For this artist from Germany, sketching is memento of life!

Travelling artist and illustrator Allen Shaw from Germany is on a 'pilgrimage' of different kind in Goa where he wants to capture 'different aspects of life' through his artwork.

The Germany-based artist of Indian origin, Shaw had visited various cities in the European country as well as in Gujarat.

He is currently roaming in the coastal state picking up elements which will be used to piece together the "Goa Sketchbook".

"I had done the Ahmedabad sketchbook three years back. I had also done sketchbooks on Rajkot and Morbi, apart from the one on St. Stephen's College in Delhi," Shaw, who has been regular visitor to Goa since the last 12 years, told PTI on Sunday.

I call it 'Goa pilgrimage' because I like coming to Goa, said Shaw who is also working on similar projects for Erlangan and Berlin in Germany.

Shaw, who traces his origin to Bihar, counts Goa-based legendary illustrator late Mario Miranda as one of his early inspirations.

The artist, who has been doing sketchbooks for the last 24 years and prefers using water colours, considers the "Goa project" close to his heart.

The 47-year-old illustrator said he tries to cover various aspects of a city through his sketches.

"When you go to a city, you try to understand essence of the city. There is architecture, heritage, culture, people, history. I try to cover all the aspects possible in that stipulated time," he said.

For the 'Goa Sketchbook' project, Shaw plans to capture Miranda and popular pop singer Remo Fernandes.

"I do a lot of crowded compositions which was the style of Mario Miranda," he said.

Shaw said he would also capture 'non-celebrities', including a British man who runs a restaurant in Goa and Esabella Rodrigues who owns a small-time business of making pickle from 'jujube' fruit, in his Goa project.