Jacqueline Savidge was born in Nottingham, England, where she trained as an occupational therapist before coming to live in Greece almost 25 years ago. After living in Athens for two years she moved to the Saronic island of Hydra, which has been her home and source of inspiration ever since.

Her creativity, apart from the painting of flowers and portraits, encompasses dressmaking (including her own wedding dress), soft furnishings, and upholstery. She is also a keen gardener, grower of organic vegetables, piano player, and ethnic dancer.

Contact: jacqui@hydra-artists.gr

David has been living on Hydra for over twenty years, during which time he has developed a keen interest in making items of art from the native olive wood.

The material, once rough cut from the log, is stored for a number of years to dry before being sculpted, planed, and assembled or turned into David’s own designs.  Working alone, he is able to create around a dozen unique pieces each year.   

Surface finishes include French polish, beeswax, oils, traditional water gilding on “gesso” ( gold, silver, and palladium leaf ), and more recently pigmented egg tempera on gesso.

“Time itself is no longer of importance,” says David, “only procuring the finest available materials and acquiring tested, centuries-old knowledge of lasting methods that will help me in perfecting future work to my utmost ability.”

Contact: david@hydra-artists.gr

David and Jacqueline were married in 2005 by the long-term mayor of Hydra, Kostas Anastopoulos, after a thirteen-year courtship. Jacqueline describes David as an incurable workaholic during the week and a hopeless masochist on Saturdays because he is a long-term supporter of the English premiership football club Everton.

The couple have together written and illustrated  Olive to Heirloom  a book about island events during the year-long making of The Wedding Box, whilst David, amongst writing many short stories, is continuing with the second volume of Scouser,  an autobiography starting with his infancy and school days in Liverpool.

JONATHAN CARR of the ATHENS NEWS wrote in 2007:
On the hillside, lives David Irlam, another long term resident (of 18 years). Irlam originally arrived on a boat and lived afloat for two years. Why didn't he move on? Pan (the self-appointed harbourmaster) had a bar in those days which was a focal point for expatriates, and Irlam gradually assumed the role of unpaid security guard for it, occasionally being lucky enough to be rewarded by a rather stingy proprietor with a small can of beer. A huge storm, which nearly sunk his boat, finally persuaded him it was time to pitch his tent.

Irlam, married to fellow artist Jacqueline Savidge, is waste-averse in everything he does. Even the handsome fence he has built round his house is made out of an old crate. And the exquisitely finished olive wood bowls, boxes, figurines and sculptures that are on show in his studio? They all start out as pieces of firewood. Irlam's attention to detail and his obsession with laborious time-consuming techniques that were practised hundreds of years ago give his work authenticity and a rare individual character.

Visit Jacqui and David's website at www.hydra-artists.gr.

Other work by David Fagan:
Rhubarbs from a Rock
Fair Society