Remarkable Greeks in Lefkes

One day during our Greek vacation, my friend Kathleen Price gathered up her computer and I my art supplies and we drove our rental car up towards the center of the island of Paros to the village of Lefkes.  After wandering through the picturesque narrow alleys of town we discovered a restaurant with outdoor tables sheltered from the sun in a little patio area.  Unlike most restaurants in the USA, in Greece the staff seem happy to have guests stay for hours.  After dining on a delicious meal of freshly baked bread, tzatziki, grilled Mackerel and Greek salad, Kathleen set up her computer (the restaurant had wi-fi) and set to work on her novel and I proceeded to draw and paint the view from our table.  We stayed there 4-5 hours.  With tourism down in Greece as a result of the disturbances in Athens, we were the only guests at the restaurant so had a chance to talk with the owner.  It turns out he had had a successful career working for General Electric (GE) and in his retirement had returned to his home town to open and run a restaurant.  He and his wife were delightful - good cooks, good hosts and genuinely nice people which made our brief encounter truly memorable.

Greek Clouds

There wasn't much to do when I was in Greece - as in working, shopping, partying, watching TV, etc.  But there was a lot to do that I don't normally do - like spend hours looking at the clouds in the sky.  I strongly recommend it!

Paros Bird

As Benjamin Franklin observed: "fish and guests stink after three days."  Having worn out our welcome in the hills of Paros, it was time to head to the beach.  This wild-eyed bird painting was done with a blank box waiting for just the right words for the occasion.

Speaking of fish, check out the new post at "What to Love."   Although the food and wine were great in Greece - for variety and organics there is no place like home.

Paros Potted Plant

Last painting from the hills of Paros, this potted plant had a great view from its perch on the white marble whitewashed pillar to the sea miles below.

Paros Window

On Paros, most Greek windows, doors, trim, fences and railings are painted either dark or light blue - the same blue as can be found in the flag of Greece.  There are  few exceptions - but this interior bedroom window in green is one of them.  It is built into a typical island house constructed out of stone and wood then covered with stucco and painted annually with a whitewash made out of crushed marble.  As is common with this style of architecture, some elements of the underlying stone or wood structure remain visible - such as the recessed wood beam above the window which is not completely covered by stucco.  The exterior scene is a common one - an olive tree!

Greek Angel

Images of angels are found everywhere in Greece, along with a multitude of Greek Orthodox churches - many owned by private families.  This angel was inspired by a drawing on a ceramic plate.

Paros Garden

In this 9x12 pen & ink & watercolor, I thought I'd experiment a bit with an impressionistic view of the garden I spent so much time looking at on my Greek vacation.  I painted the background first then inked in just a few of the multitude of plants which were fighting for my attention.

Paros Weeds

Even the weeds on the island of Paros were good looking! 

Greek Queen Anne's Lace

Not visible, but to the left of the scene in the "View of Anti Paros" (below), are farmed terraces cut into the red Greek soil which are lined with rock walls.  These terraces form the background for this botanical watercolor of a common flower of Paros.  Queen Anne's Lace can be found wild everywhere -  in fields above the sea and in stone-surrounded spaces near abandoned monasteries.  Although described as an invasive species in various U.S. horticulture sites, I fell in love with this plant.  The young flowers are a pretty shade of pink.  The more mature white flower has a unique black dot in its center which can be mistaken for an insect.  And the over mature flower folds itself up into a green web.  These three stages of being are often visible on the same plant swaying in the island winds.

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.

Elsa in San Geronimo Valley

It Must Be Spring! The Cedar Waxwings Are Eating The Pyracanthas

Cottage Gardens In Comic Format

Spring

Experimental Portraiture

The Road Less Travelled

High Above San Francisco Bay

Dusk with Spider Web

Ladybugs and Blue Cow

Fun stuff at Cottage Gardens Nursery

Karaoke Mannequin

The original and a doctored version of a mannequin above the "Karaoke Friday and Saturday 8PM - 1AM" sign in Petaluma.  Interesting oddness on the way to Cottage Gardens - one of my favorite nurseries in Sonoma County.

Potted Plant with Gecko

The Autreys and Lola Tabor Around the Mid 1930s

E.A. Autrey and his younger siblings grew up poor.  They weren't out spending money to keep the U.S. economy afloat.  They worked hard and saved so they wouldn't be so poor in the future

Angels in the Sky

Three unknown relatives of Great Aunt Lulu Tabor from photos taken by her nephew E.A. Autrey prior to her death at age 110.

2010 - Red Light or Green Light?

Only the Toucan knows!