Archive | Paroikia

The busy island…

Paros becomes busier daily.  The tourists come through, then leave.  I stay.  My friends and colleagues stay. We live here and thrive in our respective communities, circles within rings.  I have to admit that I am amazed at how life is working for me these days.  I suit up, show up, don’t push, breathe and keep things light.  I take my pictures, ride my bike, etc…Here are the bullet points:

–I am working towards a small solo show for November, centered around, and exhibited in, the small cafe in which I am currently tapping away on my Macbook.

–My Macbook is in fine running order.  Fully cleaned, reseated RAM, etc…No overheating.  Thanks to Pararam in Naoussa for that, and only 20 euros!  In the US it would have been three times that amount.

–I had a nice discussion with a friend the other day about working and showing your work, i.e. “putting yourself out there.”  On being prolific.  We cited the author Michael Chabon.  He is my age, more for less.  He has published a lot of books.  Not all of them are Pulitzer Prize winners, but he has published a lot of books.  That’s OK.  If people want to know what you are doing, you should show them.  Once a year, big or small, grand or humble.  It all matters.

–I rode my first long road race last weekend.  The Circle of Paros, 61km around the island, began at 17:40 Saturday.  It was my first long race, first road race.  I rode the course on my mountain bike last Wednesday and made it in 3 hrs 15 min.  That’s with fat tires, 5 stops for water, and not being exactly sure of the route.  Afterwards some more experienced riders advised me to load slick road tires on my MB and ride that way.  So I did it.  I just wanted to knock off 16 minutes.  My final time was 2:37:48.  And I had a puncture that delayed me 6-7 minutes.  Here is a Youtube link.  It’s in Greek but it’s fun to watch…

–There was a moment (fleeting!) when I almost quit. I was only 6km into the ride.  But I decided to push it anyway.  Not give up.  I overtook many and made it to the big hill-climb towards which I was looking forward before the race officials closed it.  I made it.  My “Franken-Bike” worked well, but an actual road bike would have been better.  I now have my eye on one.  A friend is willing to sell me his Boardman road bike.  It is essentially new, but the frame is too large for him.  We shall see.

–I would be unable to thrive, enjoy life or otherwise be part of these circles, these rings of communities, without the support and advice of many.  For me, I can trust my instincts only so far.  Even the wisest and experienced turn to others for guidance and direction.  It is best to not pretend you know what you are doing.  That would be arrogant folly.  Hubris.  That’s a Greek word.

The "Franken-Bike."  I took the 26x2" mb tires off and replaced them with 26x1" road tires.  Not ideal, but it did the job.

The “Franken-Bike.” I took the 26×2″ mb tires off and replaced them with 26×1″ road tires. Not ideal, but it did the job.

–JDCM

 

On holiday…

So here are the bullet points…

–I was supposed to travel to Milos last Tuesday but the high winds cancelled my boat.  Then my laptop died before I left Paros.  I left it behind.   I took the next available ferry from Paros to Naxos.  Enroute I bumped into some folks I knew (Orfeas, Bjornante) so the gods put me there for a good reason.  I continued from Naxos to the small island of Iraklia, one of the Minor Cyclades.  I spent the next 3 days hiking and biking that very quiet place.  While there my “smartphone” decided I wasn’t smart enough, so it locked me out.   I’ll  get some reading done instead.

–Yesterday morning I began my odyssey to Milos.  3 boats, 16.5 hours.  Iraklia back to Naxos; Naxos to Ios; Ios to Milos.  I arrived at 24:30 last night, checked into my hotel, unpacked and had a solid night’s sleep.

–So I am here for the next week.  Lots of biking, hiking, swimming and sun.  I hope to visit nearby Kimolos next week for  a day trip.  It is a short ride on a slipper ferry from Pollonia to the Port of Kimolos and the boat goes every two hours or so.

–I cannot upload any pictures or change the header  so that will have to wait until I get back to Paros, fix my laptop, etc….

–JDCM

Photography and other works…

–I haven’t spoken much about my photography lately, not since my Paros Portrait exhibition in August 2013.  Although I have shot and developed plenty of film, I haven’t been printing.   This has changed in the past couple of weeks.

–I am continuing my 4×5 portrait work and will do so at least for another year.  This as a larger arc beneath which I conceive and work on several other projects.

— I am thinking of a 35mm collection of textural pieces.  By “textural” I mean close up images of worn wood, rusted and tarnished metals, peeling paint.   These images tell of time and of the elements.  My eye falls into the deepest crack in the wood, the darkest keyhole, into the tiniest shadow beneath a curling leaf of old paint.  I want to go there. I want to set up shop.  This new portfolio will be small, only 12 pieces. I will begin during the first week of March and finish on the last week of May.  That is 12 weeks, or close enough.

–The soft focus work of Julia Margaret Cameron has also inspired me, especially after seeing a small exhibit last December in America.  I will work on something along those lines.  Still lives and medium format feels like the right way to go.  I will need to go shopping for the right kinds of vases and props.  This will give me a chance to pick up some new crockery for my own kitchen as well–plates and bowls and such.

–More biking, of course.  The weather just cries “get outside…move your muscles…”  The other day I rode to Marathi, then headed north overland, then northeast, bushwhacking until I was able to make it to a small farm road that led me to a large monastery just outside of Paroikia.  From there I headed back north, across the road.  Somewhere in there I punctured my rear tire, so I stopped and changed the tube.  Then I headed back home.  Clear paths?  Hmmm…That’s subjective.  Click the thumbnails to enlarge…

–JDCM

If there is a path there, I worked for it.  Unrideable, of course.  I pushed the bike.

If there is a path there, I worked for it. Unrideable, of course. I pushed the bike.

10 minutes of quick repairs and I was back on the road.

10 minutes of quick repairs and I was back on the road.

49 years…

–Today is my birthday.  I have been on the planet, breathing the air, since February 17, 1965.  I am an Aquarian, and in the the Year of the Wood Snake to boot.  It’s a heavy combination, if you follow these things.  Those of you who know me well enough will see that the associated characteristics fit me to a “T.”

–My future family were traveling in Europe when I was born.  They settled in Dublin, Ireland for a year waiting for me to arrive.  When I was old enough to travel they hit the road again and stayed in Italy for a couple of months before heading back to America.  My sisters were 10 and 8.  Somewhere there are home movies my father made showing us all at the time.

–I have had my share of successes and failures.  Some of them have been of my own doing and some have been granted or inflicted upon me.  Such is life.  No one is immune to that dynamic.  I suppose it is how we roll with the punches, how we dust ourselves off, that matters.

–Yesterday I surprised myself.  After a tough 2-hour, somewhat technical, mountain bike ride, I bumped into a small phalanx of other riders on my way back home.  One invited me along for a leisurely ride into the hills.  I went.  I usually would not do this,  i.e., join in so quickly.  It was fun.  I met some people I hadn’t met before, had a couple small chats.  Nothing too committed, nothing too serious.  Then I came home.  

–I also had a superb and very difficult ride three days ago.  I rode from Paroikia to Lefkes (45 min.) and then from Lefkes to the radio aerials that sit atop the highest peak (1.25 hrs).  From there I rode down the south-western slope, along an extremely rocky track, that eventually turned into a decent farm road.  All unpaved, of course.  The route eventually led me to Kakapetra, an area just south of Paroikia and a stones throw from a friend’s house (45 min.)  I stopped by for coffee and a chat.  The image below is from that jaunt.  You can see the aerials far away in the distance.

–I have reapplied for my American passport via the mail and the embassy in Athens; I have washed a load of laundry;  I have shopped for cat food.  Tonight, I get to eat dinner with a good friend at one of my favorite restaurants on the planet.   I begin my 50th year as a photographer and an amateur mountain biker.  Looking back, when I turned 30 I was a chef de cuisine (10 years)  and a guitar player (15 years).  Like the snake, I shed my skin.

Biking from the aerials on Paros.

Biking from the aerials on Paros.

 

 

Back on Paros…

–It is quiet here.  The rain falls through the night and the clouds cover the sky during the day.  There are moments of sunshine–brilliant, silver and brief.   I hope to get out and shoot some film in a couple of days when the clouds roll away.

–I have been out biking, for which I am grateful.  The sense of freedom on a mountain bike that one does not have in either a car or walking.  Fast, but not too fast, panniers full of cameras.

–The people, food and music of Greece keep me here.  The light is nice too.

–I will be going through my files and uploading all my past “header images” from this blog to my Flickr site.  It might be interesting to see how they all look together.

–I have decided that I would like to be known as someone who worked hard rather than someone with any great talent.   Dedication and hard work has always brought me farther than subjective opinion.  I can measure the first.  The second is fickle and none of my business.

–In February I begin a new 7-year cycle of life.   I can already feel the shift.  It feels tectonic.

JDCM

 

 

Pinch me…

–They say our reality is Krishna’s dream while he sleeps on a lotus flower.

–It seems like a dream.  I woke up a few minutes ago, startled and disorientated.  Jet lag.  I am in Athens.  I walked out onto the small balcony of my hotel room overlooking the street.  It is quiet at 04:00.  The city sleeps, breathing slowly.  Two days ago I was in America, visiting family and friends.  I am in a different world.

–In America I ate hot dogs, apple pie, toasted peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, beef jerky.  There have been excellent sit-down meals too.  Very American food.  I have been able to stave off the calories at the gym.

–There was lots of snow there, and rain, and frigid cold.  It was lovely. There was an abundance of water.  On the little island I call home water can be scarce.  We use less.  Long showers are a luxury.  I luxuriated.

–On the Massachusetts Turnpike I drove through the kind of rain, wind and fog that made it seem as if I was driving underwater, surrounded by a screaming mass of tractor trailers and SUVs all moving at 80 mph.  I had little choice but to keep up.  Every light on my little car was switched on so people would see me.

–Photography during the winter allows for simplicity.  Sticks, snow, shadow, light.

–So I am back in Greece.  Last night I ate yigandes, patzaria, and briam for dinner.  Greek food.

–I am back in Greece.  I have a few days here in Athens then I hop the ferry back to Paros.  What is waiting for me there?

–I was thinking of taking pictures of metro stations.  I need a new header image before I post this entry.  I’ll use one of those.

–Life is like a dream.  Row, row, row your boat…

JDCM

 

Happy Christmas!

Snowy morning sunrise, December 19, 2013

Snowy morning, December 19, 2013, 16*F.  Leica M8

 

 

…and a few days later.  Very weird.

…and a few days later, December 22. 68*F.  Very weird.  Leica M8

 

 

 

 

Christmas is here and all through the house it is very quiet.  The cat plays with her tail, my mother sits in the living room reading the New York Times.  Tonight is Christmas Eve and we are having a Mexican dinner–pork quesadillas, guacamole, salad and a candied pumpkin dessert.  The tree is up, decorated and there are presents beneath its bangled branches.

The best gifts this year have not been material.  They have been the deep changes I have felt within myself and how I perceive the world.  This, in turn, gives me the opportunity to respond in new ways.  I am not always familiar with these aspects, nor am I always comfortable, but they are for the best and I feel have improved as a human as a result.  Here are some off the top of my head…

— My role as a teacher is not to reward or punish via the archaic system of “grades” so common today.  I am there to guide, lift up and hopefully inspire.

— My own work is a testament to long labor, arduous and fulfilling.  I am grateful to have been able to have an exhibition of my photography this year.  I am also grateful to have been allowed to exhibit it in a place I love–Paros and The Aegean Center for the Fine Arts.

— My future is unknown and uncertain. The best I can do is show up and be part of life’s rich pageant.

—  That’s OK most of the time.

Merry Christmas and have a lovely New Year!

JDCM

Mid-October update…

This is a short missive from my table here at Port Cafe, overlooking the Bay of Paroikia.  To mis-quote George III, not much going on here…except art, art work and art students working!  It is always pleasant to feel the hum of busy schedules being negotiated, smell the aroma of oil paints, inks and darkroom chemistry and encounter Aegean Center students writing at cafe tables, wandering about with cameras and expressing their enthusiasm for just being here on Paros.  One student exclaimed last night in the darkroom, “I love this process!”   I can dig it.

There were times in the past when I would hear the ferries come to dock and realize that I could be on one of those boats,  running from the changes that were necessary for my own growth.  Two nights ago I sat on a friend and colleague’s roof terrace eating dinner.  Four blocks away, the evening boat to Athens was putting in.  I heard the massive chains that hold the ramp unwind, the garbled announcement for disembarkation echoing across the platia and through the narrow winding streets.  There was a slight tremor to the ground as the massive diesel engines skewed the craft laterally in the harbor, righting itself against the concrete pier.  It was a musical, nautical poem of industrial tones.  My heart was struck by just how much I love living on Paros.  I am at a hub, the islands in the sea like stars circling the Parian Galactic Center.  I am here, now.  With all that passes for current events in the news-of-the-world, I am pleased to report that calm activity is the name of the game here.  The thrill is palpable.

Some of us went olive raking the other day.  It was more a cultural experience than work, since the owner of the olive trees had paid workers laboring along side of the students and teachers.  Due to my healing hand, I was not able to rake, but I did take some nice images of olives on the branch.  I relished a shallow depth-of-field.  I went as close as my lens would allow.  With a Canon 50mm L-Series f/1.2, that is damn close.

-JDCM

 

olive-tree-2

Olives...

A stop in Athens and a return to Paros…

Last week I made my way to Athens, meeting up with the Aegean Center students and teachers fresh from their September sojourn in Italy.  I was very nervous, not having met any of the new students yet and feeling as if I was under a microscope.  Perhaps I was the one with the microscope, I am not sure, but that is how I felt.  Anyway…

The 24 students all arrived safely and we made our way via motor-coach to the hotel in the Monastiraki area of town.  The Hotel Attalos sits just below the Acropolis of the Parthenon and close to some of the best museums and archeological destinations in the world.  The next three days were spent visiting these sites and listening to Jeffrey Carson’s excellent orations on history, culture and art.  The Parthenon, the Parthenon Museum and the National Archeological Museum were our group destinations, but afterwards the students enjoyed enough free time to visit other places, shop and eat some excellent Greek food.  On Saturday morning we all awoke very early for another short bus ride to the Port of Pireaus, boarded the Blue Star Naxos and made our way back home, back to Paros and the Aegean Center for the Fine Arts studios and labs.

The classes began yesterday and I have several students in the darkroom.  Some have no experience whatsoever while there are others with some darkroom history behind them.  It is a vibrant and excited group.  They are also taking other courses so in order to meet with them it must always be after all their other commitments, later in the evening and never all at once.  This will make necessary demonstrations (film and paper developing, for instance) difficult to arrange.   I will work with what I am given and be grateful.

I have added a couple of images from the Athens segment of the art history tour…

JDCM

At the Parthenon, September 2013

At the Parthenon, September 2013

At the National Archeological Museum

At the National Archeological Museum