SKOPELOS, GREECE 2008

relics

2008-07-09T23:00:00.000-07:00

All over Greece I have come in contact with messages from the past

I am deeply enamored with reliquary objects, and icons.
They are a nonverbal record marking a spiritual event or a transcendental experience.

And this record has been a very normal part of my day to day here. It is very grounding.
To be with these objects , is to come face to face with my ancestors, in a silent dialog.

I don't know

2008-07-09T08:16:00.000-07:00

Touch

2008-07-09T00:52:00.000-07:00

The fabric of Skopelos is unique and beautiful and can often be seen hanging overhead throughout the streets within town.

blink and they're gone

2008-07-08T09:53:00.000-07:00

Stacks

2008-07-08T08:49:00.000-07:00

smell

2008-07-08T03:58:00.000-07:00

Having never really lived near the beach, it is new to me to be driving with the windows open and suddenly get a really strong smell of the ocean.

Direction by Water

2008-07-08T01:22:00.000-07:00

Being from Florida, watershed has always played an integral part in how I tell direction. The direction of an ocean, lake, a flowing river or even a creek can mark or lead towards a location. In Skopelos, the same holds true of water; it can only lead in the correct direction, whether one is following it down towards the bay, or following its path up towards the main road from town.

zeroing in

2008-07-07T08:47:00.001-07:00

July 7. 12:58 pm

Sense of Smell

2008-07-07T05:04:00.000-07:00

The Shipbuilder's workshop appealed to all the senses: I wanted to touch the delicate woodwork, hear the stories behind the ships, my eyes were amazed, etc. Above all however, was the wonderful smell of freshly cut wood.

a sense of smell

2008-07-07T04:14:00.000-07:00

Sitxh Sense

2008-07-07T03:18:00.000-07:00

The majestically sloping mountains dotting the Aegean are almost enough to forget that one has a life elsewhere, but, not matter how hard one tries, one will always long for the familiarity of home.

taste

2008-07-07T03:15:00.000-07:00

The first thing I noticed about the food in Greece was that this was nothing like the yogurt, gyros, or greek salads that I thought I'd had at home.

Done.

2008-07-07T03:14:00.000-07:00

Smell

2008-07-07T03:13:00.001-07:00

On this island one can smell the sun. This sense is best exemplified on the goat trail. On this path, in the mid-afternoon, the sun is intense; the color of the ground beneath is a sign of its overbearing quality. As one is walking here, the dust picks up and tickles the nostrils and with it comes the scent of the sun-bleached earth.

Sense of Taste

2008-07-07T00:10:00.000-07:00

I found these 'tasteful' ceramic tiles embedded in part of a wall at the Skopelos Foundation :)

Sight

2008-07-06T22:13:00.000-07:00

I have been a gluttonous sightseer on this trip

greedily gobbling up the views of the island,

thank you very much, theres no room for dessert

I'm stuffed.

sight

2008-07-06T05:16:00.000-07:00

The island provides many varying shades of green. This palette includes the greens of sage, grapes, olive trees, ivy, unripe plums, and cyanotype residue.

Sense of Adventure--the Sixth Sense

2008-07-06T02:03:00.000-07:00

The sense of adventure is what brought us all to Skopelos, and what has driven our creativity--the desire to explore and try new things!

Sound

2008-07-06T01:33:00.000-07:00

I find it interesting that the service at Christo's church was still meaningful to me even though it was in a different language. It didn't take me long to realize this was because of the sounds and the incantation of his voice combined with bells and the rest of the churchgoers occasionally joining in. For a time I was sitting in a spot where I couldn't really see what was going on; I could only hear and it still held the same power.

2008-07-06T00:18:00.000-07:00

Sense of Scale

2008-07-05T07:04:00.000-07:00

Taste

2008-07-05T04:53:00.000-07:00

On Skopelos the tastes and flavors everyday come to life.

Plucking and Cleaning

2008-07-05T03:17:00.001-07:00

2008-07-05T03:11:00.000-07:00

a sense of adventure: not knowing where your path will

take you... a simple dinner turns into a hot sour mess...

Touch

2008-07-04T09:48:00.000-07:00

The Aegean Sea has a high salt content; in this water the human body can float effortlessly. Aside from the sting in one’s eyes when renegade droplets run down the face, the salt cannot be felt until one is out of the water, baking in the sun. Whilst laying out sunning on a beach towel, the salt dries on the skin forming little granules that are easily detected by finger tips.

Abba to the Max

2008-07-04T08:59:00.000-07:00

Douros. July 5th. 1:30-3:26 am.

touch

2008-07-04T08:12:00.000-07:00

touch is a sense that is neglected in everyday life in the states

it is easily overlooked and is a very rich and rewarding sense

the subtle feel of a burr on a plate,
...........................or the velvety softness of a mezzotinted plate......
....................................................................Waxy ball grounds

Just for Kicks and Giggles: A Printmaking Poem

2008-07-04T07:26:00.000-07:00

A collograph can make you laugh
An etching's rather fetching.
An aquatint makes an A1 print
For those adept at sketching.

Now wood is good
When the cut runs true
And lino's fine, oh yes.
Potato cuts just drive me nuts
For I love to make a mess.

Corrsoion IV

2008-07-04T06:33:00.001-07:00

Flowering citrus

2008-07-04T05:12:00.000-07:00

Walking through the winding streets, the leaves of the lemon trees give off a distinctive smell of their own. Some trees are heavy with overgrown, aromatic lemons ready for the picking while others are still in bloom. The heady scent of the lemon trees hangs in the air around each tree overhanging the paths snaking through town.

throwing

2008-07-04T03:32:00.001-07:00

Rodios' Studio. July 2. 9:40-11:00.

Sight

2008-07-04T02:30:00.000-07:00

I first noticed it upon arrival in Athens, this near obsession with potted plants that the Greeks seem to have. Although most of them do not have yards to landscape, everyone still seems to have an innate desire to nurture, grow, and cultivate life.

Sense of Creativity

2008-07-04T02:27:00.001-07:00

miscommunication:skopelos

2008-07-03T06:19:00.000-07:00

touch

2008-07-03T04:47:00.000-07:00

I don't think anybody likes the feeling of bugs and flies constantly landing on them or the nasty bites they leave behind; however, to me, the worst is sorting through my suitcase and seeing this little guy squirming around inside my shoe.

Σεντούκια

2008-07-03T01:56:00.000-07:00

The trip to Sendoukia was one of the most interesting excursions I've been on during my time in Skopelos. Being up at that burial sight gave me chills. It was the highest up a mountain here I've been, we took a long moment of silence to take it all in: the incredible view, the graves, but especially the eerie feeling that we experienced there.

I think my sixth sense would have to be the thoughts that went through my head at this place. It is rumored that pirates created these graves, but our intuition told us that this site took a lot of hard labor to build: the graves were perfectly chiseled out of the rock with perfect right angles; this was a place built for someone more important.

The feeling at the top of that mountain gave us a feeling of royalty, even holiness, and I'll never forget that weird sense of being in a place where so much work was done, in order to give whoever these people were, a incredible resting place.

Coffee Comfort

2008-07-03T01:30:00.000-07:00

When imagining tastes, color always comes into play. I find the color brown to be a rich, soothing, luxurious color; thus most foods which are brown have a rich taste and texture. Skopelos has many cafes which serve coffee type drinks made with Nescafe. The rich color reflects the strongest taste memory from Skopelos that I will carry with me. As Nescafe is not used as commonly as ground coffee in the United States, it will forever remain a symbol and a taste of Skopelos in my mind.

6th sense

2008-07-03T01:25:00.000-07:00

So I'm going to start this off by saying that I am the type of person who gets lost a lot; I have a really bad sense of direction. The first time I set out to try and make it back up the hill from downtown, Rachelle and I found ourselves not knowing where to go. After a few more times up and down never quite knowing which path to take, I realized that its pretty much impossible to get truly lost in Skopelos.

Sendoukia

2008-07-03T01:15:00.001-07:00

Sound

2008-07-03T01:12:00.001-07:00

It interests me to see how Zoey exerts sound not only to communicate with both Greeks and Americans but also all other creatures. She can be heard crowing to roosters, neighing to horses, and interacting with all of life around her.

Passers-by

2008-07-03T00:58:00.001-07:00

Cafe Korali. June 30. 7:35-9:40.

Touch

2008-07-03T00:42:00.001-07:00

Our delicate American skin was not prepared for the vicious insect attacks we would encounter at night.

smell+taste megablog

2008-07-02T23:53:00.000-07:00

Smell and taste are two senses that are intimately intertwined.

Smell precedes taste
It can enhance or deceive.
Smell is a sneak preview
-of the taste attraction to come

Smells and taste mix like paint on a palette (palate)
or ink on a slab.

The octopus
mixes
with the lamb
the calamari
eggplant
fresh bread
tomatoes

guzzle down the wine Yorgos
keeps
giving
us
more

and more and more....

hungry beasts wait patiently for the feeding to begin
waiting
waiting
waiting

waiter arrives and the beasts snap hungrily at the floating feast.

foods here dig in..... but WAIT! a prayer

rub a dub dub, thanks for the grub, yay god.

Smell

2008-07-02T23:32:00.000-07:00

This is a memory drawing of the different smells I have experienced in Greece.

Doors

2008-07-02T11:23:00.000-07:00

Sights to see for me

2008-07-02T06:58:00.000-07:00

(above:"melia")
In my case the best sights on the island would have to be the beaches. Each different in their own way and all worth seeing at least once. Though some are expensive to travel to, an afternoon spent on the beach is never a bad idea.

sound

2008-07-02T05:24:00.000-07:00

Contrary what is said of roosters, here they do not act as alarm clocks and alert us at dawn. Instead, their "Cock-a-doodle-doos" pierce the air at any given time of the day, calling to other roosters and just becoming a nuisance, especially when attempting to take an afternoon nap.

THELO ελληνικά!

2008-07-02T04:45:00.000-07:00

While I am in Greece, I am trying to learn as much Greek as I can so that I may go back to the States and speak to my Yiayia, Pappou, and Dad in our language. Both my grandparents are sick, and I know it would make them very proud to see their granddaughter immersing herself in our culture. Thanks to the help of Jill, Christos, Jorgos, Minnolis, and Giannis, I am picking up much more of the language than I thought I would in three short weeks.

I am trying to learn the alphabet, as well. In my sketchbook, I recorded the alphabet and phonetic sounds of each letter. I am particularly interested in the Greek letters which look like English letters, but are pronounced differently. For example, the Greek B is pronounced like the English V.

I consider the ease with which I am able to learn Greek to be my sixth sense. Perhaps it is an innate manifestation of my culture.

Sense of Sound

2008-07-02T04:33:00.000-07:00

I have heard the whir of an electric pottery wheel before, and never really paid attention--it's always a background noise, like air conditioning or the current on a power line. Today I heard and saw a manual wheel, or kick wheel, in action. It was a beautiful sound--the potter's foot scraping and propelling the big wooden wheel at the bottom made a rhythm that complemented the constant, up and down, in and out flow of the potter's hands on and around the spinning clay.

MUSTY SHIPS

2008-07-02T04:14:00.000-07:00

Today we visited the workshop of Giannis, a master shipbuilder. His work is incredibly meticulous. I was amazed most by the fact that he does not conduct research to learn the designs of the ancient ships; he knows the dimensions and such from talking to people and mentally storing information.

Giannis' workshop was so full of wood and sawdust, it activated all the senses. Most notable to me was the sense of smell. The air was so saturated with sawdust that I had to step outside to catch my breath. Especially in the second room, the smell of walnut wood was potent.

Coc-a-doodle-dooooooooo

2008-07-02T04:10:00.000-07:00

Every night as climb back up to the house i hear the wonderful (or not so wonderful) cry of the rooster. Why they call every night instead of morning i have no clue.

More views of the labyrinth

2008-07-02T04:08:00.001-07:00

more views of the maze

The 2 Euro Gyro

2008-07-02T04:00:00.000-07:00

Although there are far better tasting entree's on this island nothing beats my "2 Euro Gyro". Its fast, good, and cheap as hell!

touch

2008-07-02T03:40:00.000-07:00

taste

2008-07-02T03:31:00.000-07:00

The fruit on the island is so plentiful and sweet that even the smallest of creatures enjoy the feast it provides.

Success

2008-07-02T02:49:00.000-07:00

Corrosion Evolved

2008-07-01T11:04:00.000-07:00

Corrosion Transfromed

2008-07-01T09:39:00.000-07:00

Corrosion I

2008-07-01T09:29:00.000-07:00

ÓXI SIGHT, μόνο TOUCH.

2008-07-01T09:02:00.000-07:00

We are working a lot in the darkroom as we develop our cyanotype prints. We go directly from the brilliant sunlight to the darkroom. The darkroom is very dark. There is no sight. We have to rely entirely upon our sense of touch to maneuver the space.

Bouganville

2008-07-01T08:34:00.000-07:00

The eyes are drawn to colors that jump out from the background. In Skopelos the most noticible colors that pull me in are those of the bouganville vines. Even from in town, the bouganville flowers draw my eye up the hill to Christo's apartments, where they can be seen distinctivly even from such a distance. When walking down to town, the flowers lead me different paths towards town and back up the hill each time, chasing their bright colors and the paths of pink and purple flowers littered on the stairs.

Lost sense of direction

2008-07-01T06:54:00.000-07:00

walking around this labyrinth of a city makes me feel like Theseus hunting the Minotaur.Only I don't see any beautiful Greek girls at the end of this maze, only a further hike up the mountain.

BINDING THE SKOPELOS BOOK

2008-07-01T04:57:00.001-07:00

cyanotype tests

2008-07-01T01:00:00.000-07:00

Sight

2008-06-30T22:16:00.001-07:00

Sight
The horizon changing throughout the day in Skopelos.

Christo's Family Church

2008-06-30T16:30:00.000-07:00

Sound

2008-06-30T08:12:00.001-07:00

Submerged below the surface, the Aegean becomes a gently rocking cradle. In this thick water all sound seems dulled, all but one oddly sharp sound; the scraping of the pebbles and fine granules against one another with the passing of each wave.

Sound

2008-06-30T07:55:00.000-07:00

sound is primal

it has a vibratory power that evokes a response at the most basic sensory level.

through some unknown dynamism, sound and music can unlock a part of our psyche that is otherwise ignored. It is a trigger for creative action.

Sight

2008-06-30T07:50:00.001-07:00

In South Florida, the land is so close to sea level that the land meets the water at the same elevation. The crashing waves constantly echo a threat to the land: one day you will be with us, one day you will become a new ocean floor. However, in Skopelos, the land is strong; inclines and declines, which sit in sharp contrast to the flat ocean, are all that can be seen.

Smells

2008-06-30T06:45:00.000-07:00

Incense, The aroma takes me back, way back in fact to better days getting into trouble at my yia-yai's house. just smelling it as i walk past the numerous churches on the island reminds me of those days.

Smell

2008-06-30T05:33:00.005-07:00

Back home we live in a place in which the only animals around are the ones we allow to be in our presence. Our kennels and pooper scoopers prevent us from being exposed to anything unpleasant. Its refreshing to be reminded that we are not the only creatures on the planet here in Skopelos.

TRAVELS WITH BOB

2008-06-30T02:58:00.001-07:00

Chop

2008-06-30T02:54:00.000-07:00

Taste

2008-06-30T02:50:00.001-07:00

I had never before realized the importance of eating produce seasonally until our arrival in Skopelos.

The ability to go pick a ripe fig right off the tree will make it difficult to ever feel the same about food back home.

Passers-by

2008-06-30T02:21:00.000-07:00

Baramare's. June 29. 7:20-11pm.

Taste

2008-06-30T02:16:00.001-07:00

In order to make a painting that is truly representative of the tastes of nature, cherries were picked from surrounding trees and bitten into so their vibrant fluids could spill onto the page, making the red marks. The image was completed as the ants took part in the feast, making the page resemble a thousand year old dionystic celebration.

Sense of Sight

2008-06-29T22:03:00.001-07:00

The sun rising over Skopelos is a sight to behold :)

Sense of Touch

2008-06-29T21:59:00.000-07:00

Sundial?--Sculpture--Feeling the sun--Passage of time--Touching rocks, sand, grass

PARSLEY, SAGE, ROSEMARY, AND THYME

2008-06-29T03:19:00.000-07:00

The air on the walk up to Sendoukia (Σεντούκια) was so pungently full of herbs that I could taste the lamb my Yiayia cooks. Bob tells us that the goats on the island are naturally seasoned before cooking, due to the vast amounts of herbs they consume on a daily basis.

Getting Ready

2008-06-29T02:25:00.000-07:00

Touch - Unknown Rocks

2008-06-28T11:46:00.000-07:00

Smooth, ocean tossed rocks blanket the beaches around Skopelos, causing pain to feet and impressions on skin. However the rocks warm in the sun until they become blistering hot during the mid-day. When laying on the rocks after swimming, one has the heated sensation of them through a towel. Though they are smooth to the touch, the rocks create an awkward gait from people when walking on the beach and leave lasting images on the body from laying on them. The above image shows the memory of the rocks pushed into the skin following an afternoon on the beach, and the culprits of the impressions.

smell

2008-06-28T09:59:00.000-07:00

Herbs are found growing wild all over the island in incredible amounts so that their scent makes the air smell sweet.

One of my favorite and first memories on the island was the night of our welcoming banquet, when Zoey kept pulling the leaves off of the Basil plant and bringing them around for everyone to smell.

(Top: Basil, Bottom: Sage from the Sendoukia burial sight)

Sound

2008-06-28T05:40:00.000-07:00

Butchering a Chicken

2008-06-28T01:45:00.000-07:00

Sounds of Skopelos Streets

2008-06-27T23:55:00.000-07:00

The sounds on Skopelos are richer than those encountered in every day life at home. The narrow streets create echoes and the large port reverberates sound throughout Skopelos Town and the surrounding areas. The resounding echoes carry everywhere, down each small street, into the cafes, where they mix with other sounds: TV shows heard through open windows, dogs barking, roaring motorcycles, kids playing games. The slow oppressive movement of the day interrupted by bright sparks of sound creep into even the highest reaches of the mountains around the port. Even in the silence, the sounds of cicadas and the movement of pedestrians though the street creates a backdrop of sound that is ever present here.

sounds

2008-06-26T08:50:00.000-07:00

The island of Skopelos is rich with sound: noisy, humming, chattering, beating, whispering, thumping, churning, howling and singing. While traveling through the streets of Skopelos the explorer hears the steady beat of his own sandals against the stone steps while motorcycles thunder and growl through passageways, dogs take chase and bark after one another and a child's high spirited laughter echoes off of the adjoining apartments and houses that flank the narrow walkways. Meanwhile there is the slow yet constant pulsation of waves permeating the sandy shoreline backed by the droning of cicadas in the surrounding hills.

Print Marathon- 660 prints!

2008-06-25T22:37:00.000-07:00

COMIC SANS GOES INTERNATIONAL

2008-06-25T12:15:00.000-07:00

As a graphic designer, I notice text and letterform. The mere alteration of a font changes the shape a letter takes, which can influence its meaning and make one feel differently about the words she is reading.

Comic Sans is a design faux pas. I can guarantee that you have all seen this casual, non-connecting script typeface adorning Beanie Baby tags, children's coloring books, and other personally-published signs/documents. Comic Sans is bad-- poorly-designed and over-used. Upon venturing into downtown Skopelos, I discovered that the Greeks have adapted Comic Sans to fit their alphabet. The world is now complete with Comic Sans lambdas and sigmas.

STEPHANIE TALKS TO THE GOATS

2008-06-25T09:00:00.000-07:00

Futurist Manifesto, the Art of Noises.

You don't have to read it all, but do take a glance. In this substantially thick piece of reading, the Futurists break everything down into a science, embracing technology and change. I found it interesting that they were able to seemingly inventory the fundamental noises. How could they claim to do such a thing? Noise is indefinite...

I found this line particularly interesting: Not only in the roaring atmosphere of major cities, but in the country too, which until yesterday was totally silent, the machine today has created such a variety and rivalry of noises that pure sound, in its exiguity and monotony, no longer arouses any feeling. The drone of the machine has created a constant, perpetual noise in our world. Right now in Skopelos, as I am seemingly sitting in silence, I can hear the drone of my computer fan, the whizzing of the motorcycles tearing through the small cobblestone streets, and the rolling lull of the salty waves crashing upon the shore of the Aegean Sea. Noise is inescapable.

There may not be such a thing as silence. If there is, it is not something I have ever experienced. Even in the womb, one is surrounded by the palpitating and beating sound of the mother's body. Perhaps silence can be found in the distant rural areas of wilderness. Even so, one cannot dismiss the sound of the blowing wind and rustling grass.

A lot of people dismiss any differences between music, noise, and sound. I think these can be differentiated by the organization of the elements. Also, the intention. Sound, existing as vibrations that travel through the air, is always present. Noise is sound created by people, animals (i.e. the goats near Christo's house, with which I bleat-talk), or things, either intentionally or not. Music is the compilation of noises. Check out the pictures of us jamming out to music while sleeping on the ferry ride from Athens to Skopelos OR the pictures of us Greek dancing to the Greek music at the opening banquet (below).

Gloria Carr- Director, Skopelos Foundation presents History of Skop Art

2008-06-23T22:34:00.000-07:00

SKETCHING

2008-06-22T22:58:00.000-07:00

ARRIVING IN SKOPELOS

2008-06-21T22:48:00.000-07:00

SKOPELOS FOUNDATION FOR THE ARTS/view from studio

2008-06-20T22:39:00.000-07:00

ATHENS

2008-06-20T03:05:00.000-07:00

SKOPELOS ON THE MAP!

2008-06-10T11:57:00.001-07:00

View Larger Map

WELCOME

2008-03-05T17:40:00.000-08:00

Welcome to your class blog for Skopelos 2008.
Please bookmark this page as we will update it with important information that will help you prepare for our class. We look forward to a wonderful trip to Greece.
- Bob & Lauren