Cycladic Siesta

The intense heat of an August afternoon in the village, when everyone is resting, was what I wanted to convey with this painting. The heat literally bounces off the whitewashed walls and there’s no one on the streets. Its ‘mesimeri’ – the time for the afternoon snooze and retreat from the summer sun.

‘Cycladic Siesta’ is not based on any village in particular but has elements of many. The stepped streets, trailing bougainvillia, potted geraniums and bright blue doors.. with a backdrop of a deep blue sky. It’s a Greek village of the artist’s memory and imagination…

The painting was created with layers of acrylic paint, wax and ink on watercolour paper. The first layers of paint were embossed with a variety of tools to create a slightly raised texture and the initial image was also drawn into the wet paint at this point. When dry, layers of paint and wax were applied and variously scratched into and sanded back to give a weathered look. The line drawing was done at various points in this process, using black ink.  The finished painting was given a couple of coats of transparent spray varnish.