Stormed Out

Well! As the saying goes, you really DO have to watch out for what you wish for! If you’ve read my last post you’ll know what a significant part water plays in life on this island and while most of …

“Water, water, everywhere …..”

A strange thing to say, you may think, given that I am living on a lush green island after all. But how many of us take that precious commodity for granted? I know when I’m in London, if I need …

There’s purple – and there’s purple!

The weather here on Skiathos is so changeable at the moment. Throwing open the shutters first thing, through the lilac haze of dawn I can just see the sun breaking through with a promise of a glorious sunny and warm …

pomegranates, paintings and ponderings

There’s talk that, come October, we’re going to be enjoying the sunshine and clear blue skies once again but for the moment, looking out onto the rain-soaked terrace, that’s hard to believe. It would appear Summer has definitely come to an end. All week we’ve had rain, wind and dark forbidding skies and, disappointing as that is for the last of the season’s holiday makers, for artist Mary Dillon and myself, it was a chance to retreat into the studio, light the fire and settle down to many hours of uninterrupted painting. Bliss!

Mary, (who who has now returned to Ireland), had a body of work to finish for her forthcoming exhibitions and as for me, well after a very busy few months, it was a chance to slow down and tap into some creativity once again. Working quietly in our respective corners with only the sound of the rain lashing on the roof and windows outside, each other and a cd player for company, the hours flew by and undisturbed as we were, it was easy to lose all sense of time. A couple of times, having started early in the morning (and with only an occasional coffee break and hastily put together sandwich mid-afternoon) we continued working through the day into the night, only downing our brushes when we realised it was way past midnight!

my corner

Mary at work

some of her beautiful watercolours

Mary produced several wonderful paintings. Totally inspired as she is the flowers and fruits found on Skiathos, she painted not only stunning vibrant studies of her trade mark subjects such as hibiscus, jasmine and fuchias but also of figs, olives and pomegranates.

Guided by Mary and inspired by her technique and unique application of watercolours; freely applying layer upon layer of subtle colour till a painting of incredible depth and vivacity appears, I thought I’d have a go myself (oils and acrylics being my usual preferred media) and this was the result – a real departure for me – a watercolour painting of pomegranates, picked fresh from the garden:

My pomegranates

detail 1

detail 2

Yours Truly, happy with the final result, Thank you Mary!

All work and no play makes for a dull child so Mary’s last day here found us dashing about the island for there was so much I still wanted her to see. We spent a morning exploring the tiny cobbled alley ways of Skiathos town for last minute purchases which included some fine examples of Greek jewelery, local white lace and embroidered cafe curtains, antique bronze and copper pots, and silver ceramic shells for table top displays. After a (light!) lunch on the old port, of tzaziki, fried courgettes, ‘gavros’ (local small fish) and ‘yigantis’ (butter bean stew – my favourite!) and a carafe (or 2!) of local Greek rose wine, the late afternoon found us heading up into the hills on the island’s remote north side in search of Aghia Iannis, Krifos ( the hidden church) and to take photos of the spectacular sunset that filled the sky with amazing hues of deep pink and orange against the backdrop of Mount Pelion, with Mount Olympus far off in the hazy distance. Finally, we visited Kounistra Monastery, bathed as it was in the rose-pink glow on the fading light. We took a few moments to stand in silent awe before the ancient un-restored icons, just barely visible in the flickering candlelight before warming ourselves in front of a roaring log fire, newly lit in the refectory and heading for home.

Notes from London…

'On Parade in Hyde Park'

Much as its good to be home and back in the bosom of my sorely-missed family after so many months away, its quite a culture shock being back in in this thriving (?) metropolis, once again. But in the last two weeks I’ve managed the transition and enthusiastically thrown myself back into the hustle and bustle of big city life, soaking-up, gratefully, much of what’s, culturally, currently on offer.

Highlights have included visits to galleries; the R.A.’s Summer Exhibition: http://www.royalacademy.org.uk/exhibitions/summer-exhibition/

the BP Portrait Exhibition at the National Gallery:

http://www.npg.org.uk/live/bpmenu.asp

and, best of all, the ‘Lure of the East ‘, the British Orientalist exhibition at Tate Britain:

http://www.tate.org.uk/britain/exhibitions/britishorientalistpainting/default.shtm

All were brilliant and totally inspiring!

Also, trips to the theatre. The new ‘Zorro’ musical is one of the best musicals I’ve seen in a long time with slick and polished performances from an amazingly talented cast and the Gypsy Kings’ fabulous music. It kept me on the edge of my seat, toe-tapping throughout – a definite ‘MUST SEE’!

Exciting and stimulating as they’ve all been, the hardest thing (apart from the weather!) to get used to is being constantly surrounded by crowds of people again, the sheer volume of traffic and the noise!. Equally, not having watched TV for over 6 months, I find the incessant bombardment from ad. companies (telling me what I MUST buy/own/have/do/eat/drive/wear/think/say etc, in order to have any kind of valid life), plus the puerile drivel (constantly peppered with foul language!) that somehow passes for ‘entertainment’ these days and, worst of all, the increasingly depressing news (murders, stabbings, nose-diving economy, social, ecological and political issues etc), are all quite overwhelming!

Maybe it’s an age thing and I’m fast turning into a ‘grumpy old woman’ but well, so be it – I am the age I am and proud of it! I absolutely refuse to be pressurised into joining the whole ‘nip and tuck’, ‘eternal youth’ culture that seems to have become the norm. Whatever happened to value-ing ‘life-wisdom’ and ‘experience’ over superficial physical attributes?. Going ‘under the knife’ will never make me look 20 again, no matter how much I spend. It will only make me look like a middle aged woman – who’s gone under the knife!!

Oh! How I long for the slow pace, simple, uncomplicated life and fresh, unpolluted air of a Greek island – and it seems I am not alone. Given all this doom and gloom, is it any wonder that Brits are leaving these shores in droves?

One comment I hear often about my work is how ‘vibrant and colourful’ it is – and how it reflects how ‘happy and optimistic’ I must be about Life in general. Well I’ll admit to feeling optimistic about Life – but it’s something, given today’s climate, I have to work very hard at, to achieve. That doesn’t mean I’m unaware or ignorant of (or worse; choose or refuse to recognise or acknowledge) the full range of horrors and strife that many, world-wide, have to face each day. Nor does it mean that I have no social conscience or that I neglect to do ‘my bit’ wherever possible to make a difference if I can, but rather that I consciously live with Hope, believing, as I do, that ‘good’ ultimately triumphs over ‘evil’ and that I actively seek out the beauty of my surroundings and in the people I meet wherever I can, taking nothing for granted along the way.

Given the mood that appears to have infiltrated society – across the board – in today’s Britain, I’m sure if I wasn’t as fortunate as I am and had no choice but to live here permanently, my paintings would be just as black, bloody, morbid and depressing, as any of the currently ‘celebrated’ artists of today, whose work reflects the world around them, as they see it. I have no intention of opening a debate on this blog, on what passes for ‘Art’ these days – there are plenty of sites far better equipped and well-informed, that can deal with such a volatile issue. I’m happy to resort to the time-old cliches of ‘Each to his own’, ‘Live and let Live’ and ‘Beauty is in the eye of the beholder’ – ’nuff said!

One thing one can’t help but notice on Skiathos is how immensely patriotic and proud (justifiably so) the Greeks are, of their country and heritage, celebrating their history and culture at every opportunity. For all that I am accepted and welcomed on the island (and I am!), I’m always kept keenly aware that I am, and always will be, at the end of the day, an ‘outsider’ – a ‘guest’ – a ‘foreigner’. And that’s fine! After all, I am not – and never can be – ‘Greek’ – for no Greek blood runs through my veins. I am British and proud of that fact but it saddens me, to feel that same sense of patriotism and ‘belonging’; that clear sense of national and cultural identity, is something we are gradually losing here in Britain.

I’m off to the country tomorrow (Lincolnshire) for a few days and I’m hoping such observations thus far are merely the result of my living in a congested, cosmopolitan, multi-cultural city where even hearing the English language spoken is a rarity. If any of the England I remember and love and any fragment of a rural, idyllic ‘English’ utopia, complete with honourable values, still exists – I’ll let you know! (Or, better still, perhaps you could let me know!)
I’ll get off my soap box now!

To answer a few questions about Skiathos

This is a second article taken directly from Jack Causton’s ‘Blue Book’ in which he answers a few of the more commonly asked questions about Skiathos:

“How did Skiathos get its name?

‘Skiathos’ means ‘Shadow of Athos’, and although it is separated from the Athos Peninsula by 150 km (90 miles) of open sea, the visibility in Greece is so amazingly clear that the 2,033 m high peak of the Holy Mountain can, on occasion, be seen from Skiathos.

How many other islands are there in the Aegean?

About 165 inhabited islands and over 1,200 which are un-inhabited.

What is so special about Skiathos?

In three words; beaches, greenery and villas. There are as many as seventy sandy beaches and coves spread out around its indented coastline and separated from each other by steep rocky headlands and one of them, Koukounaries, (‘Bay of Stone Pines’) is claimed to be the finest beach in Greece. Practically all the beaches provide excellent safe bathing and wonderful under-water swimming. Many of the Aegean islands are rocky and barren and some almost completely devoid of trees and vegetation; Skiathos is one of the great exceptions. It is a green, green island, with rolling hills chequered with dark-green pine plantations and vast silver-green olive groves and well-watered valleys shaded by giant plane, poplar and chestnut trees. There are also many varities of fruit trees and abundant natural vegetation, which includes white and purple heather, ferns, broom and evergreen arbutus unedo (strawberry bush). In spring the island is a riot of wild flowers.

What about the villas?

This is a story in itself and another article; ‘The Early days of Villa Development’ will tell you how it all started.

At present there are over 300 (in 1979- today its closer to 3,000!) attractive and well-equipped villas most of them with mains electricity, piped water and septic tank drainage and built to a standard which compares favourably with that of villas anywhere in Greece. These villas which are nearly all on sites of at least 2 stremata (half an acre) fall into several categories; the beach villa, with the tranquil Aegean only a few meters from the terrace; the ‘cliff-hanger’, built up high on a rocky cliff or headland, with steep steps winding down to a sandy cove below and magnificent views straight out to sea; and the hill-side villa, set amoungst pines or an olive grove having panoramic views over country and sea. These villas and the numerous, self-contained apartments, hotels and studios, more recently built, provide ideal holiday accommodation for families and can be rented (when not occupied by their owners) for periods of a week, a fortnight or longer.

Is there anything Skiathos lacks?

There are no archeaological remains (or none that have as yet been unearthed), no museum (update: there is a Folklore museum at Evangelistria), no casino, no sophisticated entertainment (there is now a thriving night life!, Pubs, bars, clubs and restaurants, offering a wide choice of international cuisines to suit every taste and pocket can be found both in Skiathos Town and other more recently developed self-contained resorts, such as Troulos and Koukounaries).

What is the best time to visit the island?

This depends on what is your primary interest. If this is bathing and sun-bathing then come in June, July or August when the sun normally shines all day, every day. It is however warm enough to swim in May and September and also in October and November. In spring and autumn moreover, in addition to being much less crowded, the island is at its greenest and these are the ideal times for walking. Those that want to see the wonderful wild flowers at their best and observe the abundant bird life (see separate article on ‘Flowers and Wildlife’) should come in March and April.

What is the town like?

The town, which is of course also the port, is situated on one of the finest natural harbours in the Aegean – a vast beautiful bay, which is completely sheltered from the northerly Meltemi. From the sea, the town is a most attractive sight – the white-washed red-roofed houses clustered on two low hills, the colourful awnings of the cafes and shops which face the quay; the fishing caiques and luxury yachts, moored side by side and, at one end of the main harbour, the Bourtzi Island which is approached by a small causeway. To absorb something of the atmosphere of the town read the separate article: ‘Shopping, Eating and Drinking’.

What is there to see and do in the town?

The churches in the two main squares (the ‘Upper’ and the ‘Lower’) are worth a visit, as is also the house of the famous Greek writer Alexander Papadiamantis (this has been preserved more or less as it was when he occupied it over 70 years ago). A wonderful view of the town can be obtained from the small church of Aghios Nicolas, which is on top of the hill with the clock tower on it – approached from the side waterfront (The tower also now houses the Skiathos live web-cam). There is also good bathing off the Bourtzi and if you want entertainment there are numerous bars, pubs and restaurants with live music to suit all tastes. But to appreciate the charm and warmth of this small town you must do the ordinary things; sit at a café or restaurant leisurely sipping an ouzo (accompanied by the customary plate of meze), observing the evening volta along the paralia (waterfront) or watch the fishing boats chugging in to tie up for the night; stroll through the narrow streets, where old people sit outside on their door-steps on a hot evening; saunter down the pedestrian only, cobbled main (Papadiamantis) St. lined with glittering gift and artisan shops and modern fashion boutiques and visit the many tavernas where young lads of the village perform impromptu dances to the strident sounds of the bouzouki.

What beaches should I visit?

The ‘musts’ are Koukounaries and Lalaria but there are a large number of other lovely beaches and coves on the island. The separate article ‘Bathing and boating’ will help you select the ones most suited to your requirements.

What else is there to see and do?

I maintain that you really won’t have seen the island at all unless you’ve taken a walk into the still largely unspoiled interior, meandered through one of the beautiful fertile valleys; strolled in a pine forest amidst the profusion of ferns and heather; walked along a ridge of the hills and looked down at the shimmering silver blue waters of the Aegean, far below you; visited one of the many monasteries and country churches or the remains of the old fortress town of Kastro. The article ‘Walks and rides’ will describe some of these places to you and tell you how to get there. Also of course you should also do some trips by boat – particularly one right around the island, if possible – and if you walk along the paralia in the evening you will see details of the next day’s trips put up on notice boards beside the handsome caiques which make them.

What is the main livelihood of the local community?

It’s always been olives. It was once, possibly olives, and also caique-building and fishing. It is now almost certainly, olives and tourism. Skiathos, with its 6,000 olive trees is a wealthy island by Greek standards and a good crop (harvested between October & March) could be worth as much as (£563,000 in 1979). The majority of its people have always been and still are, basically peasant farmers. One of the particular charms of this island is that the daily life of its small community goes on much as it did fifty or a hundred years ago. And the visitor, in observing it can feel he has stepped back into another age; an age of tranquillity and content. The church plays an important role in the life of the Greek people and the articles ‘Faith and Folklore’ and ‘Christos Anesti’ will give you an insight into some of the significant religious events of the year.

Is Skiathos a good place for retirement?

It’s not easy to give a straight and useful answer to this question. From the point of view of climate, the beauty of one’s surroundings and a quiet and relaxed atmosphere the answer is definitely ‘yes!’ but not everyone can live happily on a small island and if theatres, concerts or even bowl or golf play an important part in your life, Skiathos is probably not for you. Then there are always the little difficulties and strange happenings which are always cropping up, many of them caused by language misunderstandings; these are often amusing in retrospect but, at the time, liable to raise one’s blood pressure. All in all though, given the right temperament one can find happiness here – my wife and I certainly have. A hobby of some sort is essential but this can be reading, gardening, painting – or even editing Guide books!”

It’s SNOWING!

I’ve just heard that the island is covered in a thick blanket of snow! (Oh no! That means MORE delays!) I’m all set to fly off to Skiathos at the weekend so keep your fingers crossed for me that (beautiful as it undoubtedly is!) it will not last too long and the flights will be able to resume soon.

Kathimerini, Greece’s International English language newspaper, reported this yesterday :

” Snow blankets Greece

Dozens of villages cut off, flights cancelled due to cold spell

THANASSIS STAVRAKIS/APSnow covered many parts of Greece, including the Acropolis in central Athens, yesterday. Flights were disrupted and tens of villages, mainly in central Greece’s Evia and the Aegean islands, were cut off due to the snowfall, the result of two cold fronts moving south from Russia and Scandinavia. Authorities warned drivers to be more cautious today due to the icy conditions expected. Experts forecast improving conditions as of today.

A cold snap that hit Greece yesterday blanketed the country in snow, cutting off dozens of villages and grounding flights at Athens International Airport.

Temperatures fell to as low as -11 degrees (12 degrees Fahrenheit) in parts of northern Greece while in the capital snow fell steadily throughout the day.

Officials said that about 70 villages were snowed in late yesterday, mostly in Evia, central Greece and on the Aegean islands.

Athens International Airport closed down at about 5 p.m., cancelling domestic and international flights, and was not expected to re-open until 3 a.m. this morning.

The snowstorm, the result of two cold fronts moving south from Russia and Scandinavia, struck Athens on Saturday night.

Authorities had issued appeals for people to remain indoors but said some drivers ignored calls to take extra care on the country’s road network and this had contributed to traffic problems.

“Drivers that decided to circulate without using anti-skid chains created additional problems,” said a local government official.

“They slowed down traffic on some main roads by double parking in order to put on snow chains,” he added.

The snowfall in the capital kept many Athenians indoors over the weekend, with normally busy central streets far quieter than usual.

Other villages across the country, including on the southern island of Crete, reported a number of problems with power and water supplies.

According to television reports, mountain villages near Iraklion on Crete and other small towns on the islands of Andros and Tinos had their power cut off since midday yesterday.

The snow is becoming more dangerous for drivers as it is turning to ice, authorities warned.

Schools in Athens will remain closed, but government officials said public services will operate as normal.

However, today’s driving examinations will be cancelled.

The National Meteorological Service said it expects conditions to begin improving today…………”

My parents endured many such winters in the 25 years they lived on the island – sometimes they were completely snowed-in for days at a time! Not something one normally associates with life on a Greek island, it can, nevertheless be a magical time – everything looks SO beautiful – but only so long as you’re warm enough….

(mental note: order logs for the wood-burning stove and better pack those thermals and galoshes…….)!

Doors

Doors, whether they’re ornately sophisticated, triumphant works of art or, charmingly rustic, simple and more concerned with functionality (as is more typical on a Greek island), they’ve always held a particular fascination for me.

Doors are common everyday objects that all of us use everyday without even thinking about it. They’re just something to open if we want to get’ in’ and either pass through or close behind us, when we leave. Unless they’re particularly noticeable, by their beauty or architectural significance (or unexpectedly locked), they‘re rarely paid any attention at all! Yet we all spend our lives living ‘behind closed doors’,’ opening the door of our homes’ to friends, seeking’ doors of opportunity’ etc, till eventually we arrive, as we all must, at ‘Death’s door’ and, perhaps even beyond; entering the ‘Doors to the kingdom of Heaven or Hell’

They’re often symbolically endowed with ritual purposes, and the guarding or receiving of the keys to a door, or being granted access to a door can have special significance.

Doors and doorways frequently appear in metaphorical or allegorical situations, in the arts, often as a portent of change, .and in literature (The writer Stephanie Strickland says that, ‘poems are words that take you through three kinds of doors: closed doors, secret doors, and doors you don’t know are there’,

Here are some of the doors to be found in Skiathos (accompanied by the words of (some great) poets who found inspiration, in reference to the humble door:

‘The sparrow flies swiftly, .in through one door….out through another

Similarly, man appears on earth for a little while

But we know nothing of what went on

Before his life and what follows’

- The Venerable Bede 673 – 735

‘I compare human life to a large mansion of many apartments,

Two of which I can only describe, the doors of the rest

Being as yet, shut upon me’

- John Keats 1795 – 1821

‘There was a door to which I found no key

There was a veil past which I could not see’

&

‘Myself when young did eagerly frequent,

Doctor and Saint, and heard great Argument,

About it, and about: but evermore

Came out by the same Door I went in’

- Edward Fitzgerald 1809 – 1883

‘Men shut their doors

Against a setting sun’

- Shakespeare 1564 – 1516, ‘Timon of Athens’

‘The sweetest thing that ever grew

Beside a human door!’

- William Wordsworth, ‘Lucy Gray’, 1770 – 1850

‘One., two, buckle my shoe

Three, four, knock at the door’

- Nursery rhymes

‘It was a summer evening

Old Kaspar’s work was done

And he before his cottage door

Was sitting in the sun’

- Robert Southey 1774 – 1843

‘A trick that everyone abhors,

In little girls is slamming doors’

- Hilaire beloc 1870 – 1953

‘I seem forsaken and alone

I hear the lion roar

And every door is shut but one

And that is Mercy’s door’

- William Cowper 1731 – 1800

“Is there anybody there?” said the Traveller,

Knocking on the moonlit door’.

- Walter De La Mare 1873 – 1956

‘Footfalls echo in the memory

Down the passage we did not take

Towards the door we never opened

Into the rose garden’

- T.S. Eliot 1888 – 1965

‘I see a red door and I want to paint it black’

- Rolling Stones song lyrics

‘…….Knocking at Death’s door’

- Thomas Sackville 1536 – 1608

‘Knock, knock, knocking at Heaven’s door’

- Bob Dylan’s song lyrics

What a thrill!

The Mayor of Skiathos chose the work of local artists for the theme of next year’s ‘official’ calendar. I felt so honoured when I discovered he’d chosen one of my paintings for the front cover and another painting (from of my ‘Chuches of Skiathos’ series) was selected for the accompanying booklet. I will have similar calendars (in English) available for sale on my website soon. If anyone would like to pre-order one, just let me know (they will be in the Skiathos shops this summer).

Prints of all my paintings are for sale at:

IMAGEKIND

Skiathos Annual Art Exhibition 2007

Every year in August, the Mayor of Skiathos’ Cultural Committee organises an Art Exhibition, on the Bourtzi, to display and promote the work of local artists. It is always a highly successful and extremely well-attended event with virtually the whole population of Skiathos, turning out for what is one of the most eagerly-anticipated highlights in the Skiathos calendar.

These are some photos of the last year ‘s event showing the work of just some of the artists (out of more than thirty who exhibited) . Namely Despina Mitselos, Asia Brassan, Gail Stathakis, Stamatas Patir, Giasemi Kondili, Georgios Vrezarianos, Eleni Mermiga, Panagiota Koroniou…… and myself

Here are four of my paintings from the ‘Skiathos Churches’ series:

PRINTS (framed or unframed) and GREETINGS CARDS

of all these paintings, can be purchased at: