Tag Archives: #parosart

the big art event!

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So… this is what’s been keeping me busy for the last month, and more flat-out the last 4 days.

My friend Athina and I decided that rather than just combine our skills, talents, experience and energy to do smaller creative workshops as we’ve done in the past, we would do a HUGE event/workshop combination to end all event/workshop combinations!

Ok, so, the idea began as a desire to meet other creatives on Paros, to inspire and share our skills and to raise funds for charity.

Rather than set up a lot of individual workshops we decided to combine a show/fair and mini workshops into 2 days over a weekend. All for FREE.

We invited creatives from different genres to join us and set up in a beautiful space owned by the municipality. The plan was simple – 6-7pm meet and greet the artists and check out their work. 7-9pm FREE mini workshops. Buy/donate money to charity.

We were lucky enough to obtain support from many small businesses on the island in order to arrange everything and the weekend was a huge success. Everyone had fun, people learned new things and we even raised money for our chosen charities.

Athina has been doing work with people with disabilities her whole life so her chosen charity was the Cycladic association for the blind, AROGI.

I chose to support PAWS, the Paros Animal Welfare Society, cause, you know… me and animals!

We had people who did collage, decoupage, soaps and lotions, jewelry, weaving, watercolour, mixed media, macrame, rock painting, fimo sculpture, mandalas and cookie decorating.

Here are some photos of the event!

We also had a demonstration of tap dancing and tango from people who teach on the island.

As always, Vincent was there to spread the joy…

The president of AROGI gave a short talk and shared what their association does for people with sight issues on the islands and brought in some items to give people a taste of what its like to not be able to see.

And of course we had information about PAWS and donation tins.

All in all, it was a fun weekend and a great success. We will be organising more stuff in the future, but of course, like life in any tourist destination… as summer approaches everyone becomes too busy to do anything other than work. So autumn is when we plan to start up again!

Till then I need to find a way to advertise and book my own sculpture and art workshops for visitors on the island – now that Air BnB is no longer supporting new ‘adventures’…

I will put out flyers in hotels and such, but that means people can only book on short notice (as they aren’t often here for long) and I’m often flat out grooming in summer. I need to have advance notice to organise workshops.

If anyone has any suggestions on how to get the word out and book small private workshops online, please let me know.

z

more trays, way late

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Yes, I know. I’ve gone and done another disappearing act. But as usual, I have great excuses.

I’ve been busy grooming dogs in the morning, working 5 hrs every afternoon/evening at a travel agency, and trying to get a swim, a rest and some food in between.

Unfortunately, art has gone by the wayside as is always the case… its always the first thing I sacrifice. Cause its easy to do. Jobs for money get 1st priority, then food, then rest. Even the dishes get more attention than art… as pitiful as that sounds.

This coming feom a woman who didn’t mop the floors for weeks…

So, for now I’m sharing the last 2 small pallet trays I painted. I found the trays and couldn’t resist them cause they seemed cute, and just added a few touches to make them cuter.

The first one got fish, cause, well, everything gets fish pretty much. The second got an octopus… just because.

Other than that, life is pretty much as always. The island is still full of people but its a lot quieter than last month. I yearn for winter and quiet. And time to myself, to be at home for whole days at a time where I don’t have to see anyone at all… or be anywhere.

Oh lockdown, where are you now?

Is it healthy to wish you could just be left alone to do your own thing?

I bought a tiny folding bluetooth keyboard which I’m trying out on the phone. It will take a little getting used to if I’m to use it to do stuff like this, but it sure will be handy for connecting to the TV for searches and other typing needs.

Whatever.

Hopefully I will find/make some time to do some art soon. I miss it.

z

my new pepper mill

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I needed a pepper mill. I have peppercorns and no pepper. No ground pepper… So instead of buying ground pepper I thought it would be better to buy a pepper mill and use the peppercorns.

So I went looking. There were tons to choose from… but in the end I decided to try to personalise a simple wooden one I found in a local shop.

I gave it a quick light sand and began with a bit of leftover creamy white chalk paint. Then I painted circles in a stylized greek ‘evil eye’ design and finished off with some dots. Cause, why not.

Its random in its design but I think its unique and I’m happy with it.

Just one small bit of creativity finished quickly one afternoon. I’m ready to cook now.

z

what would you use it for?

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This is an unwanted wooden sugar container I was given cause it had 2 big cracks in it, therefore it was no longer good for sugar.

I filled the gaps, sanded and repainted it.

Now its decorative as well as useful. I think tea bags would be perfectly fine in it. Something pretty for the benchtop.

Or maybe on the bookshelf to hold odds and ends… spare batteries, rubber bands, loose paper clips… keys of unknown origin…

Or near the front door for dog treats?

Or in the bathroom for cotton balls, ear buds, the millions of loose blister packs of painkillers we all seem to have…

I’m sure it will brighten up someone’s home and hold something useful one day.

For now, its sitting on my bookcase, on display when people visit my studio. Till the right person takes it home with them.

z

getting back on track. or trying to.

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I figure its time to get back to sharing art and creations. This is one I did while I was in Athens last.

Its taken me a while to get back into the mood to post…

The house still feels empty without Lainee next to me and I can’t remember how many nights I slept with the door unlocked cause it was always the last thing I did before bedtime: walk Lainee and lock the door when I came in. Without her to walk, I’d just go to bed and forget the door. So now I try to lock the door as soon as it gets dark.

I’ve been busy. I did what I said I’d do: I made my home into an art studio/gallery. I’ve had a couple of open studio days and they went well. I’m grooming. And when I have free time, I am as creative as I can… Most of the time. I still have lazy days. Thats life.

Now I have to organise myself and decide what days I’ll be ‘open’ and what workshops I want to offer… It seems like an easy decision but I have a mental block. I can’t decide…

Hopefully the fog will clear soon.

Looking forward to sharing more art soon.

z

trash lamp recycled

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You know how I like to collect things… and how hard it is for me to resist picking up stuff people have thrown away when its obvious it can be made beautiful and useful again?

Well, a couple of weeks ago I went past the bins near here and saw this old lamp along with some old framed silk prints. I picked them up. The frames may be fixable, but the silk is beyond repair. I may be able to re-use the frames for something…

The lamp was rusty and the shade was ruined, but I had a shade at home I wasn’t using… providing the lamp worked, it was a great find.

So I brought it home and today, instead of dedicating all my time to preparing for our trip to Athens tomorrow, I spent some time fixing up the lamp. The pic above is after I’d sanded off all the loose rust and sprayed it black.

The pic below, shows it trying out its new shade.

When not sure what to paint on a shade, stick with the familiar… octopus… inspired by the broken lamp I ‘mended’ for a friend a year or so ago. Only this time the octopus is on the shade, not the lamp itself.

The only problem I found was that the paint bled a bit into the shade. Eh. Nothing handmade is perfect! Plus I added colour and re-worked it so the bleed wasn’t so obvious.

Here is the finished product from various angles. I need a ring thingy so the lamp shade sits inside properly, but for now its drying in the corner.

I do love remaking lamps. I’ve done a ton over the years… The rope covered lamp shade which is now on another base in my bedroom. The floor lamp made of old glasses. The Ikea desk lamp that got a rustic makeover. The rag woven lampshade on a retro base. And last but not least, the rusty wire lampshade I’m still using as my main light source when working at my kitchen/studio table… I never could resist old rusty wire.

So, another item added to the plethora of things I have for sale in my home/gallery!

Always adhering to the recycling theme, with a base destined for landfill.

Now to pack my bag for tomorrow.

z

working with clay

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So, although I’m on a ‘holiday from my usual life’, I have done a little bit of creative work.

First was a big fail. I had some old sheets given to me, very stiff, thick sheets, no longer usable cause they were ripped or worn. I had planned to make shopping bags out of them, stamp them with Junk4Joy and other designs and just have fun with them, giving them as gifts to people who bought my art.

Unfortunately, it ain’t happening. The fabric is way too stiff to work on my sewing machine. I was having all kinds of problems with it so I did what any other self respecting crafter/artist would do – I gave up. It’s not worth the effort and frustration.

And since my thing is recycling, I refuse to buy fabric to make bags. If I’m going to BUY anything, I may as well buy readymade bags! I mean why the hassle of sewing when I can just buy and stamp/paint? Well, cost for one thing. I have to look at the cost of plain cotton bags I can get in Greece. Then decide if it’s worth it.

So I just went on with the other project I brought up to the dog sitting job to work on: sculpture.

I had started these figures months ago. Months and months ago when I was really into sculpture. (I go through phases as anyone who knows me knows.)

I had begun two cats, one sitting and one walking. When they’re finished I can share the start of the project, but for now this is where they’re at currently.

Of course, there have to be naked ladies. I really do love my ‘nekkid’ ladies.

If you remember, the naked ladies are made from recycled dishwashing liquid bottles. The cats, like the dogs, are made from toilet roll or hand roll cardboard, wire, foil and whatever I need to create the shape. They are then built up with a homemade papier mâché pulp and finished off with air dry clay.

They take a long time to make as I have to do one layer at a time allow for drying in between. But I do love getting my hands dirty! I majored in Printmaking at Art School… Inky black hands were the go for years.

Between working on the sculptures and failing at the sewing project, I spend time cuddling with the dogs, taking them out for short walks on the hill around the house, soak in the view, and, for the last couple of days, hiding inside from the cold STRONG wind. sheesh. Its windy out there. This morning I had to search and rescue outdoor furniture from the hillside.

Since its Greek Easter tomorrow and I’m joining the family for lunch, I’ve made a trifle as my contribution. Its currently cooling and soaking up the mastiha liqueur I put in it. Yum. A slightly alcoholic dessert, nothing like the one I made one Christmas in Tasmania where I soaked the cake in Cointreau, then added some in the jelly… Whoa.

Other than that, I’ve been thinking about/stressing over my plans and prioritizing what I have to do moving into the future.

I don’t recommend it.

In fact, I escaped into watching some Queer Eye for the Straight Guy episodes last night. Something easy to watch, not demanding at all!

Monday the homeowners return and I can go back to my own home and hectic life.

z

march 31. a month of daily art.

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The last day of the month of art challenge!

And one last small painting.

I also added a bougainvillea to the painting I did yesterday.

They’re so greek islandy. I love them. I especially love the pink ones and the red ones. I like the white though they don’t stand out like the other colours, but dislike the orange, and I’m over the wild bougainvillea in the purpley shade. Mind you, they’re the ones that grow best.

The red one I bought for my back patio is struggling. People say bougainvillea’s like to be mistreated. Not sure that applies to mine… It flowers (very few flowers) at odd times of the year and just looks plain scraggly the rest of the time.

I really hope that when I finally have a studio on our land and put it in the ground, that it decides to live and bloom like a normal one!

I actually have a collection of plants which I’ve been nurturing for that very day.

ONE day.

Once I get the upstairs apartment no. 1 finished and rented. And find the money to begin the build project on Paros.

Of course, there’s still upstairs apartment no. 2 to do…

I wonder if there is any pirate treasure buried on Paros…?

z

march 30. a month of daily art.

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There’s something soothing about this one, but also bleak. I think it might need a cat on the steps… or a plant? A bougainvillea?

I’ll think about it.

Meanwhile, there is now a cat peeking out behind the broken door on yesterday’s painting.

So, I’ll be going back to Paros on Sunday, earlier than planned … And tomorrow is the last of my month of daily art.

After that I hope to keep posting daily (mostly), but it won’t always be paintings. It might be progress on the house or other creative endeavours.

I still have a ton of stuff to do in Athens before Sunday so I better get cracking!

z

march 29. a month of daily art.

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Its late. I didn’t get started till after 9pm today and its now past my bedtime. Today’s contribution is unfinished, but its finished enough for tonight.

It will have to do!

Time just flew by today and I feel like I hardly did anything, but I did. I organised a guy to come and clean the fireplace and chimney. Done and ready now. Went to the doctor with mom. Took Lainee for a long walk with one of her friends. Went upstairs to check progress a few times. Organised what I need to buy from the hardware store tomorrow…

Doesn’t sound like much, but it took most of the day!

I hope I get a better night’s sleep tonight!

z