnik Sketchbook (Part 3) – Viewed from the beach

My third and final post sharing extracts from my progressively filled new sketchbook are those pages which I sketched while on the beach adjacent to the old walled city of Dubrovnik. I was a little reticent at first to take my sketchbook on the beach – I envisaged grease splodges from suntan cream and grains of sand getting into the binding. But then owing to the unique position of Dubrovnik’s beach right next to the city affording views over its world-recognisable skyline, who could resist? And so taking extra caution with my sketchbook, I stretched out like a sun-loving cat on my lounger and propped my sketchbook up on my knees and drew.

My first sketch is not of Dubrovnik itself, but of the verdant island of Lokrum which sits bang opposite the city out at sea and is covered all over with a lustrous growth of greenery. The island is mysteriously beautiful, and while its green colour may not come across in my black and white sketch, hopefully the texture of its rich vegetation does.

The island of Lokrum (Dubrovnik) viewed from the beach (2014 © Nicholas de Lacy-Brown, pen on paper)

The island of Lokrum (Dubrovnik) viewed from the beach (2014 © Nicholas de Lacy-Brown, pen on paper)

For my second sketch, I departed my lounger and went to sit on a nearby rocky pier which affords the most perfect views of the city beyond. And it was this incredible view that I sketched that afternoon, taking a good 20 minutes or so sketching the various details of the city, and getting myself a royally sunburnt shoulder in the meantime!

The Old Port at Dubrovnik, viewed from the City's Beach (2014 © Nicholas de Lacy-Brown, pen on paper)

The Old Port at Dubrovnik, viewed from the City’s Beach (2014 © Nicholas de Lacy-Brown, pen on paper)

I’m delighted with these first attempts at proper on-site sketching and miss the very process of taking out my book to start a new scene afresh. But I’m sure that this summer will provide further inspiration for me to fill those pages – and you can be sure that whatever I draw will feature on The Daily Norm!

© Nicholas de Lacy-Brown and The Daily Norm, 2001-2014. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of the material, whether written work, photography or artwork, included within The Daily Norm without express and written permission from The Daily Norm’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Nicholas de Lacy-Brown and The Daily Norm with appropriate and specific direction to the original content. For more information on the work of Nicholas de Lacy-Brown, head to his art website at www.delacy-brown.com

Jun 10

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Dubrovnik | Day 3 – A tale of two cities

It is a rare thing indeed to find a holiday destination with mixes both superbly intact historical treasures with a good old golden beach. One can only dream of taking a dip in the sea when sweating profusely around the dry old ruins of Rome’s forum; and in Paris, a manmade beach clinging to the side of the moderately filthy River Seine in the summer months is about as good as it’s going to get. But in Dubrovnik, Croatia’s diamond of the Dalmatian Coast, you truly get the best of both worlds. Not only is the city a treasure trove of historical beauty encased in a perfectly unbroken ring of ramparts, but immediately outside of those stone walls are long beaches and crystal clear cerulean blue seas. And what’s more, Dubrovnik has to be one of the only beaches in the world where you can lounge out in the sun and swim lazily in the shallow waters while being afforded a stunning view of one of Europe’s most unique medieval cities.

Charismatic old streets in the South of the city

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Day 3 of our trip made for a perfect demonstration of this fortuitous combination. In the morning we undertook yet further explorations of some of the narrower “back” streets climbing up to the seaward extent of the walls, where streets form successively more beautiful labyrinths of plant pots and strung out laundry, and the steps get steeper and steeper as you advance towards the sea. This then led us to the city’s Domenican Monastery, a place which is not only the epitome of tranquillity with a stunning cloister whose stony silence is interrupted only be the gently dappling of the sun, but whose museum claims to hold the heart of St Luke the Evangelist himself, as well as a good few other body parts of the great faithful.

The Domenican Monastery

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In the afternoon, by contrast, we made our way down the winding streets which lead Eastwards out of the city, beyond the protection afforded by the mighty walls, and onto the nearest stretch of beach to the city – a wonderfully golden expanse fringed by warm shallow waters and of course benefitting from that incredible backdrop of the city. As this was, ostensibly, a city trip and we knew that this beach day was likely to be a unique endeavour, we splashed out on hiring two comfy loungers and eating our way slowly through the menu of the beach restaurant ably servicing the many beach goers. And in that mode we enjoyed this second face of the city, plunging regularly into its incredibly warm and clear waters, gazing in wonder at the views of the city rippled in the almost still Adriatic waters.

The beach of Dubrovnik

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As evening descended , it seemed only appropriate that our evening dinner should combine both facets of sea and city – and dining out on the visually spectacular terrace of the restaurant 360, positioned up on one wing of Dubrovnik’s old walls, we were afforded a view not just back to the old city, but also over its port where small fishing boats barely moved in the still air of this warm evening. The food was apt accompaniment to this eye-watering view: my crispy sea bass with spiced cous cous and a basil puree deserves particular mention, although star of the show was a bottle of Croatian red – Lasina (2011) – one of only 600 bottles ever made, and so deliciously complex and richly velvet that I wished they had made a thousand more. But then that’s Dubrovnik all over: a place of rare treasures unrepeated elsewhere in the world, and all the more enjoyable for it.

360 Restaurant and Dubrovnik at night

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All photos and written content are strictly the copyright of Nicholas de Lacy-Brown © 2014 and The Daily Norm. All rights are reserved. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of the material, whether written work, photography or artwork, included within The Daily Norm without express and written permission from The Daily Norm’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited.

Jun 9

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Dubrovnik | Photography Focus: Part Three – Ripples of the Southern Adriatic

Readers of The Daily Norm cannot fail to realise that I love ripples and reflections in water. I became obsessed with them, rather appropriately, in Venice over Christmas, where the image of the city reflected into water is almost as beautiful as the city above water. I was likewise enamoured by the sun-drenched ripples of the Mediterranean caught in a moment of watery transience in the old port of Dell’Ovo in Naples. This Italian double whammy inspired a couple of gouache ripple paintings, one of which I sold at my recent solo art exhibition in London’s Strand Gallery. I also made two woodcut prints inspired by the ripples of both Venice, and Naples. Then, when I was in Spain in April, I went ripple hunting again, finding that the Spanish Mediterranean in the ports of Marbella was in no shortage of stunning watery wonders.

So it will be of no surprise that on my recent trip to Dubrovnik, I went in search of some more abstract images framed in an instance of moving water, finding stunning examples of reflection not only in the city’s old port amongst the fishing boats and tourist vessels, but also in the crystal clear cerulean blue sea, and even in the elegant old fountains at the heart of the city.

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The resulting photos are a treasure trove of colourful ripples with characteristic sights of the city mixed in. I love my photo of the waters in the old port for instance, where the golden walls of the city are perfectly reflected alongside the blue of the water forming an image in reflection which is so abstract that it could be mistaken for something by Rothko. I also love those photos of ripples around the ancient rocks which surround the fortress city, filled with the magical atmosphere which these natural forms create.

It seems almost appropriate that this further chapter in my portfolio of ripples should fall in the southern part of the Adriatic, the sea where my obsession with water first took hold, up in the colder Northern waters around Venice. I hope you like them.

All photos and written content are strictly the copyright of Nicholas de Lacy-Brown © 2014 and The Daily Norm. All rights are reserved. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of the material, whether written work, photography or artwork, included within The Daily Norm without express and written permission from The Daily Norm’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. 

Jun 6

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My Dubrovnik Sketchbook (Part 2) – Created from a Café

Almost as exciting as the prospect of filling my new sketchbook with views of Dubrovnik has been the process of lifting my sketches out of my sketchbook and onto The Daily Norm and the wonderful reception they have received from all of my kind blog readers. My last sketch post was so well received that I have been doubly inspired to fill the eager remaining pages of my sketchbook with further views from my forthcoming summer travels. But before I start my work on them, I still have a few more Dubrovnik-inspired sketches to share.

Next up are two of my favourite sketches from the bunch; favourites not just because of the views they share but because of the memories they hold. For these sketches were made during my favourite time of the day – when after a day’s hard sightseeing, we would settle down into one of the city’s perfectly scenic cafes and I would open up my sketchbook and record the always sensational views just ahead of us.

View of Dubrovnik Cathedral from the terrace of the Gradska Kavana Café (2014 © Nicholas de Lacy-Brown, pen on paper)

View of Dubrovnik Cathedral from the terrace of the Gradska Kavana Café (2014 © Nicholas de Lacy-Brown, pen on paper)

The first of these views was drawn from the rather swanky terrace of one of the city’s most popular cafes: the Gradska Kavana Café. Situated right opposite the church of Dubrovnik’s patron saint, Saint Blaize, and just along the shiny marble road from the city’s main cathedral, this terrace offered perfect views ripe for capturing in my sketchbook, and as soon as my coffee was served, I set about sketching one such view before us, looking down the Pred Dvorom onto the grand domed cathedral.In the bottom left hand corner you can see a corner of the cafe terrace and its mighty awning offering shade to all the elegant customers. It reminds me of Van Gogh’s famous cafe terrace featured in one of his most famous views of Arles.

The Amerling Fountain on the Gunduliceva Square, Dubrovnik (2014 © Nicholas de Lacy-Brown, pen on paper)

The Amerling Fountain on the Gunduliceva Square, Dubrovnik (2014 © Nicholas de Lacy-Brown, pen on paper)

The second sketch features the beautiful Amerling Fountain, which is to be found on the corner of the bustling market square of the Gunduliceva Poljana. I set about drawing this sketch as we finished a delicious portion of fired squid and whitebait, accompanied by another creamy coffee as I drew this, our favourite of the city’s several beautiful fountains.

And just in case you should doubt the beauty of the surroundings which inspired me as I sketched these two beautiful views, here are some photos of me taken by my partner as I went about capturing the city in my sketchbook.

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More to come… next time!

© Nicholas de Lacy-Brown and The Daily Norm, 2001-2014. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of the material, whether written work, photography or artwork, included within The Daily Norm without express and written permission from The Daily Norm’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Nicholas de Lacy-Brown and The Daily Norm with appropriate and specific direction to the original content. For more information on the work of Nicholas de Lacy-Brown, head to his art website at www.delacy-brown.com

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