Byzantium
The wonderful print collateral supporting Vashon’s 2011 Island Holiday Studio Tour and my own studio invitation just arrived. The brochure, my card, my evite as well as the tour website were created by Sy and Ric Novak of Novak Creative . Hats off, once again, for all that they do to professionally present and connect the many artists and art organizations of Vashon to the world. What is present day Istanbul was once Constantinople and once upon a time Byzantium. My painting Byzantium is meant to reflect a way we may perceive time as history and history as the stratification through time of place. When out of political and military necessity Constantine moved the Roman capital to Byzantium in 326 it had already existed as a Greek city, situated at the only opening to the Black Sea, since 667 BC. Greek and Roman sculpture, columns, doors and marbles were taken from temples and cities throughout the Roman empire and brought to Byzantium to adorn new monuments a