I love to travel and spent a few years playing music around the UK. Now I live in Barcelona since January 2017 and am focusing on my artwork, drawing and oil painting.

I live in my sketchbooks. When i forget to keep them, or am too busy to do so, I can get lost, they are my most faithful travelling companions. Next comes the banjo or guitar, another way of telling stories to myself, and other people. Both music and artwork are a kind of portable home, in which i live, nothing's more like home than harmonies.

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

HOW I PARTICIPATE IN COUCHSURFING

I'm on an adventure but when I get my own place again i'll host. In the meantime I'd love to meet some great people on my travels, to share meals and conversation and good times.

Currently travelling through Spain with my brother, Anthony and our guitar - we'd love to share music with any kind hosts! (Ambos hablamos español)

COUCHSURFING EXPERIENCE

Spain - wonderful trip with Luis - i planned to stay for 3 days and stayed for 10 in the beautiful Asturias of Spain - climbing mountains and sleeping on the porches of churches.

Then stayed with Marina and Rodriguez in Oviedo, Asturias. Wonderful city and warm people - and a great art museum!

Also in Madrid with the lovely Alvaro making music all the time.

Summer '16 I took a road trip across the states with my partner John, looking for good people and music and we found plenty. Especially staying with Chelsea in a gem of a house in Asheville, NC.

Interests

The last few years music has taken the lead but the balance has tipped back again towards artwork. Self taught up until recently, I'm now learning the old fashioned crafts of draftmanship in a community of amazing artists and I'm grateful. Working into oils and charcoal i have a hankering to go more into printmaking in the future and return to etching.

Dancing is always close to my heart, especially to old jazz and blues though i will dance to pretty much anything. Singing and harmonising are tied into my soul, I'm always glad to find people to make music with. My music is folk and connected also with my interest in folk lore and folk art. The singers i love most are poets who lay their lines along melodies.

• arts
• singing
• folklore
• swing dancing
• traveling
• painting
• drawing
• music
• live music
• folk music
• guitar
• museums
• galleries
• lindy hop
• blues dancing
• artwork

Music, Movies, and Books

Books:

Half of A Yellow Sun, Birds Without Wings, Henderson The Rain King, The Sound & The Fury (and anything by Faulkner), One Hundred Years Of Solitude, The Eyes of The Skin... many more I can't think of... including most writings and ramblings of John Berger.

Music:

Joni Mitchell, Karen Dalton, Gillian Welch, Dana Immanuel, Leonard Cohen, Tallest Man On Earth, Wood Brothers, Hurray For The Riff Raff, Mississippi John Hurt, Beatles, Meschiya Lake &; the Little Big Horns, Bessie Smith, Memphis Minnie, Tom Waits, Vetiver, Whiskey Mick, Billie Holiday...

Photography:

I love photography, especially taking photos on film. I can never remember all the photographers i love but Francesca Woodman is up there

Art:

Paula Rego is one of my favourite living artists.
Egon Schiele, Klimt... ayyy so many gorgeous artists...
David Hockney - not all his stuff but I love his changing perspective, his documentary Secret Knowledge and the way he constantly explores ways of viewing the world rather than being completely beholden to traditional western values of perspective, light effect and framing.

I write a bit about artwork as well as keep my own stuff at blancheellis.com - so if this side of things interests you you can see more of my interests there.

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

Life never seems to me to offer just 1 thing of this kind.... but i'll include - playing music on street corners in New Orleans, hitch-hiking from the red-woods to California, camping in the mountains of Asturias, singing at a friends wedding and finding people to share these experiences with.

Teach, Learn, Share

I can teach :
- portrait drawing
- guitar/banjo
- swing/blues dance.

I always want to learn about local music, art, flora and fauna.

What I Can Share with Hosts

Music, conversation, open mind and good times.

Countries I’ve Visited

Azerbaijan, Canada, China, Czech Republic, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Mexico, Singapore, Slovenia, Spain, United States

Countries I’ve Lived In

Spain, United Kingdom, United States