You’re probably familiar with the verses about seasons - from the Bible and then a song Turn, Turn Turn made famous by The Byrds and since my residency ended, I’ve not done much creating….but I realized that I had been spending 6-8 hours each day in the studio during that time and I needed a break and a chance to enjoy the time exploring northern Greece with my husband.
A Time to Rest…
Sometimes we don't realize how intent we are in our creative practise and to be honest I did feel a bit weary. I packed a small art kit in my back pack but everything else has been put in the bigger suitcase stowed in the trunk of the car. I kept out my watercolours, a small sketchbook, a brush, a marker and a pencil. A little of doodling has been happening but lots of taking notes and photographs of potential inspirations.
After visiting the island of Thassos, we picked up a rental car and made our way to Litochoro, located at the base of Mount Olympus National Park - yes, home of the Greek Gods and all that stuff. We toured some of the park and also visited the nearby Dion Archeological site which gave me another concept for my Vessels series - making shapes from cloth/plaster/clay which could fit together like an ancient pot. For me, this was another “eureka’ moment that I find exciting!
Much of our travel time decisions has been through some incredible locations, picked a bit by random, or by recommendations from locals…even some of the more tourist sites are essential stops, including Meteora, which is both an natural geological wonder and a testament to faith and devotion. There is some good reading about the monasteries and I recommend reading here: https://visitmeteora.travel/meteora-monasteries/ as there is much to learn and far more that I can write about! Of course, i did happen to find some textiles in one of the museums to inspire me!
Our next stop took us high into the mountains of northern Greece - now pause for a minute and picture in your mind what images of Greece you might think of - sun, sand, sailing, right? But the north is mountains, forests, rivers, wildlife and incredible beauty! Totally different and yes, very special. Our destination was to the Vikos Gorge, one of the deepest gorges in the world and of course the road took us up, up, up!
Heights and I are not friends! But, oh my, it was so worthwhile to arrive in the little mountain village of Megalo (big) Papingo…and yes, there is Micro (little) Papingo just 2 kms further along the road.
But sometimes you happen across a place that fills your mind with beauty and your soul with peace - it was this little village full of stone houses, stones roofs and little stone (cobble) roads. Such a sweet place that offered us rest, relaxation, an opportunity to explore and people with kindness in their hearts. Our host gave us a warm welcome, shared lots of history and told us about great places to eat! He had been a barist(o) in a previous career so my cappuccino was perfect! Many of the villages are seeing a resurgence in population and with protection from the government, people are moving into these more remote areas. There are young families and kids around and small eco-friendly businesses are booming!
…and great wifi, so I could attend a Zoom meeting outside!
After that special time, we drove a bit south and made a detour to a very small town called Elliniko to visit the museum of one of Greece’s foremost contemporary artists - Theodoros Papayannis. His work was housed in a large building over two floors and I enjoyed every piece - some very moving that focused on his early life, his teachers, education and even coins….I found some of the figures particularly interesting. You can see more here: https://theodoros-papagiannis.gr/en/node
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