Lycabettus Hill and the Cat in Athens

Print description

During my recent visit to Athens, I stayed in a small apartment with a balcony that looked directly onto Lycabettus Hill. The third day of my stay was a Thursday. The Benaki Museum is at the bottom of this hill, and entry was free after 6 p.m. So I went there first and when the sunset was approaching I headed for the hills.

It’s strange how, from a distance, a hill can look like an unsurpassable mountain. But once I began the climb, it turned out to be a very pleasant and easy experience. I loved seeing the prickly pear cactus and the Agave americana, both in bloom.

Print details

To create this print, I start by crafting individual drawings in ink, which collectively form a collage comprising the final piece. I scan my drawings and digitally add colour. The original design solely exists in digital format, and I print it using archival inks and paper. I then release my design as a limited edition print, available in standard ‘A’ sizes, ranging from A0 (84.1 cm x 118.9 cm) to A4 (21 x 29.7 cm).

Agave Americana – Century Plant and Opuntia- prickly pear cactus

Agave americana, also called the century plant, maguey, or American aloe, is a flowering plant from the Asparagaceae family. It comes from Mexico and parts of the United States, especially Texas. People grow it all over the world as a decorative plant, and it now grows wild in many places like Southern California, the Caribbean, South America, the Mediterranean, Africa, India, China, Thailand, and Australia.

Even though it’s sometimes called “American aloe,” it’s not actually related to the aloe plant. They just look similar and belong to the same larger group of plants (called an order), but not the same family.
The name century plant comes from the idea that it blooms only once in a very long time. In reality, it usually lives for 10 to 30 years. When it blooms, it grows a very tall stalk with yellow flowers, then the main plant dies. But it leaves behind new shoots at the base, so it keeps growing in a way.

The plant is large, spreading about 6 to 10 feet wide, with thick, gray-green leaves that are 3 to 5 feet long. The leaves have sharp edges and a strong spike at the tip, which can be dangerous. When it blooms, the flower stalk can grow up to 25 to 30 feet tall.

Opuntia, also called the prickly pear cactus, is a group of flowering plants in the cactus family. Many of them have tasty fruit and bright, pretty flowers.

Cacti come from the Americas and are great at surviving in dry places. But they can still be affected by changes in rainfall and temperature caused by climate change.

Prickly pear usually means the fruit, but sometimes it also refers to the whole plant. The plant and its parts have different names in different places, like tuna (for the fruit), nopal (for the flat pads), sabra, sabbar, and others. The word nopal comes from the Nahuatl language, spoken by Indigenous people in Mexico.

The name Opuntia comes from an ancient Greek city called Opus. Both the fruit and the pads of the plant can be eaten. The type most often used in cooking is called the Barbary fig (Opuntia ficus-indica)