Blown by the moist breath of Zephyros, she was carried over the waves – 61x67cm

This painting is one of a series of views of the coast of the Greek Island Milos, seen through the naturally formed arches and caves in the rock. The coast of Milos is littered with these formations which I got to see up close when I was there on a recent holiday. My aim was to convey the colour and movement of the waters around this stunning island. Milos is where the beautiful marble statue of Aphrodite known as the Venus de Milo was found (now located in the Musee du Louvre in Paris). Since caves are symbolic of the womb, birth and journeys, I sourced my titles from poetry about the Birth of Venus. The title for this work comes from a poem published, by the Greek refugee Demetrios Chalcondyles, in Florence in 1488.