Art

Wood Sculptures/Ξύλινα Γλυπτά

The Cross of the Martyr

Window of hope/Eye of the soul

The Window of Hope

Redemption

‘The Wing-symbolizes freedom’

Display of scultures and their meaning

A Poem by famous Greek poet Giannis Ritsos who was a patient at the sanatorium

In my previous blog post I talked about the Sanatoruim which is located outside of Athens on the mountain of Parnitha. Across the road from the abandoned building is a small park with wooden sculptures. The wooden sculptures  were created by sculptor Spirdon Dasiotis in 2012. The sculptures are an homage to the people who passed through the doors of the building when it was operating as a Sanatorium for tuberculosis patients.

 ‘We love the earth, , people, the animals.  The reptiles, the sky, and the insects. We are, we are and all of us together. Together and the sky and earth.” Giannis Ritsos

Στο προηγούμενο αρθρο μου έγραψα για το σανατόριο στο βουνό της Πάρνηθας. Απέναντι από το εγκαταλελειμμένο κτίριο είναι ένα μικρό πάρκο με ξύλινα γλυπτά που δημιουργήθηκαν από τον γλύπτη Σπυριδων Ντασιωτης το 2012. Τα γλυπτά είναι ένας φόρος τιμής προς τους ανθρώπους που πέρασαν μέσα από τις πόρτες του κτιρίου, όταν λειτουργούσε ως σανατόριο για τους ασθενείς της φυματίωσης.

Gods and Mortals/Θεοί και Θνητοί

One of my favourite things to take pictures of are statues. Both Gods and mortals have been the subjects of the talented ancient sculptors.  These artisans with their skilled and caring hands have captured the beauty of the Gods and Goddesses and the burdens of the mortals.  Skilled hands that have carved such realistic eyes that seem as though they are looking right at you.  Skilled hands that have carved such realistic mouths that seem like they could speak to you. During their two thousand-year existence these statues have seen it all.  If only those statues could speak. If they could what would they say?

Helios In The Shade

 

The Mortal Womans’ Gaze

 

 

Charybdis and Precious Time/Χάρυβδις και Ο Πολύτιμος Χρόνος
Charybdis and Precious Time

Paper collage on 40 x 40 cm canvas
By Angela Zafiris

When I began making my artwork I had no idea what the theme would be i just worked from intuition placing images together on the canvas. When I was done, I decided that I was going to call it ‘Precious Time’ since I used jewels and faces of watches. That same day I was on the internet when I cam across an article n about mythological creatures. One creature that caught my attention was that of Charybdis.  In Greek mythology Charybdis was the daughter of Poseidon and Gaia . She was once a beautiful naiad who was turned into a sea monster by Circe, a witch, who was extremely jealous of the maiden. Charybdis is the personification of a whirl pool in the ocean that sinks Greek ships. She is referenced in Homers’ ‘The Odyssey’ where Odysseas is faced with Scylla (another monster) and Charybdis in a narrow strait and where Scylla took the lives of some of his crew men.

Was it mere coincidence? Fate? Whatever it was I just thought it was so odd how I came across this mythology that I wasn’t very familiar with on the day that I was to name and publish my artwork on my site.  Artwork that might  have been inspired by the mythology but was not-or maybe it was… perhaps subconsciously?

My Movie Mind/Το Κινηματογραφικο Μου Μυαλο

Mixed-media collage painting
By Angela Zafiris

My mind is a movie mind and aside from making art and taking photographs I also like to write screenplays .  This side of my creativity is what inspired me to make this collage. I am a very visual person I can see things in my mind that I have never seen before. I see the people, and the places in my mind. I hear the dialogue between the characters; which at times is  funny and other times is sad.  I don’t need the television or a movie theatre to entertain me. It’s all in my mind 🙂

The background is composed of torn images from magazines. I painted the background with orange and blue acrylics. I then added pieces of paper from magazines added a layer of Gesso. After it dried I  painted over the papers with turquoise  acrylic paint and set it to dry. I made an outline of a human profile and I painted it yellow. Then I made a movie projector and painted it yellow as well.

Conversation Heart Collage- #IHeart Art
Collage Heart B&W

Collage Hearts by Angela Zafiris

Today, I participated in an a webinar hosted by ‘clothpaperscissors.com’ . I learned how to make  a three-layered heart collage using cardboard paper, text, pen and pencil, gesso, ribbon a hole puncher and glue. I didn’t have the right fabric for the second layer so I used bits of red coloured paper. For the smallest heart you can write a love poem or quote. There are so many things that you can do. I was very inspired and will probably make more for friends and family.  It’s a nice little gift to give to someone you love. You can hang it anywhere you want.

So get crafty!

Fall Goddess/Φθινοπωρινή Θεά
Fall Goddess

Mixed-media painting on canvas 45 X 35 cm
By: Angela Zafiris

My first painting of the new year is a mixed-media painting. I don’t usually paint faces. I do make sketches and I will be painting more faces in the near future.  I mostly enjoy ripping paper to make collages, but I thought I’d take more risks and stretch myself more.  For the painting I used leaves from my garden to use as stamps for the background. The climate in Athens is different from Western Europe and Northern Greece which is why I was able to gather leaves in the winter.  I painted some of the leaves gold and glued them on the canvas.  The gold leaves became a headdress and it shines beautifully in the light which I am glad the photograph captured.

Don’t Follow The Status Quo/Μην Ακουλουθειτε Το Καθεστώς
Don't follow..

Collage by Angela Zafiris

My latest collage painting is glued on a 40×30 cm canvas.  I made the background using  pieces of text from a Greek book (not an interesting one) .  The coloured pieces that I used to make the faces are from various magazines. I wanted the larger words, the phrase, to blend into the background better, so I transferred the text using gel medium.

“One day everything will be well, that is our hope. Everything’s fine today, that is our illusion”. –Voltaire