More doors to paint, and this week the color of choice is red. Every color here takes on a vibrancy of it’s own. It is the incredible light, a photographer’s and a painter’s paradise!
I love the shape of these double doors,
More of a burnt umbre but still beautiful very old doors,
Green lock on red doors,
Fading old reds,
The older the better,
Red door through the red door,
and my latest red door.
I think green next.
It has been another beautiful week, weather wise in Oia, only one day with a touch of rain,
and then just more of that endless blue that Santorini is so famous for.
Back at the studio this week I was inspired by all the hazy blue and my love of the old doors.
I started two new series of acrylic paintings and one new linen design for table cloths, cushions covers, napkins etc.
Here is my new Spring theme, inspired by our stunning spring flowers,
and yes…. some of the flowers are even blue, well almost!
Finding inspiration to paint doors is easy, they are hundreds of stunning doors here,
behind some
there is an equally stunning view,
keeping it minimalistic,
there are endless possibilities,
There is also inspiration in the haze, that magic time in summer, when everything melts together.
Incredible combinations for watercolors,
and acrylics.
I would just like to thank my new face book friends who are also providing endless supplies of stunning photographs and links which I hope to start sharing with you all. Have a happy week!
I have been away for a while and ignored my new blog, but I am back and ready for the year!
Our Island home is full of artistic inspiration, especially the color. I want to share some of this with you all.
There is so much color in Oia, on Santorini in general, not just the white sugar coated houses that it is so famous for. People often comment on how much color there is in my work and at the studio so, here is a touch of our blue. Next week will be a different color, and each week after another color until I run out……very hard, the inspiration is everywhere!
From simple blue gates,
to the endless blue Aegean,
blue doors,
closed shop doors,
which way up steps,
shop signs,
and more of that endless blue!
More from the studio this week as I am back and working as the new season looms near!
As some of you may know, I spend a great deal of my time painting outdoors on the patio area of my studio. I love to be outside and I love seeing everyone walking by, greeting those who pop in and conversing with locals and tourists alike. I also love and appreciate the fact that the surroundings at the studio are so beautiful.
Here is a glimpse at part of my studio patio,
And under an olive tree and under this painting is my favorite table,
My work tables reside outside all season and I paint non stop, (almost!), and to my surprise this Autumn, I discovered a small masterpiece developing in front of my eyes. My well worn favorite work table has become a small work of art. This has taken a couple of years mind you. I was enjoying a coffee break with a regular visitor, so my table was unusually bare, and it suddenly dawned on me how many different images I could see on the once pristeen white surface.
A vase of flowers,
A metallic landscape,
Can you see what I see in this one! I cannot tell you how ridiculously excited this made me.
I drew a tiny fish on cellophane and moved it all over the table,
Note the small piece of sticky tape in this photo, generally used to hold fabric in place, it gives you a good idea of how small the area is that I was photographing.
Endless possibilities for printing some great postcards for the studio!
So many more photographs, I just love them!
Here on Santorini, it really isn’t very hard to find sources of incredible inspiration. With Christmas and New Year, school holidays and all that they entail, I have hardly had time to be in my studio. All returns to relative calm tomorrow as schools return and we can seriously start putting in place our plans for 2011.
This is my spot for inspiration, right out the front of my door. My spot on the wall, high above the sea, no tourists, no noise, and a perfect day…….
. 
When you look at this next picture, you can almost feel the sea moving.
A part of Greek life is the morning ritual of coffee. No day starts well without it. I personally love a coffee mid morning and I am not always so keen on the thick Greek coffee, I do prefer the Italian milky, smooth coffee. Like most places but especially in Europe, it is an integral part of daily life. Everyone contemplates life, politics, world views, family, work….anything and everything, over the morning coffee.
And the mid morning, late morning, pre lunch, lunch, afternoon, late afternoon and evening coffee!
Here are a few of those designs.
I love all things colorful, as anyone who has been to my studio knows, so the above plain white espresso cups needed some coloring up. Strawberry’s……………. perfect
A little pot of flowers
lots of Greek green olives,
must have grapes,
the ubiquitous blue domes of Oia,
some lemons,
some Karpousi,…..I just love the Greek word for watermelon, it’s just fun to say,
our beautiful fishing boats at Ammoudi ,
And my little collection at home.
Come and join me for a coffee at Cafe Santorini, the studio!
Coffee time, and have a great week.
With only a few hours to go until the start of 2011, all I can think about is what will the new year bring. 2010 was full of so many positives, and so much positive feedback for my work, that I cannot help but be sooo excited about what is coming. As some of you may know, we are in the beautiful city of Thessaloniki and one of the many highlights here is a visit to the flower markets. I know it is cold in most parts of Europe, but all I can think about is painting flowers…..come on Spring. What you can’t smell, is the scent of all these flowers…wonderful : }
This is definitely a wall hanging, or a card, or a canvas…
So many beautiful flowers…
Lots of table decorations…
This is the the BIG spring wall hanging I finished inspired by the markets..
See you in 2011… Happy New Year from Thessaloniki A xx
