Skopelos Giannis Boudalas, Skopelos Giannis Mpountalas, Skopelos shipbuilder, Skopelos microshipbuilder,  skopelos microshipbuilding, skopelos local artists, Traditional Art, Skopelos Local Artists, Skopelos Traditional Art, Northern Sporades, Greece

SKOPELOS ARTISTS

Giannis Boudalas Microshipbuilder

Giannis Bountalas, born on October 20, 1957. Is the most well-known representative of the sculpture in Skopelos. It is no coincidence that his work is adorned within private collections around the world.

Giannis Bountalas belonged to a family of boat carpenters. His grandfather had a “shipyard” in the Black Sea Braila. His father, Triantaphyllos, when the shipyards stopped working, decided to create on a smaller scale the ships. He had learned to manufacture from his father. Giannis Bountalas has been working since 1975, watching and learning from his father.

Mr. Mpountalas creates miniature sailing ships. Many of which exceed 4 meters and impress with their detail. The pride of the family is Victory, British Nelson’s flagship in the famous Trafalgar naval battle that now adorns the Museum of Portsmouth as it has museum value.

As he has said: “It took us three years to make it. It’s huge, close to four meters. Another ship that I am proud of is an Athenian trireme we made once. More generally, to finish a boat, for example, 1.2 meters in length, requires almost four months of work. And, of course, with wood found on the island of Skopelos, walnut for accuracy.

Giannis Bountalas has two daughters, Anna – who is a teacher – and Triantafyllia-Regina who has studied archeology is a talented painter and has inherited her father’s talent in micro-shipbuilding.

The amazing creations of Mr. Bountalas “traveled” all over the world, and as he stresses, every ship bearing his signature reflects the love and passion for the family tradition, which kept alive over the years.