Author Archives: zefiart

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About zefiart

Blogger, DIY-er, poodle lover, graphic designer, dog groomer, recycler, artist, wonder woman in my spare time.

paros day 30: a month so far…

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And that’s not counting the start of all this. Its from the day I returned to Paros to begin my ‘isolation’ in my own home. Of course restrictions came into effect in stages, but it was 5 days before I got back home that schools closed. Events were cancelled before that, but I think the closure of schools and unis seems like the real start.

Who knows.

I’ve often questioned this whole thing. Like, is it really that serious? I mean, it spreads fast, people get it, most only feel a flu-like illness and get over it. Few die of it, but people die of the common flu(s) every year. And the internet is full of numbers of how many people have died of anything else so far this year and COVID-19 is way down the bottom of the list. Why is this virus so bad? Its not like the Black Death which killed somewhere between 75-200 million people. It killed 30-60% of the world population. Now THAT’s bad. Real bad.

But of course that was before people knew about personal safety, cleanliness or how things spread. And there was no proper management and no medical care to speak of.

Today we have all that. And we have the internet so we can all stay informed on what to do and what not to do.

So why is this being treated like the new Black Death when it so isn’t?

Well… I found this which I think puts it in a nutshell:

For comparison, seasonal flu has a mortality rate below 0.1 per cent but it infects so many people that it results in about 400,000 deaths a year worldwide. Spanish flu infected an estimated 500m people and killed 50m worldwide in 1918-19. Hypothetically, if Covid-19 affected half the world’s current population over the course of a year with a 1 per cent fatality rate, the death toll would be 35m — substantially increasing the number of deaths worldwide, which is around 60m for all causes in a typical year.

And this:

COVID-19 has a much higher infection rate than the flu. Not to mention this is a totally new virus so no one has any resistance to it. And people can spread it without having any symptoms:

“COVID -19 takes up to 14 days for an infected person to develop symptoms.”

Stating COVID-19 has a higher infection rate (2-3) compared to the seasonal flu (1.3), there’s a dramatic difference in their hospitalisation rates.

The hospitalisation rate for seasonal flu is “around two percent”, whereas for COVID-19 this is “19 percent” – no wonder our NHS is at breaking point.

So… I think that puts it into perspective on why we’ve all been put in isolation and told to adhere to strict social distancing guidelines.

Anyway, now that I’ve totally bummed you out, here are some pretty paintings I did today to make you smile.

First is Tiger, my friend Linda’s cat.

Next a cute bunny looking at you, wondering what on earth you’re doing.

A prawn to chuck on the barbie if you’re an aussie. This one wont stand on its own. It needs a stand or to be used like a paperweight.

And dinner tonight: fish. This is on a bigger piece of marble than most. When you pick up broken pieces you work with what you find.

Actually, its not dinner. Today I made smashed potatoes for lunch so I’m not sure what I’ll have for dinner. Probably that toasted sandwich I considered last night.

Before I go, an update on my Netflix viewing cause I know you all care so much… I’m now watching Ozark on my cousin Zefi’s recommendation. I’m really enjoying it. Similar to Breaking Bad in a way, the guy gets in deeper and deeper, but this time he’s not making the stuff, he’s laundering money. Worth watching.

I also watched Retribution which I recommend. And I’m still watching Outlander every couple of weeks. I like to let a couple of episodes accummulate.

Next on the list will be the latest Casa de Papel (Money Heist). Loved the first two seasons of that show. Lets see if the 3rd is as good.

Today has been spent painting most of the day with 2 breaks for walks with Lainee, reading stuff on the internet, FB-ing, making a couple of calls and listening to country music which I had a hankering for. (Been listening to too much country!)

I think its time to go for another walk. I need to stretch my legs…

z

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paros day 29: heads & tails among other things

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You know what its like… you’re walking along, minding your own business when right there in front of you is the most perfect rock with a heart in it!

Ok, so maybe its not exactly like that for everyone, but I found this on my walk yesterday. I actually walked past it and then went back to collect it. I couldn’t leave it.

Once home I gave it a wash then filled the heart with a sea blue colour. The photo doesn’t do it justice, in real life its much bluer with hints of green. I finished it by pouring in some clear nail varnish to seal it.

Today has been a productive day and I still managed to sit in the sun and read for a couple of hours this afternoon. Its gorgeous out there.

Sharing some more of my marble art…

I have been working on a couple of other things and will share them when they’re finished. But right now its time to think about dinner. Do I cook? Do I chop up a salad? Other choices include toasted turkey and cheese, tuna sandwich, or instant noodles…

Big decisions. I mean, now I have to think about what I’m going to eat so much more than I did before when I could grab a souvlaki or some take away on a whim. Now its a whole think ahead of time planning thing. Plus I no longer like to waste food so now I plan meals and make sure I eat my leftovers instead of waiting for the necessary time to pass before throwing them out.

Yesterday I ate the last of my chicken green curry – YUM – that’s something I never tire of eating. Note: buy more coconut milk.

So I’m off to ponder dinner. Or take a walk…

Hope you all have had a good day and enjoy your afternoon.

z

paros day 28: the end is in sight

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Apparently the end is in sight. At least that’s what I read in a post my cousin forwarded. Remember, I don’t have actual TV so I don’t get news. I learn what’s going on in the world through people sharing stuff on messenger or Facebook. And my mom who I speak to every day.

I heard that come early May the restrictions in Greece will be lifted in stages. Slowly. We’ve had very strict restrictions here – Things shut down fast when COVID-19 came to Greece only essential services remain open. Now every time you go out you have to text a number or have a statutory declaration on a piece of paper with your name, address and the reason you’re out (there is a choice of 6 reasons you’re allowed out). People not adhering to the restrictions get on the spot fines of 150 euros. You have to have your phone if you texted your reason and ID with you at all times. There haven’t been any riots at supermarkets and hoarding either. Supply continues and you can shop for your food and products like before – except now you rarely find hand sanitizer and when you do, you pay triple for it.

It seems Greece finally did something right.

However, apparently, from the beginning of May and over a period of time from then till the end of September everything starts going back to normal. Or the new normal after the dust settles and we all find out if we still have jobs, if businesses can survive and if airlines still fly.

I remain skeptical. My theory is that its all very well to ‘flatten the curve’ and minimize and control the spread of COVID-19, but once you go back to business as usual, crowds of people and open borders, won’t we all be back at square one?

I don’t get it.

Still, its spring and we’re all starting to feel a bit better. Happens once the cold, rain and strong wind fades into sunny days. You sit outside and you enjoy the warmth of the sun, admire wildflowers on your walks… and generally begin to feel a little healthier again.

What I’m really saying is that I haven’t done an awful lot of artwork the last two days. Yesterday was spent more or less doing my ‘garden’… today I enjoyed a little more sun. All I have to share today is one very fat hamster on a round stone.

He’s very round and very fat. But rather cute despite that.

Other than that, I’ve got some things I found which I’m looking forward to working with. I have a new stash of marble to work on, and a couple of new ideas of things to make. A friend of mine is back to his workshop and said I can use the space and equipment so maybe I can finally make that linen cupboard I’ve been wanting to make for ages.

Its so good to have things to look forward to and be excited about doing.

z

paros day 27: my upcycled view

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Yes. A day late again. But I have a great excuse this time.

The weather was great so Lainee and I walked to my uncle’s place and took his dog with us for a walk on the beach where I’ve always collected sea glass and have now (once again) began collecting rope debris to make a basket.

On the way back I noticed something in the rubbish that wasn’t there before… This old stand. Its in bad condition. Rusty and bent, but it was love at first sight.

Ok, maybe not love, but it was the answer to my prayers. Sort of. See, my back ‘yard’ is a tiny cobblestone area where I grow some plants, hang my washing and store a few things in a plastic cupboard and plastic containers. Its not a lovely place to hang out at the moment.

This is how it looked till yesterday afternoon. Pots on the ground, you can see the plastic covering my seedlings in the far right, my plastic cupboard, ladder, buckets, etc. That was the view from my bedroom door. Not exactly inspiring.

I’d been thinking about moving that cupboard and putting plants in that little alcove so I’d have something pretty to look at. Maybe put a table and a couple of chairs out so I could sit when the weather was too windy out front… Maybe even the old Parian couch I’m supposedly renovating…

I was building shelves out of found materials in my mind to put plants on, but had no real plan. When I went to my uncle’s yesterday I had thought I’d look around his scrap pile for anything I could use. Then of course I found the stand!

This was the view from the other side, my area is basically from that slanted rock wall to the bamboo fence. My workbench (which houses and protects my plastic containers) actually goes into the neighbouring yard.

Notice the shopping trolley on the left, against the retaining wall? Another found object. Found rusting away in my uncle’s garage, wheels falling off, useless. Now it a new home for sweet peas.

This is the neighbouring yard. A much nicer square shaped yard than mine, with a tall brick wall on one side (illegally built by the far neighbour). The apartment next to mine has been empty since way before I bought my place. Its apparently been seized by the bank due to money owed. I’ve tried to find out about it but no one seems to know whats going on with it.

I really wish the entire yard was mine. And the apartment. I would have so much more space, I could even have a studio and workshop!

Anyway… since its empty and I’ve been cleaning the yard since I moved here, no one lives there… I figured I’d go ahead and use it till I’m told otherwise. Ask forgiveness not permission sort of thing.

So yesterday, instead of creating art, I created a better view for myself.

I brought home the rusty stand and filled it with the plants I’m babying along. These are cuttings I’m propagating and my seedlings which grew enough to put potted up. I moved the cupboard to the space on the other side of the slanted rock wall, leaving enough room for the ladder to fit in nicely beside it. Further over are my plastic tubs and potting mixes.

The view is already so much better. Just imagine how it will look once the plants grow and flower!

The pots on the stand are geranium cuttings which are starting to bud, the only lavender cutting I think might have taken, and a couple of daisies which are doing well. I love daisies, geraniums not so much, but when I see one I like I take cuttings. Lavender I think I’ll have to buy, they don’t do so well from cuttings.

The rusty trolley I took from my uncle’s holds sweet peas (seeds I ordered from England before isolation began) which will grow up the trolley and onto the rusty wire trellis (also bits I found and collected) I hung on the walls.

On the other side of the second slanting wall is a carmine bougainvillea growing on a trellis I made from cuttings at my uncle’s place. Here are the before/during/after pics of that project…

If all goes well, the bougainvillea will outgrow that trellis quickly, hence the rope to give it something to hold onto as it creeps up the wall.

Most of these plants are out the back to protect them from the strong winds out the front, plus to give them a chance to grow better than they would out the front where a large pine tree creates too much shade. Some of my plants didn’t like it out the front hence the move to the back. I’m hoping most of the geraniums will be able to move to the front once they grow. They seem like very hardy plants that can put up with a fair bit of abuse.

Some of the larger plants will move to big white pots and sit on the ground once they bush up and flower. I’ll finally have a pretty garden. At least a small oasis to look out on.

Much nicer than looking at a cupboard don’t you think?

z

paros day 26: tinned fish

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Its weird that time both drags and rushes past during this surreal time of isolation. On the one hand it seems like days just fly past; suddenly its almost halfway through a month I don’t even remember starting; its almost the weekend and I barely noticed the week go by. I realise its Friday suddenly and I better go shopping before Sunday cause in Greece supermarkets are closed on Sundays.

On the other hand, time drags cause you’re home all the time, not seeing friends, not going to work, not living fast.

Actually, I rather like not living fast. I definitely like not spending a ton of money (mainly cause I don’t have it or I probably would be ordering take away food and buying stuff online all the time).

I’m not exercising as much as I told myself I would during this time. I’m rather lazy unless it comes to working on projects that I enjoy. When I’m deep into creating I forget to eat. When I’m watching Netflix or reading I tend to nibble. I enjoy nibbling. Its one of the great pleasures in life.

But I love being at home and working at my own pace on whatever I feel like making.

The wind has died down a bit today. Tomorrow is meant to be the start of another period of great weather. Tomorrow I go back to long walks every morning. I’ll go back to the garage and start on some workshop work.

Today I painted a bit but the whole morning was taken up by getting Winston to the courier, picking up more broken marble pieces, collecting my seedlings from the friend who was babysitting them while I went on the trip to Denmark that never happened, and shopping. I combined everything so I wouldn’t have to go out in the car more than once.

Some of the seedlings are doing great. Some are bashfully peeking out. Others have decided they won’t grow or maybe they’re just taking their sweet time about it. I re-potted some into larger pots and put them all out the back to nurture.

Unfortunately the labels I put on the plastic cups I used to grow the seeds have faded so now I won’t know what’s what till they grow and I can tell by looking at them.

I also visited the Post Office to enquire about anything that might have arrived for me since things shut down. No they say.

But do I believe them? Last summer a package arrived for me and they held it for 3 weeks, during which I had no idea it had arrived (and yes, they should have left a notice that I had a package), and they sent it back. I’m not happy.

I also asked about getting a post office box in the group of boxes on the nearest corner. No they say.

There are no free ones.

I suggested I might get together with a few people who live in this group of buildings all year round and see if they want to put together some letterboxes in our driveway. No they say.

In order to put out letterboxes we have to write to the council to apply for them to put a sheltered box there for us to put in letterboxes…

Ok… Is Greece the only country in the world where you need council approval for a letterbox? And for the council to actually put a box there for you to put letterboxes in?

sigh.

So, having wiped myself out doing nothing much most of today and not having any finished paintings or crafts to share, I thought I’d share something I made a couple of months ago that I forgot to post about.

A long time ago I’d bought these little tin cans in Athens thinking I’d like to make fabric sardines to go in them. So while I was in sewing mood one day I some small fabric scrap fish.

I then designed and printed out the labels:

I wanted to make my tin of sardines a little different from the ones I’ve seen elsewhere – mine aren’t just fish in a tin, they’re tiny mobiles.

I only had 4 tins, so I made 4 sets. They’re in my etsy shop for sale.

I think I’ll go make something to eat and maybe even have a nap. Cause I can!

I love being at home and having nothing I NEED to do.

Providing my creative mojo stays strong.

z

paros day 24: painting on marble

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Still cold and windy on Paros. We really don’t like going out when its like this. Lainee has found a little hiding place in the corner of the couch where she sits and watches me work during the day. Sometimes she sinks so far in there I can’t even see her.

So, I’ve been doing more paintings on the marble pieces I had. Experimenting with different mediums and paint thicknesses. The blue eyed kitty is more opaque like a gouache.

The boston terrier is a watercolour image with a decoupage background for something a little different.

This one is as colourful and busy but all in watercolour, a cat sleeping inside a blanket…

I love working with all the different styles, but I think I like the washes best. I usually just let the image dictate how it wants to be painted.

Lastly a mouse, cause we have a build-up of cats around here.

I’m really enjoying working small. I think all those years I worked on huge pieces wasn’t were I was supposed to be. Maybe the doll makeovers were a way to show me how much I like working small and delicate… Most of these marble pieces are under 10cm at their widest… basically smaller than a postcard in most cases.

But a lot heavier!

I’ve been working on a larger piece on paper, mixed media, but I’m not ready to share that yet, if ever. Lets see how it works out before I share.

Before all this isolation/shutdown crap happened I’d received some special brushes in the mail. I ordered them in preparation for my job at the ceramic studio where I need to do very fine work. They’re called rigger brushes for watercolour and they’re basically brushes with very long hair, used to paint long straight lines. I find they’re perfect for doing fine work. They’ll come in very handy once I get back to doing dolls again. Meanwhile they’re ideal for these little portraits and I’m loving them.

I’m loving a lot lately. Most of all I’m loving that I am enjoying painting again after a very long time.

Meanwhile, I finished watching Sons of Anarchy tonight. I’m feeling sad about the ending, but it was the only way it could end. Time to find another addictive show…

Off to do our last walk for the day and then to bed. Tomorrow is another day and it includes a trip to the supermarket cause I wanna make cookies.

z

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paros day 25: more walk photos

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No creative stuff so far today. I think I’ll get there but I’m feeling a little lazy today. A little blah. I’m over this windy weather. Walks are shorter and not nearly as much fun. Still I managed to take a few nice pics when the sun broke out of the clouds. These photos were taken on a walk out behind the hill I live on, a little less windy when you head inland towards a valley rather to the sea.

I just adore crumbling old buildings, and sometimes you find beauties like this on country walks. An old farmhouse no one lives in anymore. So sad.

There are so many new flowers out too as well. But I couldn’t resist taking a photo of this little succulent growing on a rock, living on thin air!

Aren’t plants amazing? You plant something lovingly, coddle it, speak to it, love it, sing encouraging songs to it and it dies slowly. Yet something huge and healthy will grow in a crack… sigh. You just can’t win. Hence my gardening motto: If you grow despite me, you deserve to live.

Near the top of the hill, getting windier. Time to walk back down.

Its not surprising to see chickens when you walk in the country. Spotted this gorgeous rooster with one of his girls…

What was surprising was seeing this white rabbit! Turns out there are two white bunnies living in this little field with the chickens. Apparently they never run away. How cool is that?

I haven’t been in a very bloggy mood today. Not very creative either. Today is one of those days where I do little artwork and more TV watching while I clean and tidy some of the accumulated mess. At least I got some things done. Like packed Winston in a box so he’s ready to ship. Spoke to friends on the phone or messenger. Feel asleep while reading on the couch. Not much else.

I had planned to go to the supermarket to buy ingredients to make cookies but I have to go out tomorrow so I think I’ll do all I have to do in one go. No use going out twice.

Ending this post with a great photo of a cactus. I’m not a huge fan of these things or their fruit, but I have to admit, they do make amazing shapes.

z

paros day 23: winston is finished

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Today has been another productive day, and to be honest I really hope this feeling continues. I’ve been painting all day and I feel great. I feel I’ve earned my Netflix tonight. I’m making some bolognese and will sit on the couch and watch Season 7 of Sons of Anarchy.

I gotta be honest here, my attention began to waver in Season 6. They were going downhill so badly, everything that happened lead to death and disaster… I could tell where this was going to end. But I’m not quitter. Plus I do want to know how it all ends. Badly. I know.

Anyway, here is Winston. Finished now except for his coat of spray sealant.

Winston was made using cardboard, toilet paper rolls,newspaper and a whole lotta masking tape to create the basic shape. And craft glue. The details were created using air dry clay, a mix of plaster with glue and water on fabric or toilet paper. And a bit more air dry clay. He was painted using artist acrylic paint.

To be honest I love the look of him from behind or the side, he looks more real from there. Still, over the last few days I’ve tripped over him a few times thinking he was a dog that just wasn’t getting of the way!

Not bad for papier mache though…

Hope he likes his new job guarding a tattoo parlour.

That’s all for today. The pasta is already cooking!

z

paros day 22: painting on marble

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Another cold, windy, rainy day.

I discovered that when its windy my new neighbour likes to smoke out the back in his little yard and the smell comes straight into my bedroom. NOT happy about that. Took me ages to get to sleep again, this time due to cigarette smoke. ugh.

Other than that I had an exciting day today. I drove to Aliki to buy bread at the bakery. I also stopped at the nursery to have a look around at all the beautiful plants I won’t be buying.

Back home I’m working painting projects. The way my home is I can really only work at one type of thing at a time. There is only so much room to spread out stuff so I have to limit it to related projects. Right now its painting on anything and everything.

But thats ok. Its better for me to concentrate on one type of creativity at a time cause I get better the more I do.

For instance, this was the first painting on parian marble I did:

Ok… Its ok. But I work with a mix of acrylic paints, watercolour and pencils of different types (watercolour, regular, pastel). And I forgot the cardinal rule… never use water based sealer on waterbased media. sigh. I smeared it a bit. Its not SO bad, but I can see it and I’m not happy. It lost its sharpness. Its a really heavy piece of marble so shipping will be very expensive but I’ll give to anyone who wants it provided you pay shipping costs.

The next ones haven’t been sealed yet but I’m going to use the oil bases spray sealer/varnish.

These were done of slightly thinner pieces of marble.

I absolutely love these. I’m eager to do more. I’m running out of marble pieces though so will soon need to do a run to the place where I get them. I really hope they have pieces now that most places are closed. I know the shade place opposite me (which is normally open all day for like 12 hours or more) has been closed for over a week. They’re obviously not getting any work right now. If its the same with the marble place there won’t be many offcuts.

If I run out I guess I can go back to rocks. They’re free on the beach!

z

paros day 21: crafting again

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Today was a much better day. I got up early and Lainee and I went for a long walk despite the strong wind and the threat of rain. That’s always a good way to start the day. Good thing too cause I spent the rest of the day up to my elbows in craft stuff. Poor Lainee had to cross her legs!

This time we walked towards Ag. Irini but it was too windy to go all the way to the sea. We did meet some friends along the way though…

And noticed some gorgeous flowers among the weeds. I’ve never seen one of these before…

Back at home I went back to work on Winston the bulldog for quite a bit. He’s drying at the moment. I’ll update on him tomorrow.

Meanwhile I didn’t waste the day like I have tended to do lately. After putting Winston aside I did some painting which I’ll share when I take good photos. I also tried my hand at some ‘zero waste’ wash cloths.

I was looking at websites about cutting down on waste and thought these little things looked cute. The basic idea is to make your own wash cloths for doing dishes or wiping down benches using scraps you already have instead of buying sponges you throw away. When these get dirty you toss them in the washing machine.

I made these as scrubby washcloths – the back is microfibre and the front is a double layer of burlap I had in my fabric stash. As you can see I had pink in both! It was meant to be… The idea is that the burlap is stiff enough to scrub and the microfibre soft enough to wash. We shall see.

It wasn’t till after I finished them that I wondered why you need to make your own when you can, basically, just wash and re-use the ones you buy…? Whatever. I made these now so I’ll give them a try.

Tomorrow I might make myself some makeup remover pads using some soft cotton if I can find any in my stash.

You have a lot of time to think when you’re at home creating on your own… I’ve been thinking about this whole situation we find ourselves in and I wonder how and when things will get back to normal. The greek government has just extended the isolation restrictions till the end of April. A lot of people are thinking that things will go back to normal after that. Or by summer.

I don’t know… but I very much doubt it.

I mean… just think about this: Greece shut down quickly and has been pretty successful in slowing the rate of infection. So, what’s the plan now? We keep isolating and minimizing exposure and limit the spread till the ‘curve flattens’. Does that mean we keep this up till there are no more new cases? Or till there are under 10 new cases a day? How does that work? If we simply have less cases and we go back to normal, we’re back to square one again in a very short time.

Let’s say the plan is that we lift restrictions once no new cases are reported for a period of time. Say a month. No new cases in a month anywhere in Greece. What then? We all go back to our normal lives cause there are no more carriers or sick people to spread the virus, right? But if one person gets the virus we’re basically back in the same boat again. Do we go back to normal but keep the borders closed till the entire world has no new cases for a month? How does this work? More importantly, how long does that take? And how do we know? Not everyone in the world is tested, and even if they are, doesn’t mean they’re clear forever… they could get it tomorrow or next month. Is there an end to this?

These are the things that keep me up at night.

I need to sleep… Last night I gave up and watched Netflix till 2.30am cause my mind just would not stop.

I hope I have better luck tonight.

z