Greece and Turkey

The line between vacations and work trips is pretty blurry for the artists I know. My family took a two week vacation to Greece in June 2012, and I spent a lot of time hanging out with them but also a decent amount of time off painting by myself and meeting up with them for dinner. After they went home, I spent one more week on my own painting in Bergama, Turkey, where I had been with my pastels two years ago.

These watercolors were all done on site, and they are either 7x10" or 6x12".

Athens

Athens is one of my favorite places, after spending a summer painting there in 2003. That summer changed my art for good, and I love getting revisit both friends and special places. There is something amazing to sketch around every corner.

Hydra

Hydra is an island near Athens that I have visited several times with my easel. It's restful after Athens because there are no cars at all allowed on the island -- only donkeys and a few municipal trash trucks. It has a lovely harbor, beautiful pebble beaches, and charming rocky islands just off its coast.

Aghia Galina, Crete

We spent four nights on Crete, which was new territory for me. Thanks to advice from Stefanos, my Athenian friend who comes from Crete, we stayed on the southern coast, which is both less populous and less touristy. I loved Aghia Galina -- we had a high hotel with a balcony looking down over the Mediterranean. We could walk down to the beach in one direction and down to the town in the other. I was drawn to the whitewashed buildings and bright colors of the town and enjoyed painting there.

Nafplio

Nafplio is a Venetian-flavored town in the Pelopponese near the archeological sites of Mycenae, Epidaurus, and Tiryns. It was occupied by Venice for a good while, and it has architecture, forts, and a central marble piazza that keep its history alive. It also has more gelato shops than anywhere I've ever been. I enjoyed painting the old part of town, particularly the marble plateia where sidewalk cafes abounded (very comfortable sketching conditions) and where all the neighborhood kids came out to play each evening.

Bergama, Turkey

Bergama is an everyday Turkish town that just happens to have an acropolis outside of town. The rest of the town is so non-touristy, though, that you can't even buy a postcard on the main thoroughfare. I stayed here two weeks in 2010 and another week this summer with the fabulous Gobi family at their pension. It felt like a homecoming to return there. My first trip I had mostly painted the ruins, but this year I focused more on the town itself, with my new emphasis on urban sketching. Bergama is also easily the most hospitable place I've ever worked. Taxi drivers, barbers, and museum guards brought me stools, cold drinks, and hot tea as I worked. People invited me into their homes. It was pure pleasure to be there.