“Acropolis,” Athens, Greece ©2020 Niki Gulley
9″ x 12″ oil painting on panel
On the first full day of our plein air painting and photography workshop in Greece, we visited the Acropolis in Athens along with several other ancient sites. It was truly awe inspiring to see a part of history from the fifth century BC and to imagine what life must have been like as democracy was beginning. In the afternoon, the painters set up their easels on top of the balcony at our hotel to paint this beautiful view of the Parthenon while the photographers continued touring the city. In this oil painting, I wanted to capture a sense of scale with the Acropolis, and suggest how it rises above the city on this massive mound, towering majestically over the city, kissed by the clouds above.