Drawn There

Morning at the pier.
Agia Anna, Naxos.
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A few hundred feet below Oia’s whitewashed facades, Ammoudi Bay feels closer to an authentic old Greek Island fishing village than the boutique, polished town above.
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Using the strong winds of the Aegean, canvas sails were attached to the arms of this windmill to turn the grist mill. Today, it looks great on postcards and I was drawn to paint it.
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Blue water, white buildings, blue domes. That sums up Santorini.
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The blue domes of these churches have become an icon of the Cyclades, the cluster of Greek islands scattered across the Aegean. The name “Cyclades” comes from the Greek word kyklos (circle) because the way the islands form a ring around the sacred island of Delos, the mythological birthplace of Apollo and Artemis.
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From Athens to Santorini.
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I’ve painted hundreds of buildings. But never all at once.
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From the textbook to the sketchbook.
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I remember learning about the Parthenon in elementary school. Later, it was the foundation of classical form when we studied it in architecture school.
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Standing in front of it was like visiting an old friend.
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Two attempts at painting the Acropolis. Swipe to see them both.

The first was painted during a cold gray rainstorm. Everything in the landscape felt washed out and flat. The marble, sky, and distant hills blended together into the same muted value. I fought the weather, wind, damp paper, and frustration trying to make it work.

I went back the next morning under clear skies to try again. Same subject. Completely different experience. The Acropolis revealed its geometry. Hard sunlight carved shadows into the cliffs, the cypress trees separated from the rock, and the entire city felt more alive.

One of the challenges of plein air painting is that I’m not only documenting a place, I’m documenting a moment. Weather, light, exhaustion, crowds, confidence, and time pressure all end up in the sketch.
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It seems like there’s a postcard cafe tucked into every alley here in Athens. They’re even perched on the walkway stairs. I painted this quiet scene in the morning but came back for dinner with
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An early morning stroll up the stairs of Plaka as the cafes get ready for the day.
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Funny story: I chose to paint this scene because I was drawn to the way the tables and chairs dotted the stairs in the shade of the bougainvillea. But halfway through my painting, the restaurant extended their awning and blocked it all. Ah, live painting.
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After a full day of travel we made it to Athens. To fight off the jet lag and reset my circadian clock I took a walk to Monastiraki Square, soaked in some energy of the city and painted this before dinner.
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I live on a boat,
Sure, it don’t float,
But I’m beside the sea,
And it works for me.

So for now I stand still,
And dream of the thrill,
When the warm sun shines,
And I cast off these lines.

On a course that I chose,
To where the wind blows,
Rolling waves of salty spray,
I will sail again someday.

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The historic Encinitas Boathouses were built in the 1920’s on this exact spot and haven’t moved. Except for the boat on the left (S.S. Encinitas) which is slowly tilting. When we first moved in, we felt sea sick for a few days because all the floors slope in a different direction and the walls splay outward. The windows downstairs are tiny little portholes and the kitchen is shaped like a V. But the room at the top and the deck at the bow is the best spot in Encinitas!

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