San Fermin party!!!!

Yes, I live at the city in which bulls run in the streets..Ok, only for a few days, fortunately. Yes, it´s Pamplona in Spanish or Iruña in Basque language or "euskera".

And as some of you could know, there´re several "peñas" (16 at least) which are more or less a club which are devoted to promote the "party", organizing cultural, sport, etc. acts during all the year, but specially in the previous days of San Fermin (6th to 14th of July). You could get more info here:

http://www.websanfermin.com/sanfermin/

http://www.blogsanfermin.com/

And this one in English language:

http://www.therunningofthebullsblog.com/


I have been drawing and painting their "pancartas" or banners from 10 years ago, at least, when I have just finished my studies in Fine Arts...

The motives of these are mainly devoted to local facts, but from time to time they reflect international events (Irak, etc., etc.). Of course, they´re quite critic, event more than "MAD" magazine I think!

To get an idea, just go to this URL:

http://www.anaitasuna.com/pena/pena.html

Here you could see a very old banner from 1953, and
then to the "Fotografias" section, in which appears another one from latest years.

Normally, the "peñas" organized a contest to choose an artwork to be shown in the canvas. Other times they suggested some of the subjects. So the cartoonists must drawn first in a cardboard which measurements are 48 x 28 cms. and then, if you got to be the winner, you must paint it in a blanket canvas of 5 meters long x 1.50 or 2 meters height, more or less. What a work!!!

These´re a couple of artworks presented to "Sanduzelai peña". The 1st one wasn´t choosed:







And then...the banner or "pancarta"!! First, I draw with a charcoal and then comes the paint.






Ei, this looks as Chewbacca!!!! Thanks for your influence, mr. Lucas!







The guy sitting at the mountain is the recently died Iñaki Ochoa de Olza, a well known local mountain climber. Yes, this time I prefer to paint anything different than a politician...I was fed up of them!

The came the reverse of the "pancarta" with the "peña" banner, the Basque flag or "ikurriña" at left, etc., etc.





The 2nda "pancarta" was commissioned by "peña Anaitasuna".

These´re the sketch and definitive artwork:




And this is the "real process" on blanket canvas.

First stages with the charcoal:





Then the collour:







More progress:






And the final touches, as text in balloons, black contours...







And the rear, with the shield of the "peña" (left) and the "Nafarroa Oinez 2008", or Nabarre Basque Party 2008" (right):







Well, and this one was the 3rd banner I painted! The idea or "boceto" cames from another local painter, mr. Pablo Ibarrola, and customer is "Peña Donibane". So, I must to apply the style of another artist! He, and the size of the blanket was really big...5 meters long x 2 meters height!