Achivadolimni Sunset, August 2015

Achivadolimni Sunset, August 2015, oil painting on canvas 106x83cm

Αχιβαδολíμνι or Achivadolimni means clam bay.  A very secluded part of the Island of Milos.  It's famous for its beach, scenery and sunsets.  As with everywhere else we have been in in Greece, each sunset here was different.  The first day we arrived and enjoyed the sunset and the perfect view of the sea and Achivadolimni I commented about how spectacular the place would be with a good thunderstorm.  Greek thunderstorms are in my view very enjoyable.  It gives a brief break from the heat of summer and they sound so good as the thunder echoes around the mountains and over the sea.  The following day I awoke to the sound of torrential rain and thunder.  Maybe Zeus (known as Zeus of the thunderclap in literature) was listening.  The storms rolled past throughout the rest of the day.  By the evening the countryside came alive with colour having been dried out and dead looking a few hours earlier.  It was quite a transformation.  This was the only rain we experienced the whole month we were in Greece.


Achivadolimni Sunset Sketch, carbon pencil and coloured pencil drawing A3

 



Naxos Tree Sunset, 1st August 2015

We arrived in Naxos after spending 3 days at Mykonos beforehand.  Naxos is a very different island from Mykonos, more down to earth and cheaper (not that I felt Mykonos lacked a Greek feel especially where we stayed which was quite isolated).  I like sunsets as many people do and have previously included sunsets in my artwork.  Greece and I suppose the Mediterranean in general is home to some spectacular sunsets, with no two being the same.  The tree in the painting is simplified because I focussed on a smaller part, whereas the drawing has taken a larger overview of the scene.



Naxos Tree Sunset, 1st August 2015, oil on canvas 80x100cm
 

Preliminary sketch

Naxos Tree Sunset, carbon pencil and coloured pencil drawing A3



Goodbye Delos

This painting captures a moment from this summer when we were leaving the ancient site of Delos near Mykonos Greece.  Delos was the place that is responsible for the term 'Delian League'.  This league came about after the Persian invasions into Greece during the 490/480 BC period.  They continued to be a threat to the Greeks even after the battle of Salamis 479 BC where the Athens comprehensively defeated the Persians in a sea battle.  The solution to the Persian problem was for a league to be formed where members donated money and in return were protected by the Athenians from the Persian threat.  Over time many small (and large ) islands felt that paying into the Delian League was unnecessary because the Persians seemed to be less of a threat.  When such islands tried to leave the Delian League it was then that they realised that they did not have a choice to pay or not pay into this 'protection racket'.  This effectively became the Athenian empire of the 5th century BC.  Money was paid to the 'neutral' island of Delos, birthplace of Apollo, god of the sun.  This money was later used to build the world famous buildings on the Acropolis in Athens.

Goodbye Delos, oil painting on canvas 117x106cm



Our visit to Delos was hot, but also worth the effort of the boat ride on the Margarita and the ramble around the ruins of the deserted city.  On our return journey to Mykonos on board the Margarita I struggled to keep my eyes open due to the heat, the non stop rambling around Delos and the gentle rocking of the boat.  This painting captures this final moment where tiredness takes over from the enjoyment of seeing Delos after waiting for 20 years to see it.

Goodbye Delos, carbon pencil and coloured pencil sketch, A3