Breathtaking. Profound. Detailed. These words and more describe oil painter Kostas Hionidis’ depiction of the Grecian seas within his work.
As he deftly blends paint on canvas, Kostas recalls the sights, sounds and smells of Earth’s most magnificent elements. Water, air, fire and land envelop his canvas, cohabitating easily as they share and add to the beauty of the world around us.
“Seas that are calm or wild, bright or dark, blue, green or grey take shape on their own on the white canvas,” said Kostas.
The roar of a colossal wave breaking against rock and sand is easy to imagine in Kostas’ painting below. A fine spray emerges from the constant sweep of emerald waves, creating a foggy curtain that ascends to low-hanging, saturated clouds.
Seagulls take flight in the distance, calling out to others of their kind in the dwindling light. No doubt the sea is churning up fish—a fine meal for the birds as they leave the safety of the large block of land in the distance.
I can almost taste the saltiness of the air as I examine this painting, subconsciously pulling my cardigan more tightly across my shoulders to ward off the damp chill air rolling in with the ocean waves.
From damp and foggy to warm and sunny, a still river gives way to a lively forest in Kostas’ next painting below. The lush greenery bursts with color as buds open, splaying their bright petals eagerly toward the hazy light. As far as an eye can see, the river feeds its surroundings, allowing all life, including plants, animals and humans, to flourish.
Drifting high above the landscape, cotton-ball clouds blot out large portions of the robin’s egg blue sky, and where they fail to do so, a mountainous formation rises to the occasion. In the distance, a sailboat lazily floats wherever the wind blows—a sign to take in the beauty of this utopia and release all tension and frustration that life’s obligations may place upon you.
In this final painting, dark, gloomy clouds may threaten to rain on this boater’s parade, but the setting sun, so peaceful and rosy, does much to comfort and sway any stormy thoughts.
The colors of the rainclouds are subdued in appearance, mimicking the entire painting’s muted hues and softening the harshness of their reality, while the sunset glosses over gently rippling seas, setting the water afire.
Near the beach, rocks poke out of the glassy, clear water, resembling a herd of sea turtles with their round, stagnant appearance. Above, seagulls white as snow keep the boat company as it drifts quietly through the water leaving barely a ripple behind.
If you loved the paintings above, don’t miss the rest of Kostas’ portfolio which can be found on his website, including his many still life paintings and the rest of his seascapes.
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