Summer Sketches: Belgrade and Montenegro
In July 2016 I travelled to Belgrade and Montenegro on my own. I took a sketchbook to amuse myself. I thought drawing would alleviate the boredom of airport layovers. I imagined becoming a watercolour sketchbook artist like Turner or Monet. That requires practice and experience. My first drawing at Melbourne airport is a simple attempt, but it was a start.
Summer Sketches: Belgrade to Montenegro contains all the drawings I made in 2016 as well as during another solo trip in 2019. Initially I drew with coloured pencils, but I was encouraged by a friend to use a pen. When I was a child, my father borrowed magazines – Paris Match, Bunte, Life, Time, and New Yorker – from the library. Those influences, particularly the New Yorker cartoons and illustrations shaped my style and illustrations. The ink line was a revelation to me; I had found my artistic voice.
The drawings in Summer Sketches give me joy. I look at them and I remember the moments and the people, the buildings, the heat, the sun, and the sea. I don’t want to forget the conversations, laughter, and enjoyment. These drawings capture memories and emotions of times enjoyed and places visited. Sketching people and places, trying to show in line what I see in person is challenging. I lose myself in the moment, focusing on shape, trying to transfer to paper what I see. This activity gives me pleasure.
Serbia tripping
I first visited Serbia (then Yugoslavia) in 1977. This was the last stop of my inaugural European trip – the grand tour – taking in London, Paris, Rome – and Belgrade. At that time, I was living with my parents and sister in Cape Town, South Africa. My mother, who had a fierce and tender love for Belgrade encouraged me to visit her family. Since then, I’ve visited at least once each decade – staying with my aunt in her Belgrade apartment. I was fortunate in 2008 to visit with my mother (87 at that time) to celebrate my aunt’s 90 birthday. It was they who introduced me to Montenegro, a place they’d visited in their later years. I’ve been drawn back ever since.
With my relatives in Belgrade, 1977
Belgrade mon amour
I can’t imagine visiting Europe without visiting Belgrade. Whenever I fly in, I slough off my South African/Australian identity and metamorphose into a ‘Beogradjanka’. I speak the language, walk the streets, and become one with my ancestors. I was born in South Africa, but my roots are Serbian. I experience Belgrade as my parents and sister would have done many years ago. I see myself in the faces of locals. I am infused with history, family, culture, and tradition. These senses welcome and envelop me: I belong.
Belgrade at night from the Danube River, 2019
Far, far away
Growing up in South Africa, I was at odds with the local culture. I looked different; I had an unusual name; we ate different food, had different manners and habits. We were labelled ‘communist’, not quite fitting in. My family kept to themselves, preferring not to mix with other immigrants. The distance from Belgrade seemed insurmountable. My mother lamented the loss of her family, her culture, her lifestyle. My father was stoic, but he was clearly European – in his manner, his dress, and his personality. I accepted our family differentness, growing up happy, ignoring any mutterings about my heritage. I did, however, wonder at the strangeness of the postcards and letters we received, unable to read the Cyrillic script.
My parents on honeymoon, 1947
The new world
Australia has been good for me and my family. We fit in as former South Africans, and former Serbians. The differences I experienced as a child I now shoulder proudly. I’m pleased to have a rich and colourful heritage.
Technology helps to overcome the tyranny of distance. In the past a phone call was stressful and expensive. These days we use social media and modern telephony to stay in touch, share experiences and enjoy everything that family and friends bring. I’m fortunate that I can travel to Serbia more often.
Celebrating my birtday with my family on top of Sydney Harbour Bridge, 2006
A historic image
My first trip to Belgrade in 1977 introduced me to the country of my culture and heritage. I returned often out of a sense of responsibility, but also out of love. Love for my family, bridging the distance for my mother and her siblings. I’ve developed a love for Serbian art and artefacts, food, and architecture. When I visit Belgrade, I feel at home.
Aunt Nada and my mother, Mimi, in Belgrade, 2008
I hope to visit Belgrade and Montenegro again. I’d like to add to my portfolio of illustrations. If I’m not able to visit again, I have Summer Sketches to remind me of happy times.
