How a Stunning Marble Beach in Greece Inspired My ‘Marble Coast’ Painting
"Marble Coast" was inspired by the most stunning beach I’ve ever visited… because it was covered in marble rocks!! As an avid rock collector, it was truly a slice of heaven!
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Finding Treasure
On every trip I take, I always collect rocks (sometimes seashells) or other small bits of nature lying around. It’s how I bring parts of the trip back home with me, and I love to fill my studio shelves with them. These little treasures bring me inspiration for my paintings and are a big part of my creative process. Each one holds a story, and looking at them while I work is like reliving my adventures.
During a trip to Greece in 2023 for an artist retreat, we hiked on the island of Andros. It’s a quieter island, less touristy than some of the others, and feels a bit more secluded which makes for stunning scenery. Along the hike, we stumbled upon a beach, but not just any beach—it was filled with marble. Literal pieces of marble just laying there on the shore! I couldn’t believe my eyes. I kept calling it "wild marble" because it was like these untamed, natural sculptures spread all across the sand and each one was so beautiful. I’d never seen marble just laying on the ground like that!
Wild Marble
I was losing my mind! So many amazing rocks! The way the water had smoothed out the edges of the marble pieces, rounding them like nature’s own artwork, made each one a treasure in itself. I quickly started gathering as many as I could carry. Every piece felt unique and I knew I wanted to bring these home with me in honor of the trip. Each rock I picked up was even better than the one before.
My plan was to circle back after the hike to collect some more, but then I found out we weren’t returning to the beach, and I got so sad! There were so many more rocks that I wanted to bring back with me. I’m still a little bummed even though I did bring home a suitcase full of rocks (for a regular person that would be enough, but not for me!!). I couldn’t help but want more—because for me, there’s no such thing as too many rocks.
Those marble pieces from Andros sit proudly on my bookshelves. They constantly remind me of that perfect beach and the magic of finding beauty in nature. Every time I look at them, it takes me back, and it’s that feeling of wonder that I wanted to capture in "Marble Coast."
Resources:
Where we had our retreat and it’s also an airbnb!
Our Retreat Photographer - Lucy Laucht - and her new book !
Retreat marble sculpter, Tom von Kaenel
Retreat Chef - Allegra
Kathryn Sohn’s travel blog
The “Marble Coast” painting beautifully captures the wonder of nature’s unspoiled beauty. Laurie Anne’s passion for rock collecting shines through, making this piece a stunning tribute to the wild marble beach of Andros.
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