So what does Pinta de Guiri mean anyway?

For the non-spanish speakers that might be reading this website, I should explain. A guiri is basically another way of saying extranjero, a foreigner, but it has a negative connotation in that it really refers to people who stick out like a sore thumb, and so is particularly associated with the british and other northern european tourists that come to Spain on holiday, in t-shirt and shorts even if it’s only 15deg. The panama hat, what was once a staple of the englishman abroad, and is still seen to some extent, is another signifier of the guiri. I’ve tried the hat, I’ll admit it. And I’ve seen many others try to wear it too. I can confidently say that very few englishmen can pull off the panama hat. Roger Moore. Richard Ayoade. Michael Palin. That’s it. That’s actually it. If you’re going on holiday this year and you’re english, and you’re thinking about trying it. Don’t. You know I’m right.

Anyway. So pinta is a pun on “pintar” to paint, and to have a “pinta de” is also a way of saying “looks like”. Double meaning, you see? Very clever, I know. I didn’t think of it, my partner did, because she has a real talent for that stuff. Look at her instagram and see for yourself.

I used to have a blog called The Madrid Guiri, because I lived in Madrid. By the time I moved away from Madrid, the blog had run out of steam it’s fair to say. I thought Instagram would be an adequate replacement, but actually it’s the total opposite of a blog. It’s more like waving a tiny flag in a huge stadium. Lately I’ve been missing the freedom of a longer format. I’ll try not to drone on though: mostly I’ll be sharing pages from my sketchbook, my approach to street sketching and some videos of the drawings being made. I definitely won’t run out of steam this time, right?