Archive | Paroikia

Bike-hiking and new gear…

By John on September 17, 2013 in autumn, beauty, biking, Greece, hiking in the Cyclades, Paroikia, Paros, quiet islands, skill and craft, spiritual journey, stone walls, Uncategorized, working

I have been exploring the island these sunny, warm days. I have found a couple of small, very rocky and rough beaches on the north side of the bay, facing Syros, north along the coast from the cave of Archilochos. They are all but inaccessible unless one rides a bike, hikes or has 4-wheel drive. A few days ago I went back to one of them with the goal of not returning the way I arrived. From a decent height I could see smaller paths and a narrow road. I knew I couldn’t bike it, and that I would have to push/carry the bike a certain way uphill, over rocks and walls, before I reached the road. According to the map, the road wound about until it reached the Delion of Apollo, one of the higher points on the island and an ancient temple site.

So that’s what I did. I biked down to the beach area, went for a swim, then packed up my panniers (more about them) and pushed the bike up the hill. There was some real problem solving involving a small gorge, some backtracking, plenty of thorns (shades of Sikinos!) but I eventually made it to the road. It was a pretty easy ride to the Delion after that and then a downhill ride back to town. It was only about 8 km but with all the uphill struggle and 15 kilos of bike and gear, I’ll add another few km to that count. A nice day, and fun.

I bought panniers for the bike. Now I don’t have to wear a day-pack anymore. This was making me top-heavy. The center of gravity has been lowered and I am finding them convenient and efficient. Below are four incarnations of my current mode of transport. There is enough room for all kinds of gear.

Beach Bike

Mountain bike

Hiking bike

Shopping bike

JDCM

Windy Monday…

By John on September 9, 2013 in autumn, beauty, black and white portraiture, craft, darkroom work, Greece, Paroikia, Paros, Paros Portraits, portraiture, silver darkroom, skill and craft, spiritual journey, working

The sun was brilliant today and the Meltemi had a decidedly autumnal feel. It has howled all day, and continues the howl through the tangle of electrical lines crisscrossing the small section of Paroikia I call home. The cypress trees whip back and forth and Bougainvillea blossoms, free from their thorny moorings, sail their over-saturated colors into my small apartment.

It is Monday, September 9, 2013 and I have taken down my exhibit. I have enjoyed the three-week long event. I think of my images differently than when I hung them. What was once ‘Giorgos and Giorgos‘ I refer to as ‘Don Quixote and Sancho Panza‘; ‘Erin‘ is now ‘The Vermeer Photograph’; ‘Angelika‘ I think of as ‘The Abstract Realist.’ Things change, the Earth tilts and wobbles, the days shorten, the air cools and we slide into bright autumn. I can almost smell the rain, but I know that is just an illusion.

Now I am filled with melancholia, ennui, a sense of emptiness. As I write this at Mikro Kafe I realize that in an hour there will be no need for me to open up the Aegean Center, turn on the lights and arrange the easeled sign outside on the marble steps. All of that is past. My portraits are safely in their crate, currently a large piece of furniture in my flat. The sign, too, is there, tucked behind a bookcase.

I have little choice but to get back to work. That is the best way to shake off these ghosts.

JDCM

The reward of September…

By John on September 4, 2013 in autumn, beauty, black and white portraiture, craft, Greece, Paroikia, Paros, Paros Portraits, quiet islands, skill and craft, Uncategorized, working

Blue Menu #1

August is past and July is a memory. The streets of Paroikia are no longer mobbed with summer tourists. The groups of families have departed, returning to their homes. The weather is lovely,warm and sunny–breezy and cooler at night. The beaches are quiet, all but deserted. The wind is from the north, about Force 5, gusting to 6, which is about 33 to 38 km. This made for a nice headwind as I rode my usual 11.5 km out to a beach on the northern part of the island today. I was alone for a solid hour until a couple walked onto the sand. I swam, read my book, and left in no particular hurry. I had a tailwind all the way back to town.

I am still very pleased with my exhibit. I take it down in a few days and put it away. It has been a good run. I have had excellent conversations with other photographers about the craft as well as people wanting to know more about the Aegean Center. I feel my work spoke for itself.

So for all of our industry and patience during the summer months, those of us on Paros are presented with the reward of September.

JDCM

The exhibition…

By John on August 20, 2013 in 4×5 photography, beauty, black and white portraiture, craft, darkroom work, Greece, Paroikia, Paros, Paros Portraits, portraiture, skill and craft, spiritual journey, Uncategorized, working

My solo exhibition opened Sunday evening. It was a joyful relief to have it up an on its way. I realized that I have been building this portrait project since October 2011 while also working on (and completing) several other portfolios in both photography and painting en route to this destination. No small feat. It feels as if this has been an overreaching arc representative of all my labors to date here on Paros.

I have had some interesting comments regarding the 22 photographs. One on-line viewer remarked that I had created a community. I can see that too: a small town. I have a butcher, barber, teachers, students, potters, cafe owners, artists, farmers, families, etc…The portfolio could stand alone as a village almost anywhere. A visitor to the exhibition last night said that I had captured the souls of these people. I like to think I only borrowed them for a brief moment.

I was too busy to take any pictures of the opening, but I know others did. When I have some of those, I’ll share them.

I think I will concentrate on portraiture for a while. My other photography is good, solid work. It is like doing push-ups or lifting weights–all preparation and training for the real event. I will begin a second round of portraits in late September, once the light has shifted a bit and people’s schedules have settled down.

Thank you, once again, to all those who helped make this happen. You know who you are. Yes, I did the work, but without the support of the Aegean Center and the people of Paroikia this project would never have seen the gallery lights.

JDCM

Busy, busy, busy…

By John on August 13, 2013 in beauty, Greece, Paroikia, Paros, quiet islands, spiritual journey, Uncategorized, working

The Greek summer holiday is upon us and Paroikia is mobbed with tourists from Athens and beyond. The roads are crammed, the cafes are overrun and anyone with any sense stays away from town unless they really need to do something vitally important, like go to the hospital or something. This will all end, for the most part, in about 5 days, but for now…

I went to Naoussa last night with some friends to see the opening of another artist’s work. He is very technical, very intellectual and, I feel, on the cusp of something. What I felt when I walked into the room was a sense of change, a shift and alteration of shape in his thinking and raison. It was a transitional vibe. Others did not feel that way, but so what. He would say that too. I am quite sure he is not particularly worried about whether or not people like his work, or even understand it in the same way as he does. I, for one, was happy to go and see the event. In regards to the holiday crowds, Naoussa is very different than Paroikia. It is not stretched along the seafront but rather all crammed in together, like a white-washed, sun-burned and idiotic fist. This made for dense crowds and the ‘wall-to-wall-people’ effect. I am not a huge fan of that. It was a relief to return to Paroikia, sit at a table with friends and have a late supper.

My own show is on the near horizon. The 22 photographs are matted, framed and behind glass. They look wonderful. The space will be free on Saturday morning and, I hope, I can begin hanging my pieces that afternoon. The posters start going up tomorrow and I have been handing out cards. More cards to go out this weekend. I have designed and put in place a new website specifically for this show and will send out an email blast to the mailing list this Sunday. I don’t want anyone to see the show in it’s entirety until then.

I am pretty nervous about this show. It is a big deal for me, perhaps bigger than I realize. The future will tell…

I have decided to save some money this year and have bought a bike–a used mountain bike from a local bike shop. I like it a lot. I have been cycling to a local beach every day, jumping in the sea to cool off and then cycling back. The weight I gained while I was in the USA will drop off and I save money and gas to boot. In the off-season, it cost me 320 euros per month to rent a car. This is extravagant. The bike cost 375 euros and with the added helmet, pump, spare tube, etc…the bill came to 515 euros. There are still a few items to pick up but they are not necessities. If I can work my way back down to 82 kilos from the 88 I now currently weigh, then I will be happy.

One thing I have noticed is the obvious disregard the tourists have for bikes on the road. Just an observation. Perhaps I will start a movement based on the idea of banning all non-essential motor vehicles from the island of Paros, or at least Paroikia and the surrounding environs. It would be a safer, quieter and more interesting place to live, that is for sure. Imagine all the car rental companies renting bicycles instead? Cheaper, less insurance, less maintenance…For now, I stick to the backroads.

JDCM

My new bike…

Updates from the road…

By John on July 6, 2013 in beauty, Cyclades stone walls, Cycladic stone walls, Greece, Paroikia, Paros, quiet islands, spiritual journey, stone walls

I am in New York. It is hot, humid and lush. It is hard to describe the quantity of water on the land and in the air. Back on my Parian home the heat is the same but the arid conditions make for a more pleasant experience. Outside my window the trees and foliage are dense green, impenetrable without the use of a machete or chainsaw. I can hear it grow, sucking up moisture from the rich earth.

A view from my mother’s front porch, Ancramdale, NY.

I am back in America to visit my family, and only for a month. If all goes well I will be back on Paros on August 1st ready for the final push towards my solo exhibit of large format portraiture. It has been almost two years since the project began and I am looking forward to the event. I am nervous, yes, but in anticipation, not dread. I know my work can stand on its own as a complete body. I also know that whoever views it will bring something unique to the experience. I am also currently designing a new website specifically for the portraits. I will launch this site after the show opens on August 18th.

For the time being, I will visit with my elderly parents and my dear sisters. I hope to drop in on a fellow student and alumna of the Aegean Center, but time and schedules will determine that visit. I am able to catch up with good friends and compare notes on how our lives are faring.

I am experiencing a good amount of culture shock here. The cars all all huge and the food seems heavy to my palate. As I sit here at my computer I sweat. Just sweat. I am not even exerting myself. There are no sounds of ferries docking, motor scooters riding down the narrow streets of my neighborhood. No smell of the sea. I cannot walk to my favorite cafe. It is supposed to rain tonight and perhaps that will ease the heat, but it also promises high, hot and humid conditions for tomorrow. I am not whinging, just noticing some differences.

Todays post has a new header image. It is a section of wall behind my mother’s house. The stones are slate and granite, green with growth. So different from the Kykladic structures of which I have grown so fond. Different, yet the same. It serves the same purpose: it is a retaining wall preventing the downhill slide of earth after the rains.

The skies have suddenly clouded over. There is a low rumble of thunder in the air.

JDCM

Return to Paros…

By John on June 25, 2013 in beauty, craft, Cyclades stone walls, Cycladic stone walls, darkroom work, Greece, hiking in the Cyclades, Paroikia, Paros, quiet islands, rangefinder camera, skill and craft, spiritual journey, spring in the Aegean, stone walls, working

As the ferry rounded the northern tip of the island, opposite Naoussa, and I saw the lighthouse atop Cape Korakas, I knew that I was home. I leaned against the port gunwales, waiting until we had passed the Cave of Archilochus, and then I went back inside the old ship and gathered my things. I was the first person downstairs in the garage bay. I walked off the NEL Lines Aqua Jewel with a feeling of deep relief and happiness. I was home, back on Paros. I allowed the noises and smells of a busy Greek island port to fill my senses as I walked back to my flat.

That was two days ago and since then I have taken care of essential business, mostly laundry. I have come back to my favorite cafes and eaten in my favorite restaurants. All is well with the world. In other words, life continues and changes in small and big ways and I find myself, as usual, listening more than talking during intense discussions with friends. My grandmother always said that was a character trait that would serve me well. We’ll see…

I do have a lot to say, but verbally it seems that many others say it so much better than I, so why paraphrase? Many years ago I was an avid musician. I wrote music, songs, lyrics, played in bands. I did this for many years-decades. I had a lot to say then, or I thought so. In the end the words became dark, sinister and negative. The bands moved on without me and I dropped the music, along with a few other pastimes. I can still play the instrument, but the desire to express with sound has left me. Just part of the Great Circle, I suppose. These days I have a quieter way to explain the world. I find it much more calming, and good deal lighter in actual weight. It lets me stop, look and breathe. The shutter clicks. I feel that this is where I should have been all along.

The island has become the color of worn brass and oxidized aluminum. The craggy, yellow-brown contours are set off by the blue sky and the deeper, indigo sea. White buildings dot the arid landscape, like so many chunks of salt-lick. The tomatoes are rich and sweet and there is fish to savor in a nearby taverna. In two days I leave Paros again, this time for America. I will visit with friends and family, eat American food and have my senses bombarded with different sights, most of them very green and wet. It will be humid and there will be rain.

En route I will stop in Athens. While I am there I will visit the Benaki Museum and see a large photography exhibit by Constantine Manos.

Now I am rambling. It is hot and I need to add some images to this post. These are from my recent island hop.

JDCM

Folegandros

Images from the past weeks…

By John on June 20, 2013 in beauty, craft, Cyclades stone walls, Cycladic stone walls, Greece, hiking in the Cyclades, Naxos, Paroikia, Paros, quiet islands, rangefinder camera, skill and craft, spiritual journey, spring in the Aegean, stone walls

I leave Folegandros in a couple of days and return to Parikia. I have noticed that wherever I have stopped–Amorgos, Sikinos, Folegandros…I always seem to find a high vantage point, usually the Chora or a high mountain. I peer north, searching for my lovely home and I see it. Paros. It is there, close at hand. I am thinking like this now. I am somewhat homesick.

I have rented a small car. Today I will take it easy and drive around and take pictures. I saw some areas along the road during the bus ride yesterday that demand attention. Plus, I want to give my feet a rest. No hiking today. Maybe tomorrow and then to a beach. I want to get home, but I am no hurry to get through the day. Plus, at 1PM the sun is far too bright to be of any use to me. I will wait until 3PM or so and head out.

JDCM

Short DoF image of some wall detail on Amorgos

The Aspropounda Lighthouse on Folegandros, looking south

Detail of the door of Episkopi, Sikinos

Detail of some wall work on Folegandros

A kouros statue found on the island of Naxos

Space and the end of Easter…

By John on May 12, 2013 in beauty, Cyclades stone walls, Paroikia, Paros, quiet islands, rangefinder camera, skill and craft, spring in the Aegean, working

I just helped a friend board the Blue Star ferry ‘Delos’, en route to Pireaus. It is Sunday evening, May 12, on Paros and the Easter season has ended…finally! The smell of lamb fat has rinsed from my hands, the out-of-towners are returning to their homes and the island is quieting down. I was shocked by the crowds already on board the ‘Delos’ as well as those embarking. Hordes. Masses. All with rolling luggage dragging behind them, seemingly forgotten in some small dusty corner of their minds. Passive traveling at its worst. Why is it that we forget about the items directly behind us and we tend to lead with memories from so long ago ahead as if they are current events? Hmmm…

On the other hand, the Aegean Center students enjoyed a lovely day out at sea with Captain Tassos and his crew for our spring “Boat Trip”, a somewhat circular route around Andiparos, stopping at Despotiko, then Taverna Zombos on the southern side of Andiparos for a mid-afternoon feast: gigantes, kolokithokeftedes, bean salad, xoriatiko salate, calamari, oktopodi salate, saganaki tiri…a true food event. I needed some space, some time alone so I stayed back at the school and worked on my current painting, a view from a balcony overlooking a small courtyard adjacent to the school. I had three hours of quiet for this and I managed to work very well, very hard and productively in that short span. Then I hopped in my trusty FIAT Panda, drove to the Andiparos ferry, went over, swam at both Livadia and Agios Giorgos beaches, took some pictures (film and digital) and met up with the rest of the school for the above-mentioned meal. Orea!

Here is an image from today. A view of Andiparos–Leica M8, Voigtlander 28mm, ISO 160, F/16, 1/125, hyperfocus…

Some walls, a lamp, sea, sky, clouds. Enjoy!

JDCM

News from Paros…a journey of small bites…

By John on March 10, 2013 in 4×5 photography, beauty, craft, Cyclades stone walls, darkroom work, Greece, Paroikia, Paros, quiet islands, skill and craft, spiritual journey, spring in the Aegean, Uncategorized, working

Lupens blooming along the path to the monastery of Agios Kyriaki

The first week of the spring 2013 session at the Aegean Center has all but ended. As I sit in Pebble’s Jazz Cafe, overlooking the bay of Paroikia, the sun begins a slow descent towards the faint outline of Sifnos to my west. Since my return at the end of January the sunset has moved slowly north along the ridge of that island, the daylight has increased and the temperature has become warmer. There have been welcome harbingers of a lovely spring: warm, breezy with high clouds and only sprinklings of rain, barely enough to dampen my laundry hung out to dry, birds singing in the bright morning…

My work for the next few months has been laid out for me, a buffet of grand proportions. My own large-format portrait work, which I have written about before, takes priority if I wish to have the printing finished by the end of May and the work at the framers by June. This is the beginning-of-the-end of a long-term project, the seeds of which I planted during the winter of 2011/2012. I have two or three more sittings to arrange and then I can begin crossing tasks off the list.

I am also teaching in the darkroom, guiding the bright and eager minds of our small cadre along the meditative paths of silver photography. I have been impressed in this first week by their enthusiasm, previous experience and general attitude towards the idea of ‘slow photography’. I can only hope that they, too, feel as if I am an able mentor for their journey. There are two or three returning students working on the darkroom, which benefits everyone.

The third element is my return to oil painting. I loved it the first time last spring and this time around seems no different. Just today I was working on a piece and I was struck by how much I love oils: their malleability and fluidity, the ability to push them around on a properly prepared canvas…

The fourth menu item this session is a fascinating journey into the world of Johannes Vermeer, more precisely his use of the camera obscura in his work. There are three of us working with Jane Pack and in the next few weeks we will construct a full-scale replica of the master painter’s camera, discover how he applied it and use it ourselves to draw, and then paint, some still lives.

When I realized a few days ago the scope of the labors set before me, my heart and mind quaked. I quickly spoke to an advisor which helped. I know that I can accomplish all of these things, but like a plate of food at the above mentioned buffet, this kind of smorgasbord can seem impossible to consume. Like any dinner, it starts with the first bite. Before I know it will be the end of May and I will be ordering coffee and dessert.

JDCM

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