I’m back in Berlin after a week’s visit to the UK. Talk of the day there is the referendum on the 23rd of June, where British voters get to decide whether or not Britain should leave the EU. While the idea of the referendum was borne in the spur of a political moment, it must…
Castle Angelokastro on the island Korfu. Drawn in a café opposite, after having visited the castle ten minutes before closing time. Pencil and diluted ink on 12×15 inch watercolour paper. Jacob Kanev, CC-BY 3.0, Korfu 2009-10-06
This is one of a series of texts I’m writing to come to terms with the thought of having to die and to get myself used to the concept of death in general. Although I still cannot quite fathom the idea of my own death, the evidence pointing to its inevitability is pretty overwhelming. Even…
A piece of plastic that looks like it is walking away from a piece of metal that looks like it is made for holding some liquid. Stylus pen and ArtFlow software on a 7 inch tablet. Jaocb Kanev, Berlin 2015-12-04, CC-BY 3.0
Liebe Leser, leider, leider kenne ich mich nicht besonders gut in den Wirtschaftswissenschaften aus. Deshalb habe ich ein paar Fragen an Euch, in der Hoffnung, daß Ihr diese Dinge besser versteht als ich. Ist es nicht so, daß wir, was Erwerbsarbeit angeht, drei Gruppen von Leuten haben? Einmal Leute, die eine Erwerbsarbeit ausüben und die…
A dead wasp I found one day end of August on the floor in a Berlin café. The one sad thing about dead insects on the floor is how they indicate the end of the summer. The two good things are, they don’t move and thus provide an excellent subject for drawing, and most important,…
Tea preparation and consumption are an integral part of our cultural history and many would agree that the traditional preparation instructions (warm the pot, use one teaspoon of tea for each person and one for the pot, pour boiling water over it) should be followed with almost religious devotion. Unfortunately it may at times prove…
Quick sketch of a tree outside a café in Berlin, done on a sunny day last October. I had expected the tree to be full of leaves this spring. Now, it looks as naked as it did on that sunny autumn afternoon. It had died. Pencil on 3×4 inch paper Jacob Kanev, Berlin 2014-10-05, CC-BY…
At the time I’m writing this it is not more than a couple of days ago that on 7th January 2015, two masked gunmen forced their way into the office of Charlie Hebdo, a satirical newspaper, in Paris. Using automatic weapons and calling »Allahu Akbar« they executed eleven writers, draughtsmen and editors in broad daylight.…
Empty chairs. Pencil on 3×4 inch paper Jacob Kanev, Berlin 2015-01-18, CC-BY 3.0
Christmas is approaching again, that feast of love. And despite all lamenting about how awfully commercial Christmas has become lately, and how it is only about presents and not about love (especially as kids are concerned), and only about buying and about consumer goods (especially as kids are concerned), I think the way most people…
Weihnachten, das Fest der Liebe, rückt wieder näher. Und trotz aller Klagen wie schlimm konsumorientiert Weihnachten ist, und wie es nur um die Geschenke geht und gar nicht um Liebe (vor allem bei den Kindern), und wie kommerziell alles geworden ist (vor allem bei den Kindern), finde ich, daß so wie die meisten Leute die…
We’re sitting outside a café in Prenzlauer Berg, enjoying some semi-good coffee. Weather is fine, I get my sketchbook out and ask »what shall I draw?« Y. doesn’t really want me to draw and answers »nothing, please«. So I made this quick sketch. No pencil on 3×4 inch paper. Jacob Kanev, Berlin 2014-12-12, CC-BY 3.0
Märchen sind ein wunderbarer Schatz der deutschen Kultur. Über Jahrhunderte mündlich weitergegeben, von den Gebrüdern Grimm gesammelt und 1812 in der ersten Ausgabe veröffentlicht. Leider habe ich oft ein sehr ungutes Gefühl beim Thema Märchen. Meistens dann, wenn meine kleine Tochter aus Angst vor Wölfen nicht einschlafen kann, oder wenn sie mir erklärt, was eine Prinzessin…
Enjoying the late summer sun in September. Pencil on 3×4 inch paper. Jacob Kanev, Berlin, CC-BY 3.0
