St. Kyrana

In this photo, I am explaining to Presbytera Kyrana some things about this icon that I gave to her and to my dear friend and colleague, Father Costa. We are in the church hall of St. George Greek Orthodox Church in Massillon, Ohio during coffee hour following the Divine Liturgy.

I hope to get a better photo so that you can see the detail in this icon.

God is Love

Material: Bass wood, not oiled yet
Dimensions: 50 x 30 cm.
Location: Kent, Ohio, USA
Completed: Bright Week, 2009
Particularities: The entire icon is adorned with hearts. The frame has two layers of hearts.



I began work on this icon at the beginning of the fasting period before Pascha and completed it at Pascha.

Besides other things I could say, I want to say that this icon was extra heavy to begin with. When it was completed, this icon was super light. We made sure that we took out every wedge of wood that could be taken out in order to make it lighter.

I hope you enjoy it!

Some Thoughts about Flowers

The year 2009 was ushered in with a great river of pain and suffering, which forced me to leave behind my vocation and my artwork, as well as my family, and I moved to my second home, in the USA, in order to recover. Here, I am staying and am cared for by my second family, Sophia Nancy & Timothy Birk.

There are many things that I could say about this rough river, but this is not the time nor the place. That which I would like to talk about, believe it or not, is flowers.

One could ask, after that river of pain, 'you want to talk about flowers?' YES, I want to talk about flowers in my artwork.

Wherever we look in the entire world, under all conditions, under all terrains, subterrains, submerged areas such as seas and rivers, lakes, even the desert, one will find flowers.

Flowers are the beginning of all fruits, vegetables, fragrances, and are expressions of gentle feelings. This is the reason I am very glad to include them in my art. Most, if not all, artists have used flowers as an inspiration. They are so light, so gentle, so beautiful, so fragrant. They give the maximum and they ask for the minimum. One might be influenced by their brilliant colors, their aroma, their stature, their blossoming frequency, the terrain in which they grow, or the lack thereof. I include them in my art because I love them, because I think that this is a way for me to offer flowers to God and to the Saints, and last, but not least, they make my art look good.

May the world always be full of flowers. May the world be filled with their fragrance. May the world keep discovering flowers in all places and in all people and in all things. May the hearts of people and their souls be filled with the fragrance of flowers and with the frangrance of the Holy Spirit.

father Kyriakos