The oil pastel workshop was ON! Wednesday July 8, Rachael, Alex and I trucked over to Turtle and Moon with enough paper, pastels, olive oil, and hairspray (fixative) for 10 people. It was the first time I had done an outdoor Mediterranean workshop and it was for me it was a learning experience. Several young children were involved and although for 2 hours everyone did several oil pastels, the casual atmosphere became slightly anarchic. Lise said that it went on for 2 hours after I left, people couldn’t stop…. I think next year I’ll aim for 3 hours and a bit more structure.
On Thursday Rachael, Alex, Zenon, and I journeyed into the Troodos Mountains for lunch, scenery and coolness. We drove past vineyards that had produced the oldest know wine, Commandari, the beverage of the Crusades.
My last Sunday the family, minus Sophia, went to a beautiful stony beach. Walking up those lovely rocks for another lovely fish lunch, old aunt Ruth, not being as lithe as the Cypriot side of the family stumbled and tumbled. I’ll have to work on those skills for next year.
It is my final evening here, and from the veranda you see the tiny moving headlights of traffic in the distance. In the bright mornings the cars appear as miniature replicas with the sea in the distance. There is a strangely hypnotic pleasure in watching them. I have to remind myself to get something done!
On the veranda there are remains of the evening’s souvlaki and I have done some drawings with the charcoal. Almost every morning I did some oil pastels at small quiet table behind my room… Thinking of creating more shoes (always on my mind) I sent 3 pairs Rachael had donated to Ireland so I can be up and running (?!) when I get to Winston’s. Last year I started working on some shoes in Ireland and look forward to doing more.
My next few stops— Amsterdam, Berlin, Hamburg, and Paris will be short urban stops visiting friends and so much different from the somewhat chaotic, kid -filled, beautiful Cyprus of the last two weeks. Rachael has been stoic, dealing with my missteps, managing her impressive garden of organic fruits and vegetables… doing most of the shopping, cooking, managing 2 teenagers and 2 small ones.
Although Kay Pericle, Rachel’s’ Mother’s Helper for the past 12 years, does take some of the “burthen.”
And I learned an interesting Greek word for the irritating people who zoom by on motorbikes: Bambakovillos – it means “Cotton Ball DICK”. If you want to call someone that, you say ‘Bambakovillay!’ Could come in handy…
hi ruth. i am loving reading your blog. i hope you have been doing some great work and enjoying the european pace. i haven’t painted since my kids got out of school, but they’re leaving for camp tomorrow so i plan to be in the studio daily! enjoy the rest of your summer and we’ll see you in the fall.
xoxoxo
jennifer
Bambokovillos will be my vocabulary word for the week. I’m loving your blogs. I can never read them right away. But when I get to them I’m in total envy. Enjoy the fun.
Eve
I like that you separate fate from destiny. There is something to be said for trying to account for the idea that we can sometimes fail to fulfill our destiny.
You think everything sounds like existentialism.
after our house was built i want to buy some right furniture to in our garden, while surfing in the net, i decided to put patio swings, it helps you to relax after a busy day in the work.