Winter Blue

'Nicosia, Mountains and Washing,' oil on board, 91 x 61cm

We came in to land at Gatwick amid swirling snow. It was a huge contrast to the Spring temperatures of Cyprus. Behind this white void,  I could still see the coast of Paphos shimmering under 25C, and could still feel the warm breezes on my face. An hour later, as we sat outside the airport, with a 5 hour wait until we could take a train home, the arctic blast took my breath away.

It is just under a week since I returned, and winter blues have set in. The snow has nearly all gone, but part of me has stayed in Nicosia, and my inner eye still sees washing blowing in the breezes, the blue of the mountains, and the warm hues of the city. My painting (from a few years ago) embodies the atmosphere and colours I am missing so much.

There has been no word on my residencies, which may be a bad sign. The best thing is to put out lots more applications, and get back to painting.  Now that I have caught up on housework and doing piles of post-holiday washing, I've ordered some stretchers and I can't wait to start work again. In Nicosia I made some black and white paintings, and a lot of drawings. Certain colours and shapes have stuck in my mind and will doubtless find their way into the new work. The greens in Cyprus at this time of year are always stunning, and almost appear artificial in their brightness.

I used the internet cafe in Nicosia several times a week, hoping for news on the residencies, and was thrilled to find an email announcing that I have been put on the artists' register at The Painting Center, New York. I applied last summer and had forgotten all about the application, so the news was a great start to 2013.
http://thepaintingcenter.org/