There’s something rather attractive about the colours and textures of rust. It adds a warmth and interest to metal objects, and although it can be destructive, it’s also rather lovely. Rust, that is iron oxide, often has flakes and crusty layers in a complex mix of shades, as the process involves both oxygen and water…
The word for a door in Croatian is vrata, which comes from the old Slavic word vorta. It’s always plural, in the same way that trousers or pants are in English. And vrata means both the opening, and the object we use to close it up. Now that may be a wooden door, glass door or wrought-iron gate, inside or outside, in the house or garden or field – vrata covers all types.
One of the finest wine-tasting experiences on the island of Hvar has got to be the magical cellars of Ivo Duboković. The outside world is suspended, as you step down into his konoba, piled high with barrels and casks on all sides. This is a working winery, where it all happens. Tucked into a corner…
There’s something rather timeless about ropes. You find them everywhere in and around boats, useful for all kinds of tasks. But they can be artistic, too. As I stroll around the waterfront with my camera, I like to focus in on small details that could be easily missed if you walk by too fast.
Driving between Stari Grad and Jelsa always makes me think of Napa Valley in California. It has a lot to do with being a long straight road with vineyards right up to either side of it, but more than that, it’s also the beautiful rolling hills and warm sunshine – and the wineries!
It’s always good to meet Hvar’s winemakers, and we were delighted recently to be introduced to Teo Huljić, and have a chance to sample his wines. His restaurant and winery are tucked away in the backstreets of Jelsa, just up from the church of Sv Marija and conveniently just around the corner from the Tomić…
Mary’s Art Adventures Following our recent art retreat on Hvar, California artist Mary Paquet has posted a couple of articles on her blog about the experience, and shares her artwork from the trip. Thanks, Mary! Her blog also includes entertaining stories of her travels to other places armed with a painting kit! Mary’s Art Adventures…
Sunday was the final day of our artist retreat, and it was left pretty loose for everyone to choose what they wanted to work on, perhaps finish up partly done sketches or go and find that view they’d been wanting to paint. Also, it was a good time to hold our final review and critique…
Our original plan for Friday was for a bit of a beach day – let the artists out to paint and play by the water. However… the weather once again didn’t cooperate, and the day dawned clear, cool and windy, a classic bura pattern. Over a breakfast of coffee and the remainder of the birthday…
This week has been a very exciting one for me – I’ve been able to share the lovely places, people and experiences of this island with some wonderful artists from California. We’ve explored some gorgeous locations armed with sketch books, cameras and paints. We’ve walked for miles, enjoyed some fantastic meals, great wine, and the…
Go Hvar 
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