For the Love of Greece
Monemvasia - watercolour by Joan Barton
Since John and I spent our honeymoon in Athens and the islands, and the following year in Kastoria and the North, we developed a love of Greece. When in the early 1990s our sons branched out on their own holidays we visited the Peloponnese, inspired by Patrick Leigh Fermor's book 'The Mani.' The Byzantine churches and tower-houses in this almost uninhabited area were a revelation. I painted twenty-two watercolours of this unusual region of Greece.
When I read last year of the awful devastation of the area by fires, I took those paintings out of storage and donated them to help the people, especially children, and to replant trees. Mrs. Constantina Kolokithas, Director of the Pelopponese Society, organised an exhibition at the Hellenic Centre in Paddington Street on January - the Greek new year. With the help of her husband with framing, and other friends including Michael and Renata Shaw, the pictures were hung and refreshments - including a New Year's cake - provided.
The Orthodox priest blessed and cut the cake, and he bought a picture for the school. The children had also painted pictures showing their reaction to the charred trees and burnt mountains. Their pictures were hung below mine, providing a very moving contribution. I was accompanied to the Hellenic Centre by Miti Orchard who enlightened me about the Greek New Year cake-cutting ceremony and I had a very enjoyable evening with warm and friendly Greeks. The Greek Consul also attended.
The evening raised £1,800 which will help to teach the children English. Mrs. Kolokithas expects to sell the remaining paintings at other venues in London.
Joan Barton