Inspired by Lufthansa Allegris: Hidden Objects

Diego Blanco actually made a New Year's resolution to say "no" more often. "I say yes to too many and very different projects," says the Spanish illustrator. "And then I react to the challenges with panic." Fortunately, his resolution didn't stop the 27-year-old from saying "yes" to a flight with Lufthansa Allegris and being inspired by the cabin to create a work of art.

It's the beginning of April. Blanco is standing at Munich Airport in a pretty cool outfit – black trousers and T-shirt, silver jewelry, grey blouson jacket, and Tabi sneakers with a split toe cap. He arrived the day before from Valencia, where he has lived for ten years: he boarded the plane at 22 degrees and landed at just over ten. Outside, gray clouds cover the sky into which Blanco is about to take off: from Gate L21 at Franz Josef Strauss Airport over Scotland and Greenland, Canada and the Rocky Mountains to San Diego in the far southwest of the USA.

"Unlike my partner, a painter who appreciates his creative chaos, I need order and a clean workplace," says Blanco. And that's exactly what he finds in the Lufthansa Allegris cabin when he boards the plane at midday. His seat: 16 D, center aisle left, Premium Economy. "The most impressive thing is the feeling of spaciousness and the harmonious lighting," says Blanco. "The cabin feels open and airy – not just functional, but intentional so that every detail works together in quiet harmony."

As soon as the plane reaches cruising altitude, Blanco takes pencils and a drawing pad out of his rucksack, unfolds the table and begins to draw. Rings flash on his fingers as he lets the pencil dance across the paper. In contrast to his surroundings, Blanco's pads are not at all tidy and well thought out, but full of spontaneous ideas and half-baked notions. "For me, drawing is thinking," he says. "I can't work out ideas without putting pen to paper." What inspires Blanco? Human relationships, fleeting moments, mistakes, and his own emotions. "I try to understand the world through art," he says.

During the almost eleven and a half hour flight, he creates a kind of hidden object painting that Blanco will later refine on his tablet. It shows the Lufthansa Allegris cabin, but above all the people in it and many small moments. "It's really about the passengers," says Blanco. "I focused on why people travel: If you look closely, you see a mixture of excitement, tiredness and quiet anticipation." A half-opened book here, a postcard peeking out of a pocket there - small clues to travel destinations or dreams.

But what Blanco himself particularly appreciated can also be seen in his artwork: the spacious seats and the film program that many of the characters are clearly enjoying. "As a tall person, the lack of legroom is actually always a problem for me," says Blanco. In his seat in the Premium Economy Class, however, things were very different. "It was a great relief to be able to move around freely and not feel like a folded pretzel." Blanco describes the large selection of films as a lifesaver, as he can never sleep when traveling - even in seats as comfortable as those in the Lufthansa Allegris cabin. "I could switch perfectly between sketching and screen time," says Blanco. "And my own reading lamp was a silent hero, because I could draw late into the night without disturbing the others."

Two other artists will soon be traveling to exciting destinations with Lufthansa Allegris and will be inspired on the flight. Stay tuned for their stories and works of art.