Goat, Astypalea, Greece
"Goat, Astypalea, Greece"" Painting by Gary Smith

Goat, Astypalea, Greece

July 2024   •   Oil on Board   •   5" x 7"

This is a painting of a goat peering over a cliff at our boat as we passed by a tiny island just off the coast of Astypalea in Greece. The goat followed us along for a some ways, its face ocassionally popping up over the rocks as it stared down, seemingly annoyed with our intrusion.

We took a small boat tour around the uninhabited islands of Chondro, Glino, and Koutsomiti in late May of 2023, as part of our stay on Astypalea. The goats thrive even in the most unhospitable terrain, the low ringing of the bells around their necks sometimes audible for miles as they forage for the thorny specks of green that jut up between the hot rocks.