PREVIOUS RESIDENTS
Yoshino Shigihara
Artist, musician & Akashic record painter.
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About Yoshino:
Yoshino is an accomplished musician, illustrator and artist, originally from Japan. From the mid 2000's, she carved a successful music career in Bristol, UK with her first band Zun Zun Egui and later with her current band Yama Warashi, both of which have performed at Glastonbury and appeared on BBC radio 6 many times.
Alongside, Yoshino has worked as an animator, illustrator and graphic designer. She creates her band's music videos and visual style. Lately, Yoshino has been exploring the art of Akashic record reading. Taught under the tutelage of a Japanese teacher, she started putting her passion of drawing and Akashic readings together. This is why she came to do a residency, to explore her new practice and very soon most of the village was queuing up to have a reading and drawing done. http://www.yoshinoshigihara.co.uk/ Zun Zun Egui Yama Warashi |
Yoshino's review:
It was my first and the best experience of an artist residency on this beautiful island Thasos! It was perfect- such a beautiful place to stay, a big lovely house with three bedrooms with a beautiful kitchen and garden. It is located in beautiful surroundings. I enjoyed being on top of the roof to see the sunset every day. They had everything well-equipped for the stay. I was very comfortable.
Abby and Leah are both the most friendly, helpful, creative, and kind people. They took me to the top of the mountains, waterfalls, and their favourite local spots.
They have busy social lives and I met amazing people on the island. It was so nice that they invited me to do social things but also respect my own work time so I could both enjoy working and sociable time. We had amazing conversations over dinner with local products. I had a few days on my own just working as well. I felt so calm, refreshed, and rejuvenated.
I totally recommend anyone who likes to have quiet time to create and also be near nature. The tap water was mountain water, I felt it was healing in many ways being there. You can be on your own - or be the most lovely new friends around you in this paradise. I will definitely come back soon.
Thank you so much,
Yoshino
Abby and Leah are both the most friendly, helpful, creative, and kind people. They took me to the top of the mountains, waterfalls, and their favourite local spots.
They have busy social lives and I met amazing people on the island. It was so nice that they invited me to do social things but also respect my own work time so I could both enjoy working and sociable time. We had amazing conversations over dinner with local products. I had a few days on my own just working as well. I felt so calm, refreshed, and rejuvenated.
I totally recommend anyone who likes to have quiet time to create and also be near nature. The tap water was mountain water, I felt it was healing in many ways being there. You can be on your own - or be the most lovely new friends around you in this paradise. I will definitely come back soon.
Thank you so much,
Yoshino
Rebecca Howard
Landscape artist, illustrator & nature rewilder.
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About Rebecca:
Rebecca Howard is one of the artists that we represent in our Water & Rock gallery. We invited her to do some plein air painting, in preparation for the Sky Arts Landscape Painter of the Year competition which she was embarking on the following month.
We first met Rebecca at Falmouth College of Arts where we were all studying illustration. Rebecca has been a successful illustrator and fine art painter since graduating, having exhibited all around the UK and been commissioned by many well known clients, often working with charities in the environmental sector. Rebecca is also well know for her intricate illustrated maps. Rebecca is also a keen eco-activist and has pioneered a tree and wild flower meadow planting project in her local neighbourhood. She also teaches natural gardening in schools, bringing in her very own creative touch. http://www.rebecca-howard.co.uk/ Rebecca's instagram |
Rebecca's review:
Initially I was overwhelmed by the beauty and seclusion of The Art house in Kasaviti. As I unloaded my bags and climbed the steps up to the front door I was met with nothing but birdsong and the quiet hum of bees. This entry was to become the make-up of my time at the residency. I was encouraged by Abby to 'Let go' which I agree I found hard at first, my busy life as a mother and teaching constantly rearing its head, but over the 2 weeks I stayed at the art house I learnt to quieten my mind, joining in with meditation exercises with Abby and spending time in the garden with Leah.
I enriched my senses by taking swims in the sea after a day of painting and I explored the new potential head space I had by learning about flowers and picking herbs from the mountains directly outside the backdoor. This escape to nature really has helped me to reconnect with the natural world and also with those around me. I was embraced by the local community who I will no doubt stay in touch with. Abby and Leah are good at bringing people together and do a weekly BBQ for newcomers to the village, which tended to be a feast for not only the stomach but also the senses... with so many different languages being spoken around the table, it was a delight!
Abby and Leah being artists themselves have been both helpful as guides around the island, having so much local knowledge as well as basic do's and don't helping me with lifts to buy food from the market and showing me places to wild swim, eat and hike. I will remember my time in the beautiful island of Thassos for years to come and I hope to return again soon!
~ Rebecca Howard
I enriched my senses by taking swims in the sea after a day of painting and I explored the new potential head space I had by learning about flowers and picking herbs from the mountains directly outside the backdoor. This escape to nature really has helped me to reconnect with the natural world and also with those around me. I was embraced by the local community who I will no doubt stay in touch with. Abby and Leah are good at bringing people together and do a weekly BBQ for newcomers to the village, which tended to be a feast for not only the stomach but also the senses... with so many different languages being spoken around the table, it was a delight!
Abby and Leah being artists themselves have been both helpful as guides around the island, having so much local knowledge as well as basic do's and don't helping me with lifts to buy food from the market and showing me places to wild swim, eat and hike. I will remember my time in the beautiful island of Thassos for years to come and I hope to return again soon!
~ Rebecca Howard
David Willis
Bushcraft guide
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About David:
David Willis is a teacher of Bushcraft and Wilderness Living Skills. He can be found baking bread and rustling up tasty meals over a campfire, whittling spoons, foraging for edibles, walking in the woods and soaking up everything nature has to offer.
He has served with the Royal Engineers in Belize, spent time living alongside the Maasai in the Rift Valley and learning from the Bushman of the Kalahari, motorcycled around Europe, built and paddled his canoe along British rivers, and loves heading out on adventures. We met David on the first stone age skills course we did with Lynx Vilden in 2017. David took us under his wing on this challenging course. He is an excellent and patient teacher with a vast knowledge of nature and bushcraft skills. We are excited to organise future trekking and bushcraft retreats with David in the future in the mountains of Thasos. http://www.davidwillis.info/ David's instagram |
David's review:
The most delightful escape - loved my time on the beautiful island of Thasos, especially in Kazaviti, with mountain walks, the scent of wild herbs, dips into rock pools and rivers, delicious produce from the local market, and the loveliest hosts and their cats - it's an ideal place to relax and allow your creativity time to thrive. Loved my stay and looking forward to returning for another nature residency.
Alice King
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Alice's review:
The Water and Rock residency gave me the opportunity to experience life on the truly inspiring island of Thasos. Leah and Abby are the most wonderful hosts and everyone I met during my time on Thasos were so welcoming and generous. Not only did this residency offer me the chance to explore my artistic practice but the island, particularly the small village of Kazaviti, is somewhat of a sanctuary to reconnect with nature. The art house and studio is a traditional geek mountain house with stunning views down the valley to the sea. It is a peaceful place to stay and get creative. I feel my time with Leah and Abby on Thasos has hugely impacted my thought process as an artist and educator. I would highly recommend this residency for those who seek inspiration for their artistic practice, anyone who wishes to reconnect with themselves and/or nature and creatives who are open to getting to know a grounded way of life. I hope to return soon!
Kate Evans
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About Kate
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Kate's review:
I spent three weeks at the The Art House and it is a very special place. Despite the heatwave, the mountain surroundings are incredibly inspiring and I felt alive creatively. Abby and Leah know a huge amount about the flora and fauna of the island and have fascinating stories about the beautiful complexities of life in the mountains in Greece. They are amazing hosts, generous and thoughtful, and I felt warmly welcomed into their home, their rhythm and their way of life. It was wonderful to explore the village of Kazaviti during my stay, and the natural world around it; the gorge, the fruit trees, the mountain walks, the tortoises and cats. My time at The Art House was generative, enlivening and spiritually expansive, and I am leaving with a renewed sense of my artistic practice and commitment to my work. I am so grateful to Abby and Leah for having me.
Sarah Hutt
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About Sarah
I trained and qualified as a textile print designer and colourist before transitioning into education, ultimately becoming the headteacher at a performing arts school for autistic children. My connection to water started in early childhood in Lancashire, where I grew up next to the reservoirs in Darwen. I have also lived and worked in the British Virgin Islands and Lake Geneva before finding my perfect home on a cosy houseboat on the River Nene. My studio is in the charming Grade II-listed Royal Ordnance Depot in Weedon Bec, Northamptonshire. This site has a rich history, having served as a covert arms distribution point for 150 years. I enjoy welcoming visitors to my studio, so please feel free to contact me to arrange a mutually convenient time for a visit. Sarah's website Sarah's Instagram |
Sarah's review:
Why did I choose to do a residency in Thassos with Water and Rock? I sought to explore a different environment, paint under the unique Mediterranean light, and be inspired by a simpler life. And I wasn't disappointed. Abby and Leah were both incredibly generous with their time and expertise. Thassos, with its diverse landscape, from the green rock pools high in the mountains to the marble-rocked beachfront, offered a rich source of inspiration that I could absorb and filter into my work. The impact on my work was significant, and I now have a bank of resources to keep me going for a year, if not more. The experience of working away from the world's noise in this mountain paradise and enjoying life's simpler things was genuinely magical. If you're seeking a place to escape and focus on yourself and your creativity, I cannot recommend Water and Rock enough. I look forward to returning to once again stretch myself and my work.
Fredrik Sundberg Svartnäs
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About Fredrik
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Fredrik's review:
Brian Wadman
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About Brian
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Brian's review
Klud Dabash
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About Klud
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Klud's review
Inga
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About Inga
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Inga's review:
Billie |
Billie's review
In this crooked house in the mountains of Kaziviti, I found quiet curation, connection and inspiration spouting up from deep experiences of living well. I am reluctant to spell out its magic, for fear of clubbing a silvery feeling with words. However, if you are on the side of beauty, I feel sure you will find a home here for a while.
The Art House
In the art house even
the food waste is
a still life
the rescue cats
only
eat Matisse
and I can't resist using
one of my twenty-four exposures
to take a picture of
the dappled toilet
bowl.
The Art House
In the art house even
the food waste is
a still life
the rescue cats
only
eat Matisse
and I can't resist using
one of my twenty-four exposures
to take a picture of
the dappled toilet
bowl.