What do Artists do on holiday? Part 2.
But there were times when I wished I could just be on holiday like a normal person and not driven to turn every encounter into a pop-up studio…
…And then, one day we drove up a mountain to a fantastic monastery, there was a very deep cave with an exquisite pale blue hidden chapel, it was as cold inside as it was hot outside, you could see your breath. The views were stunning, colours amazing but I felt that same niggling restlessness and then I noticed a dark doorway and peering inside saw a monk in dark robes, on the floor in front of him was a small, very pregnant cat and in front of her a silver dish with money in it. The monk was explaining something earnestly to some German tourists and I guessed he was asking for money for the upkeep of the cat. As a very large German man bent down to put a coin in the dish, the monk simultaneously whipped out a feather duster (Ken Dodd style) and stuck it between the man’s legs, causing him to yelp with shock and then laugh heartily but not quite as heartily as the monk. It was a really bizarre unexpected comedy happening.
My husband shot me a look guessing what I was about to do…I really didn’t expect Father Simon to agree to sit for me, but it turns out he is an artist too, he paints religious icons to sell to the tourists. Well that night I couldn’t sleep for excitement and had to get up very early to get a bigger sketchbook in the town but I can honestly say drawing and talking with Father Simon was one of the highlights of the holiday. Originally from Syria he has been at the monastery for seven years and is very involved with the pastoral care of the islanders. Wherever I went everybody seemed to know him. He was one of those rare people who can be perfectly himself in another’s company, not needing to speak but somehow tacitly encouraging. His face at rest was less twinkly and more reflective and I imagined him as a vessel for other people’s troubles. So deeply did I get into this drawing that I would forget his vocation until someone asked him about detailed aspects of his ministry followed by a lively and techie iphone disscussion.
When the drawing was finished he saw that I was covered in lead dust and insisted on taking me into his private apartment to use his bathroom instead of the tourist’s paperless, outside toilet. He also insisted on a photo session even though I promised to come the next day with a photocopy. On the last visit I gave him a good paintbrush for his icons and in return he gave me an alabaster bust of Pythagorous. I absolutely have to go back with a bigger piece of paper.
