January 2010
Have two pieces which I think will work although nothing like I envisaged creating! My original idea was to work with the idea of ‘objects of sport’, the possibility of the baton being an artwork, the swimming cap, the trophy, to work in a very abstract way, but as my journey unfolded and I began to get to know Anne it became more important to capture the essence of Anne within simple portraiture.
Am now thinking about titles for the work.
Anne’s middle name is ‘Olympia’ and realised I hadn’t asked her why & how. She had sent me some press cuttings when we first met featuring ‘Olympia’ as a singer (yes, a singer aswell!) and I wondered if she had created this name purely as a stage name but why the olympic link as at that point in her life she had no idea she would be competing at Olympic level as an athlete.
Anne forwarded me an article written by Symeon Tsalicoglou for the Paralympic Village Pulse during the Athens 2004 Paralympic Games:
……..“My father named me after the famous Greek mountain, which he wanted to go for all of his life. When I was growing up he would tell me stories of this mountain and of the incredible history that was involved. Now that I am in Greece participating in the Games it means the world to me. I want to bring him to Greece after the Olympic Games and take him to this mountain which he has dreamed about all his life.”
