Plaza de Parque.

 

I gave this away to a lovely person from Belfast last night. Cotton Beach Club opening party - I sketched and gave people sketches :) It was a very nice evening. Cotton Beach Club is something a little bit extra special.

All OK again.

I am actually enjoying Ibiza despite the slight intervention.

Looking for a room with a view to a more permanent perspective.

Work wanted (as ever). 689 744 929
johncolley@hotmail.com

I am f***ing livid.

I am not going to let this go this time.

Spain. People of Spain; what the fuck is going on? Your banks get bailed out to the tune of €40 Billion whilst your La Liga is in debt to the banks to the tune of €20 Billion and we are told public services need to be cut. In the meantime, anyone trying to help themselves during the 'crisis' is hit with a €300 fine and has everything confiscated. Perhaps it is time you looked againd at your footballing heroes. They aren't quite the men you think they are.

Any advice on taking court action will be greatly appreciated. I am fucking well livid and ready to fight.

Occupation of a public space without permission.

€300 fine and everything confiscated for trying to do my job.

I was just sketching a scene for a client by their request. I had spoken with police previously. I went to the townhall did all the paper work. But, this morning I was charged, taken to the police station. Everything confiscated (I am down to the clothes I wear) and told to leave Ibiza, and that if I don't pay taxes in Spain I have no right to be here. All this despite the fact I have raised almost €200,000 for charities in Spain.

I am going straight back to work and to court. I will try contacting local papers tomorrow. Not sure how to go about this, but I am sick to death of being criminalised for being an artist. Fuck you Policia Local - I am up for a fight!

Returning Le Chic to Ibiza.

I was asked to sketch Hotel Es Vive
http://www.hotelesvive.com/

A very glamorous building and One of just Two hotels in Ibiza listed as heritage buildings. It has been restored with care to its original glory. Whilst sketching my imagination drifted to the days when the style players and shapers of their time might have pulled up here in Bugattis dressed to impress. It is a beautiful Art Nouveau building. Just by being here you can tell the present owners love the place and want visitors to love it equally. I wondered if this is where it all started? The start of Ibiza chic. The place certainly has panache today (why is it always French words?).


I was also asked to sketch for http://cottonbeachclub.com/

Due to open in the middle of May. It is possibly going to be the event of Ibiza this summer. A fabulous concept almost realised. Sitting in luxury on a beach of Ibiza drinking chilled champagne, or coctails whilst enjoying what has to be one of the most renowned sunset views in Europe. The restaurant will be a bit special also.

Thanks to both for the work, and thanks for returning some 'chic' to Ibiza.

Back to Ibiza (via Denia).

Work required please?

johncolley@hotmail.com
Tlf: 689 744 929

I am going to try a very different approach to Ibiza this time. Hopefully, it will mean I make enough money to finally have time to complete very long term writing projects.

Still want work though. Denia, or Ibiza.

Adios Granada.

Fuck it.

I can't afford another fine for being an artist. 'Occupation of a public space'. €150. I am public - it is our space. Frankly, if Granada doesn't appreciate the touristic value of an artist working on the streets (public space), then there are plenty of other cities that do.

I'm off on a bitter note.

As if a fine for sketching in a public space isn't bad enough, I now see I am publicly criminalised on a website. No big deal unless I am asking clients for deposits and retainers. A simple Google now tells all that I am not trustworthy, just because I sketch in public spaces.

Add to this the fact that I have never been issued with a written notice of a fine...


Fuck you Granada.

Adios!

Back to Granada.

Work please. Anyone?

Drilling for oil off the coast of Ibiza?

What a crazy idea! Understandably the entire population of the island are protesting. I suspect this may be one of the very few protests in Spain to get a result. There are lots of wealthy, influential people with homes here.

Ibiza is keeping me busy. More work enquiries each day. This place will not let me go. I knew it was a trap. Not a bad trap for a street working artist to get stuck in.

Always looking for more work...

johncolley@hotmail.com
Tlf: 689 744929

Happy New Year.

It is still Christmas here. Things arrive late in Spain.

You see, this is how it happened here. The Three kings missed the birth because they were following the wrong star and ended up in the wrong town. Beds were a plenty, so they decided to stay a night. They had a smoke, a drink, slept, and when they woke had another smoke, and thought 'fuck it, we've missed the gig already - why not stay a little longer'. It was holiday weekend after all. Next weekend was going to be another holiday. They chilled and talked about mañana.

This is why Christmas happens in Spain Two weeks later than anywhere else in Europe. It is just a Spanish thing.

Merry Christmas.

My mate helping me demolish 24 cans of Dia lager and a bottle bubbly. It is a little bit wet here today. Wet and blustery.

Contact info'.

Tlf: 689 744 929
johncolley@hotmail.com

Subtropical Ibiza in December...

I really wasn't expecting this. It is beautiful.

Santa Eularia.

This is nice. It is the off season coastal chill I was looking for. Very relaxing, but shit for making cash. It doesn't quite cut it with Sitges for me, but it gets very close. A little too polished on the inside, a little to forgotten outside.

 

Some tacky photos :)

 

There is something very special about closed, out of season coastal resorts. They force you to switch off and relax. It is alien and disconcerting whilst at the same time very tranquil.

This is proper holiday.

 

Bon Nadal - Eivissa 2013.

Oysters and champagne at Hostal Parque, Ibiza. Rapidly becoming the must do fashionable Christmas tradition. Nice place for a winter break in out of season Ibiza. www.hostalparque.com. Very nice place. Very nice prices.

Me? I'm doing alternative Ibiza - ham and cheese sandwich with a can of San Miguel. Might get myself a nice jar of tomato and chili chutney from the Sunday market at San Juan. Here.

I like it here so far. I have paintings to do, so not so reliant on street sales. Street sales is no problem. Five minutes at the townhall for permission. I like out of season coastal resorts. You get more of an insight into what Ibiza was like before the hippies, the airport, the mega clubs and countless hotels.

It has a nice community vibe. Relaxed and gentle, but it lacks something. The police are friendly. There isn't the same commercial pressure as in summer. A typical terrace of bars will offer a stein of bier with bratwurst, spaghetti with spumante, frogs legs and beaujolais, chicken and chips... it isn't sophisticated! It seems to me that Ibiza has lost its soul like Barcelona. Given the choice of Catalan coastal resorts out of season, I would far sooner be in Sitges.

It is nice though.

Those wishing to follow the no holds barred account can follow me here: Urban75

I like to use web forums for many reasons. This is one of the best general forums on the web.

Cafe bar Esmeralda.

Every adventure starts and ends here.

The snows have returned to the mountains. Brrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr!

I am off to Ibiza, Majorca, Menorca and anywhere else where it is a bit less cold.

Work required as ever...

689 744 929, or johncolley@hotmail.com

Tunes in my head.

Anyone following long term (more fool you) will possibly remember my walk to the far Eastern corner of Slovakia to visit my internet buddy. He then caught up with me in Madrid last summer. This is what he is doing now. I am mightily impressed.
  Congratulations to all involved. I really, really like it. Hopefully many more will also. -------/... and chuff cguff. Can't embed a youtube at the original size, so try this with a magnifying glass instead. It may work. Oh well...

 

Work progressing.

I have finished this now. Minor alterations since this photograph.

Hello to my 100th follower.

Hope all is good sister :) x.

Work in progress.

I am very grateful for being given the opportunity to paint my favourite Granada view on a huge 2.5 Meter by 1.4 Meter canvas. Perhaps my favourite city view in Europe - not just Granada. A couple of days from finishing. I hope my client likes my style. People tell me it is an unique style. Sometimes I am not quite sure how to take that.