As mentioned in my previous post, I’m currently working on my first original art collection, inspired by late summer in Crete.

A family holiday to Crete left such an impact on me, visually and emotionally, and I have carried this ‘Greek holiday summer world’ with me since then.

These strong memories are the reason behind a Crete inspired art collection, and from this I have created a surface pattern design collection and now seven original artworks.

This is my first time creating original art on canvas as part of a collection, and I have done many weeks of art journaling and reflection to really work out what I want to capture on canvas and share with people.

The feeling of Crete

I spent one week in Crete and really fell in love. It was late summer, and the memory of the amazing beaches, colourful Venetian towns, bright flowers, and the feeling of being on a beach holiday has stuck with me. It is the ideal feeling you want, especially if you dream to ‘escape’ your current reality. By painting this feeling that Crete gave me, I hope to give this sense of escape to the viewer – a little bit of Greek summer vibes and holiday relaxation.

white sandy beaches, clear aqua water, warm sun, hot pink flowers, dusty tracks to the beach, colourful and interesting Venetian towns with crumbling cracked walls, ancient Minoan art, quiet energy, enjoying a glass of wine, cats twisting around tables, pink sand, fragrant white lilies, old worn doors

From travel memories to artwork

I have been immersed in a visual world of Crete that I created through my photos, travel journals, and sketchbooks. I knew I wanted to express this magical place through both pattern designs and original art.

I started with creating moodboards, colour swatches, and exploring texture. I wrote down all the icons and feelings I remembered the most, and using all of this visual inspiration, I created many mini art studies and sketches. Some of these became inspiration for my pattern designs, and from there inspiration for my original artworks.

The stories behind the Crete inspired art

Each canvas has a small painting of a Crete icon – something that really makes me think of late summer in Crete, and takes me right back to being there on holiday. I hope these pieces bring that relaxed holiday feeling into the home of the collector.

The white lilies of Elafonissi

We were lucky to explore Elafonissi beach before the crowds arrived – there was stunning scenery with pink sands, little coves of crystal clear water, and dunes filled with fragrant white lilies. These lilies remind me of that morning and the beauty of this beach.

The cats of Crete

Our constant companions at every meal, and providing much needed entertainment for my daughter, this painting is of a particularly friendly cat I met one morning when I wandered the back streets of Rethymno before most people were awake. He was so friendly and was happy for me to pat him for ages, and he had the most dazzling eyes. This is actually my first time painting a cat, and I’m quite happy with how it turned out.

Beach time

Ofcourse nothing quite says ‘Greek summer’ like relaxing on the beach, with nothing to do except look at the enticing water, stretch out on the sand, and daydream.

Blue chair

I don’t know about you, but I have a slight obsession with the blue chairs of Greece painted in that particularly gorgeous blue that just looks so good. This painting makes me think of sitting down in the late afternoon with a nice glass of white wine, a bowl of olives and tzatziki, watching the world go by.

Minoan vase

My ode to the beautiful Minoan art of ancient Crete. I feel lucky to have seen this art at the Palace of Knossos and the colours, style and motifs just drew me in.

Schools of darting fish

Snorkelling, wandering the harbour in Chania – fish everywhere. The subject for my final painting which is not yet finished.

The intention behind the artworks

I believe that objects such as physical art carry an energy, and that through the process of creating you put your intentions and energy into the artwork and this will be felt by the person who has it in their home.

I want to bring a positive and calm energy to my art collectors, and I started each piece in this collection by choosing a word for the canvas to set the intention.

Then I started adding the layers – each layer of paint has a flow and movement and I lost track of how many layers I added until I felt the work had a depth and interest to it.

One thing I have realised is super important to me is that the process is just as important as the outcome – and this means I want the process to be extremely fun! There is something so satisfying about spreading paint around and watching how it interacts with other colours and mediums.

The canvases have such a physicality to them with the layers of paint and the marks you can see and feel – I just love this aspect of the artworks.

What’s next

I’m currently adding the final details to my artworks, and soon will make them available for sale. I will be giving my newsletter subscribers early access so if you would like to know more of the behind-the-scenes of this collection, and hear about it first, make sure you are on my mailing list.