A Layered Look at Lisbon: Azulejos, Trams, and Architecture

Today I wanted to share something a little more personal with you guys. Over the past year and a half (yes, I can’t believe Wanderarti is that old now!), I’ve been sharing the work of numerous great artists from all over the world.

So in this post I’m going to bring things back around to me. Some of you may know that I dabble every now and again with the arts – mainly digital design and sketching – and I’d like to share some of that with you today. I’m definitely no expert in the creative fields (though I have had a bit of training in the past), and I’m always looking up to bigger and better artists who I can learn from, but I have to say I’m pretty pleased with my latest creations.

If any of you follow me on Instagram (if you’re not, you should be! Follow me here) you’ll see I regularly post “mixed media collages”, which are amalgamations of scenes from certain places I’ve visited on my travels. I took it one step further last week and created a series which I’ve called “Scenes from Lisbon”.

I love the rustic charm of Lisbon and the endless possibilities around every twist and turn. So it made sense to showcase it in a different way. Whilst there, I wandered around the hilltop district of Alfama for hours, hunting down creative azulejo designs (the colourful tiles that you’ll find pretty much everywhere throughout Lisbon). So, these designs are a huge part of the “Scenes from Lisbon” series, which showcases typical scenes from the city (I’m talking trams, old streets, and incredible architecture) overlaid with quirky and symmetrical tile designs to make something new entirely.

I hope you enjoy them! Feel free to let me know your thoughts in the comments below.

As you can see, this scene combines one of Lisbon’s famous trams with a similarly coloured azulejo pattern over the top. The novelty of trams driving past every few minutes didn’t wear off whilst I was exploring, and I constantly found myself amazed at the steep hills they climbed up and they tight turns they navigated.

Ah this view is so well-know in Lisbon, right? Taken at the top of Alfama, near the Decorative Arts Museum, you can see right out across the terracotta rooftops of the city and to the Tagus River beyond. I enjoyed a nice coffee in the bar pictured which had incredible views.

Street art is such an important part of Lisbon’s culture, and you can find creative murals pretty much around every corner. I found these huge art displays near the Picoas Metro Station – a bit out of the way, but well worth the little adventure.

You can never have too many trams, right? Here’s another typical scene from Lisbon – taken again in Alfama. You can tell it’s the older part of the city by the rustic architecture and Moorish design.

Here’s the cathedral, set down a winding back alley. It’s a magnificent piece of architecture and, I’ve heard (though I didn’t experience it myself) that the inside is just as impressive.

So there you have it, my collection of “Scenes from Lisbon”. I’ll be creating a few more of these pieces over the next week or so, so be sure to follow along on Instagram to get first glimpse!

Have you been to Lisbon?