It was a magical evening.
Our friend Craig (aka zoomer) from Vancouver is visiting and we are having the loveliest time. Far too much eating and drinking going on, but what the hell – one week is one week. We are also going to Gibraltar on Monday, which for Craig will fulfill a long time desire and which will allow me to pick up some knickers at Marks & Spencer. 🙂
Last night we went out to the oldest bar in Sevilla, which dates back to 1670. On the way we passed a very small but well-lit workshop and I wondered aloud what it might be. Nog thought it might be a butcher’s, Craig thought he saw some sort of pastry rolling machine, but we only caught a glimpse of it as we walked past and then went on talking about other things.
And then we had a wonderful time at El Rinconcillo. Fabulous tapas, good beer and wine, wonderful ‘ambientation’ … so it was quite some time before we decided to lurch home again. And we saw that the workshop was still open even though it was almost midnight. But this time when we walked past my curiousity got the better of me and I popped my head inside the open door and said – ‘hey, what are you guys doing here?’. And the younger of the two men looked up from his work, smiled and said – ‘we’re here having fun.’ And then he invited us in to have a look around.
Turned out he was running a printing press and he showed us a small sepia print of one of his drawings ‘hot off the press’. It was gorgeous. And then he showed us more of his work and Craig decided to buy one of his smaller prints, signed and numbered – the small pic shown here (a view of the Giralda from my street!) – as a gift to take home to his daughter.
His website Norler is still ‘under construction’ but the catalogue bit is working.
Apparently Norberto also sells his art in the street but somehow, coming across him by chance as we did, hard at work in his studio on a hot summer Friday night, made the experience feel a bit magical and serendipitous.
A few days later we found Norberto at his usual spot next to the cathedral. You can click on the pictures to see a larger image.
Ivan said:
*sigh* Oh, to live in a place that is alive at all hours…
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dragonqueen said:
Aww, so beautiful pictures… and your city looks beautiful too 🙂
…make me wanna travel south…
-q
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azahar said:
Anytime you like, honey! 🙂
We are always happy to have friends visit and show them around.
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azahar said:
Today we stopped by Norberto’s usual spot next to the cathedral and took some photos of him at work in his ‘outdoor studio’.
I’ve put them up on the original post.
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cl zoomer said:
Get one of him at his press! (Please?)
The gentleman at the framing shop was really impressed with the print. He said he visited Spain when he was a teenager and has wanted to go back for the last 20 years. 🙂
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azahar said:
I’ll try, zoomer. Norberto seems quite pleased to know I’ve written about him here and have put a link to his website – we’ve also put a link to his site on our clothing webpage. Yesterday I gave him the URL for this blog so he could check it out and I said he was welcome to comment here if he wanted to.
Wasn’t it amazing to see him working away on the metal plates in the street? It’s really gorgeous stuff and I’m happy if I can help him get a few more orders for his work.
One day, when P and I are a bit more flush, we’d like to get some for ourselves.
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