Exploring the island myths of Ithaca and the Odyssey

Ithaca is an island of mystery and legends welll known for its connection with the Odyssey, Greek gods with its legends and history. It is shrewn with ancient sites scattered around the thickly vegetated mountains of the island. I am always searching new places, landscapes and art forms whenever I find myself somewhere new. Life is for exploring! Here in this short break, I managed to kayak around most of Ithaca Island, visit some ancient caves with myths and legends (The Nymph Caves near Vathy), walk amongst the ruins of Odysseus Palace and visit ancient frescos in an old Venetian church up in the wild hills above Vathy. I was excited to see such an abundance of vegetation and flowers, even in the Autumn. How does all this link with my practice do you ask, well I am curious about what is left behind, remnants in time and natural history, earth formations, wild plants, rocks and patterns in the landscape and our natural world. I am always with my camera when I am out on one of my ‘joiurneys’ and I am awed by how natural light is reflected on solid surfaces in our landscape, and the effects this has different times of the day. It actually changes colours of the sea, mountains and hills. Lots of inspiration here for painting and seeing colour as it is naturally emerges. I am also fascinated by the people of our past and how they lived in these natural and wild locations. So visiting old pockets of history whether it be within a hidden forgotten village or an ancient palace or ancient neolithic stone monuments like the ones from our Neolithic past, or clambouring through coastal caves. This is what I do.