Residency at The Skopelos Foundation for the Arts
On 30th September after leaving London the day before and taking two planes, one train and one ferry I arrived on the Greek island of Skopelos, to calm seas, clear skies, and balmy Autumn temperatures. Skopelos is part of the Sporades islands, the most northern group of islands in the Aegean Sea, this cluster includes, Skiathos, Alonnisos and Skyros, as well as a scattering of uninhabited islands, know as the green isles as pine forests cover every inch of the terrain.
I was there for the next two weeks on an artist residency with The Skopelos Foundation for the Arts. The studio is situated on a hilltop just out of the main Skopelos Town overlooking the sea so the daily commute was extremely picturesque (apart from the steep hillclimb).
During my time there I wanted to explore dyeing with local plants, to create a snapshot of Autumn on Skopelos. After lots of walks through olive groves, to empty beaches, excursions to hilltop monasteries, treks along ancient pathways (known as Kalderimi’s) foraging around for seasonally abundant produce, a colour palette started to emerge. The main dye materials that I found were very ripe black grapes from the vines of the Skopelos Foundation’s garden, Pomegranates from a tree also found in the grounds, as well as, pine cones and wild rosemary, these created an array of purples, ochres, moss and olive greens, yellows and dusty pinks. These initial colour studies were preparatory work for the larger piece’s I then started to create, five ‘final fabrics’ inspired by the natural elements and wild landscape of the island, naturally dyed with the plant materials I’d found and hand-painted with natural dye inks and earth pigments I’d collected from my time there. Overall it was a successful trip and residency, meeting and connecting with other creatives from across the world, experiencing a Greek island in Autumn, the delicious food, culture and welcoming people of Greece. I’ve come back bursting with ideas and inspiration and hope to develop fabrics for an exhibition early next year.
Below are a few film photographs of the trip, which captures the dreamlike, sparkly quality of the island - I will never forget the crystal clear waters, the bougainvillea, the tzatziki, the tiny whitewashed churches, the gnarly olive trees, the cascading terraces of olive groves, the hidden harbours with beach side tavernas, the donkeys, the scent of the island; coconut from the fig trees, mixed with wild oregano and thyme, and the view of bright turquoise sea framed by pine trees.
