Bittersweet 33

After moving all my stuff to my new place, I decided I should do something special for my 33th birthday. That led to a trip to Barcelona along with some really good friends. My favorite place was probably Parc Guell. I was staying just a couple of blocks away, so I was lucky enough to be there literally everyday.

  

My favorite bit from Picasso’s museum was his schoolbooks with his childhood sketches all over them on display and the room full of studies from his tribute to Velasquez’s famous piece “Las Meninas”

I was staying at a friend’s place which made me draw on his fridge. “ All guests do!” he said and as you can see he wasn’t lying. Plus I made a stencil that he came up with to decorate his white table. We ended up “decorating” some walls around the city as well the same night.

Unfortunately it was neither the place nor any of  the things I did there that made my 33th birthday memorable. It was the grim coincidence of Jean Giraud’s (Moebius) passing on the very same day. I cannot even begin to describe the impact his work had on me. It was one of my greatest influences. A silent teacher. And so, my happy birthday suddenly turned to just birthday.