Reportage News: Simo Capecchi in Adesso magazine; Paul Madonna's All Over Coffee; Substack Reads features On the Spot
Hello readers,
Some housekeeping:
On the Spot has a new tagline: the Magazine of Reportage Illustration. This slogan better reflects my original goal for the newsletter: to create a reader-supported publication that pays artists for articles of compelling visual storytelling.
In light of the new tagline, “Sketching News Roundups” are now called “Reportage News.” These posts will continue to highlight current projects by artists who draw on the spot, as well as a calendar of notable events.
Now, let’s get right to that.
Capecchi’s illustrated journalism
Take a look at Simo Capecchi’s new monthly column in the January and February issues of Adesso magazine — and at the work-in-progress images she shared with On the Spot. What a treat to see the transformation of her field work into finished editorial pieces!
Adesso is a magazine aimed at German speaking travellers who want to be introduced to the language and culture of Italy. It is one of several language magazines published by ZEIT Sprachen, a subsidiary of ZEIT, the prestigious German publishing group behind the weekly newspaper Die Zeit.
Capecchi, an Italian artist and illustrator based in Naples, told me via chat that Adesso editors wanted her to do something similar to the column she’s been publishing in Dove travel magazine since 2015. (Her 100th illustrated piece for that publication will come out in April.)
Capecchi said jokingly that she had to accept the commission because it’s “a funny match” of magazine nameplates. Dove means “where” in Italian, and Adesso means “now.”
The new gig comes with more creative freedom. While Dove editors decide the locations she has to illustrate, which limits her ability to use her own on-the-spot drawings as often, Adesso lets her choose her own subjects.
“I am completely free to choose the subject but it has to be an Italian place. They also like the infographic approach, with images that help understand the text. Key words from the column appear translated into German below.”
It’s exciting to see the work of such a talented visual storyteller like Capecchi reach a wider audience. If you live in Germany, look for issues of Adesso at airport and train stations bookshops. And it looks like issues can also be ordered through the Zeit online shop for delivery within European countries.
In other news
French artist Elsie Herberstein documented a series of presentations at the legendary Folies Bergère music hall during an event celebrating the 170th anniversary of Veolia, a water and waste management services company, in Paris. A corporate event has never looked more interesting. Don’t miss the many drawings she shared.
With a series of posts on Instagram, San Francisco artist and author Paul Madonna recently noted an important milestone in his career: the 20-year anniversary of All Over Coffee, his beautiful “comic strip without the comic” that ran in the San Francisco Chronicle between 2004 and 2015. He credits the feature for marking the beginning of his career as a professional artist and writer after spending the previous 10 years “giving my all with every zine, story, and drawing, hoping to make my mark.” Madonna’s work inspired me to muster the courage to pitch my own newspaper column to Seattle Times editors back in 2009. He is a true trailblazer.
It’s all in a day’s work for this Los Angeles urban sketcher. When dozens of floors of an unfinished Los Angeles skyscraper were tagged by graffiti artists in recent weeks, Joey Mason sprung into action to document the newsworthy event.
Combat artist Richard Johnson is on a new military mission, this time in Norway, creating art for the U.S. Marine Corps Museum. Johnson’s drawings never fail to impress. Respect.
Nature-loving sketchers, here’s something that may inspire you to document the urban nature in your own backyard. Spanish artist Raúl Deamo presented a new book of illustrations about Collserola, the mountain range overlooking Barcelona where locals enjoy hiking and taking in the magnificent views of the Mediterranean metropolis.
Draw, a South Korean “self-learning” magazine did a spotlight on the beautifully stylish watercolor drawings by London urban sketcher Lis Watkins.
Did you see the article by Dominika Wróblewska we published last week? “Tractors as far as the eye can see” was featured in Substack Reads, earning On the Spot a cool recognition as a “2024 featured publication” and a slew of new subscribers. Welcome to all of you and shout-out to Wróblewska for making us look so good!
Calendar
April, 13. Sabadell. VII Trobada USk Catalunya
May 18-20. Nantes. 11th Rendez-vous USk France, Nantes (I plan to be there!)
June 27-29. Neuchatel. 6th Swiss Urban Sketchers Symposium.
July 12-14, 2024. Chicago. USK Chicago Seminar
July 19-21. Edmonds, Wash. Sketcher Fest Edmonds
October 9-12, 2024. Buenos Aires. 12th Urban Sketchers Symposium
Gabriel, I am a french USK. I would sketch and write a reportage about thé entrance of my 11years-old girl in thé rubgy world. Do you have some advices to properly document those moments?
Excellent! Love this.