Michael Newberry, Church Bell in Rhodes, 2008, oil on panel, 9 x 12 inches. $1,200.

Framing and shipping within the U.S. included.

I spent the month of September in 2008 motor biking around the island of Rhodes finding painting spots. On my last day for painting I rode about 30 kilometers south along the west coast of the island. At one point the road turns up and inland into the pine groves and mountains, just after the turn I saw to my left a small white Greek Church nestled in the pine groves dotted with beehive boxes. The place was so quiet, calm...peaceful with no one about.

I did two paintings there, the church itself, http://michaelnewberry.com/art/land/greek2008/church.htm, and lastly this bell. While painting the bell, a saw a tiny truck come along the pine needled covered dirt road. It was the guardian of the church. He greeted me calmly, then unlocked and opened the church. I turned my attention back to painting the bell. Midway through painting this the man came up to me with a spoon and a small saucer with a dollop of fresh honey from his beehives. He then continued on his business. When I finished the painting, I was indeed hungry, and enjoyed that honey more than any I had eaten before. I looked for the man, but he wasn't about. So I rinsed off the spoon and saucer in the outdoor sink, packed up my art stuff, and rode away.

Maybe it was the crisp, sea breeze meeting my descent, but I started to cry. Maybe it was that I was thinking how wonderfully hospitable Greeks can be, and how much I loved living on Rhodes and sad to be leaving it again.