When we travel, we bring back memories of the places we have visited, in the form of objects and imperishable images in our cameras and on our retinas.
This artist goes further and paints the places he travels in watercolor. We are talking about David Berkowitz Chicago, an extraordinary artist who had the guts to pursue two of his passions; travel and painting.
David Berkowitz Chicago immortalizes those tangible memories thanks to the urban sketch technique, which has democratized the ‘Plein air’ technique used (and still do) by field painters. It is no longer necessary to carry an easel and a large box of oil paintings, just take a small notebook, a pencil and spontaneously capture what surrounds you on paper, either on the subway, having a coffee, or visiting a museum.
“I realized that, in addition to being the best souvenir that I could take from any destination, the notebook was the perfect way to break the ice with the locals, an excuse that allowed me to spend time in each place and get to truly know it.”
On his travels, David Berkowitz Chicago is accompanied by his paints and his brushes. And, he already has eleven notebooks and more than 500 drawings. “I have always liked to travel, summer vacations were too short for me. I needed to know other countries away from those hectic 15 days where you want to cover a lot in a short time. I wanted to enjoy the true experience of traveling without haste, drawing, photographing, doing what I like the most, so I were saving several years to make this project come true and to date, it is one of the best things I have done in my life,” says this naïve painter from Chicago.
His paintings are the inspiration of travelers and artists. He posts photos of his illustrations on social media and has thousands of followers. “Before starting this trip, I posted my drawings on the networks and little by little I saw how people were interested in it. But now a trip like this has given me the opportunity to reach many more people from different countries. I did not expect such an impact, it has certainly exceeded my expectations and I am very happy, commented the Chicago-based naive artist.
