igordog

okay, I've uploaded a few picts of Greece onto my profile. Look at them if you're so inclined.

Greece was wonderful. Good people, good food, great terrain, great museums....

I painted about a dozen of more watercolors (oils are just too difficult to deal with during travel - it would be at least a month until I could roll one up and pack it), and I did dozens upon dozens of sketches.

I stayed mostly in a villa in the mountains on the isle of Naxos. It was remote and surrounded by domestic animals, like goats, and mules, and burrows, and chickens. Beautiful gardens (fresh fruit !) surrounded the villa, and the sound of cicadas was louder than you would think insects could manage without electronic amplification.

I spent most of the time with about five other artists (others came and went during my eleven days there) talking about art and the art industry until everyone was sick of the subject.

I interrogated the professionals among us trying to discern an approximation of what I could expect of my future venture into the professional world of art.

By the end of it, I had figured out that I already knew everything I had wanted to know before hand, however, I just wasn't yet sure of myself enough to trust my own ideas of what I thought I needed to know.

I have yet to paint a real painting since my return. I figure if I went to another country and learned a great deal from a bunch of artists from around the world, and my paintings remain unchanged, then maybe I didn't learn anything while I was there. Conversely, however, maybe it would only indicate a strengthened conviction in my style and voice.

I'm getting ahead of myself here.... first thing to do is paint...

My headache is 90% gone, so I think I'll give that a try right now....