Icons for Phaos World
I was tasked by café owners Νίκο and Δέσποινα to paint a small set of icons on the north wall of their café. We decided to use Calce—a type of raked lime plaster—along with various pigments that I collected from the island of skiathos. A special thank you to Θεόκλητος who helped me test pigments in his atelier (and delivered me food), Γρηγόρι who provided me with tools, Captain Μάκης and Κώστας who let me office on the Aenao, and G, who helped me document the work
Phaos World Espresso & Wine
https://www.phaosworld.gr/
Papadiamanti 63, Skiathos 370 02, Greece
Final Documentation
Read for a new patioApproval by Κώστας and little φαός the catA sincere thanks to Νίκο and Δέσποινα for the project but also for showing me hospitality and true kindness during my stay in Σκιάθος
Development & Pigment Testing
Looking at Phaos World from Παπαδιαμάντης Street. The inside of the café/bar. Initial explorations involved store-front signage, but as we discussed the project in depth, we decided to mantain the artistry of the calligraphy and paint on the café’s north wall, in preparation for a new patio area. Our initial thought was to use the olive green color already present in the brand, but this would change further down the line. Sun testing. Lime Plaster is a sensitive paint, especially in regards to pigment. For instance, it goes on dark but generally dries to about 20-30% lighter in tone. Θεόκλητος gifted me pigments from his workshop to help me achieve the color we were looking for. A point of rememberance. Each morning I would spend at the café Νίκο and Δέσποινα would offer fresh baked cookies. I now miss this fondly. Here the icons are beginning to take shape. We would end up chosing the 2 in the middle, just below the crease. We finally decided to paint the icons in a reductive way, and move towards an almond green color.
Process
Bright and early with all my materials. The first step was squaring in the icons. I used twine from ΣΤΗΝ ΠΕΝΑ to find and adjust my centers. I made paper stand-ins so that we could chose a proper size for the icons. We ended up going with ~50 cm squares. Preparing the space for painting.
Thank you Θεόκλητος and Μαρία for bringing me food while I worked. Mother in Law’s Kokinisto is a special treat. Though difficult to see, Lime Plaster is more of a sculptural process than a painterly process. Material is daubed on slowly rather than stroked. The lime plaster goes on very dark, but becomes very light as it loses its moisture. looking closely, you can see how the material builds upon itself.
Thank you for sng me.