Chasing the Sun in Santorini

I thought it would be really easy to find the scene I was searching for - three blue-domed churches, together, surrounded by a landscape of white-washed buildings, on a tiny caldera island, in the middle of the Aegean Sea.  Not so much!  I spent several days looking for this iconic scene, continually getting distracted along the way by the narrow winding stairways, the aromatic smell of Greek food inviting me into tiny seaside cafes, and the unbelievable views that kept me endlessly awestruck.  Once I spotted the three blue-domed churches, I knew I had to paint them with the sun setting in the background. 

An hour before the sun sets, masses of crowds descend on the western most tip of the island of Santorini, in a town called Oia, to secure a position to watch one of our planet’s most magical displays of day turning to night.  As the last sliver of light descends under the horizon, there is a long collective silence followed by enthusiastic applause.  Here we were, on the edge of the caldera, surrounded by people from all over the Earth, connected by a singular celestial event.  Amazing!