Pencil Sketch of the View of Anti Paros

Greek Aeonium

Some gardens in Paros, Greece look much like those illustrated in Sunset's Western Gardens book and include the same plants one might find in a California garden.  Another botanical drawing, this Aeonium variety Atropurpurem, with its dark purple rosettes, is set against a distant grove of olive trees.  Some of the olive trees on Paros are hundreds of years old and help remind one of the long history of that land.  Growing everywhere in the red, rocky soil they are a welcome sight and produce delicious local olives and olive oil which I consumed in great quantities on my vacation.

Greek Geranium

After seeing some botanical drawings in a gallery in the main port town of Paroikia, Paros I thought I'd try something similar (but different).  This pink geranium is set against a small section of the "View from Anti Paros" painting (below) and shows the island of Anti Paros, the Aegean Sea and the neighboring islands of Naxos and Ios in the distance.

View of Anti Paros

When I first got to Paros, Greece this past May, I stayed up in the hills above the small fishing village of Aliki.  Having left my heavy Nikon camera at home, I thought I'd do little water color sketches of the places I visited rather than take photographs.  This first painting is the view from the house in the hills looking down past the garden to the Aegean Sea.  The small houses in the distance are on the nearby island of Anti Paros.  Not seen here are the two larger islands of Naxos and Ios - which were hidden from view in the haze.

Blue Jay Godzilla

1960s Suburban Water Gun Fight Reinterpreted

Reptiles On The Map

The Strand Racerunner is one of the fastest moving of all lizards.  It calls home Northern South America and Central America.  So why are the five Autrey sisters climbing up its tail?  They must be itching for a speedy trip to somewhere.