In early June this year, I visited Athens for four nights. I went on my own, just to relax and enjoy my favourite sites and museums. It was my second visit, as I had gone in September two years ago. I was struck by Athens’ beauty. Here and there, I experienced ecstatic moments of joy in the presence of beauty—landscapes, flora, and fauna. My best companion is a tiny sketchbook, where I can quickly record these moments, along with notes about the light and composition. Even on the flight back, I was putting together some of these sketches. Then, in my studio, I set myself the task of creating all the line work and subsequent coloration using digital tools.
Can you recognise Craxton’s modernist cats? My love for classic architecture. Some friends say these are Hockney colours, I wish!
One of the highlights of my stay was visiting the Ghika Gallery and the Benaki Museum. Below is a gallery of photos that shows how, when developing the concept for a print, I don’t just study the subject itself—I also explore how other artists have represented it. I analyse how they solved problems of composition, medium, and form.
Find more about the places I visited and my art heroes and references in the links below
https://www.benaki.org
https://www.cycladic.gr/en/ghika
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Craxton
https://www.hockney.com
https://www.visitgreece.gr
https://www.thisisathens.org
Prints in this series.
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The Parthenon the Cat and the Asphodelus
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The Parthenon Ionic Capital and the Blue Cat in Athens
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Hadrian’s Library Colonnade and the Cat in Athens
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Hephaestus Steps The Cat and the Girl in Athens
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Lycabettus Hill and the Cat in Athens
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Lysicrates and Cat. Athens
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