“VIEW FROM THERA” – SANTORINI, GREECE

The island of Santorini in Greece was once a huge volcano. It erupted and the magma chamber collapsed leaving just the outer edge of the island intact. The remaining land is steep and most people live at the top of the ridge…with fabulous views of the Mediterranean.
As the morning sun comes up it illuminates the dome and sides of this church. The many planes that this building offers allow the arriving light to be reflected in different intensities. The most direct being the brightest and as you go around, the light lessens, eventually you are indirect light and eventually shadow. The roundness of the dome also indicates this.
The blue of the Mediterranean and the white of Greek buildings are unforgettable. The intense sunlight makes colors more vivid and the whites more brilliant. In this painting the sun is still low so there are more subtlety in the light. In the distance you can see another edge of the island and the white-washed village of Ia at the top of the ridge.