A Greek Island Nature Diary

Description

Greek Island Nature Diary is a lavish journal of highly detailed watercolours and accompanying pencil drawings of flora, fauna and natural objects observed and collected during the author's years living in Corfu and sailing the Ionian on her family's oceangoing catamaran. This evocative diary is based on the author's notes and sketches made in remote coves, in the thickets of the littoral and in the thyme scented mountains of the interior. Alongside these studies the book includes many fascinating, informative and often practical descriptions of the medicinal, olfactory and culinary uses of the wild plants found in this naturalist's paradise. As well as her own personal observations, the text reveals surprising links between Ancient Greek civilisation and modern medicine; references to related Greek mythology and folklore intermingle with quotations from poetry and prose associated with the plants.

Jani Tully Chaplin studied art and history of art in England and abroad. An interlude as a successful fashion model in London was followed by marriage, an extended honeymoon afloat in Cyprus and the raising of her family in Devon, before returning to spend ten years in the Ionian Islands. Jani is an established designer with a large selection of prestigious wildlife commissions to her credit; many of these have been licensed worldwide to great acclaim. Watercolour and gouache provide the ideal medium for her delicate and finely detailed style.

"Chaplin's journal is a treasure trove. . . . The book includes many fascinating, informative and even practical descriptions of the medicinal and culinary uses of the plethora of wild plants and flowers found in this naturalist's paradise. . . . Anyone who wishes can, like Tully Chaplin, be transported immediately back to the stunning beauty of Greece simply by reading her memoirs and gazing at her exquisite representations of the flora and fauna of the country."-- "Greek Reporter"