By fr. Kyriakos

St. Kyrana

2009-07-28T08:30:00.002+03:00

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

2009-07-24T17:13:00.006+03:00

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

2009-01-22T14:57:00.005+02:00

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

Exhibit Opening: "Two Men Solo"

2008-12-09T09:33:00.002+02:00

The Consul General of Thessaloniki, Brian Hoyt Yee, and I at the exhibit opening on December 8, 2008.

Christ, the Sower

2008-11-03T10:24:00.008+02:00

Material: Linden wood

Dimensions: 50 x 35 x 10 cm.

Location: Will be in Kent, Ohio, USA, currently in Thessaloniki, Greece

Completed: October 23, 2008

Particularities: This icon is the payment of the bet between Sophia and I. I lost the bet and obviously, she won. The bet was whether the word "papsarati" (not paparazzi) exists or not.

This icon will be in the upcoming exhibit from Dec. 2008, to Jan. 2009 at one of the Exhibit Halls of the Municipality of Thessaloniki. Then it will be travelling to Kent, Ohio, USA.

St. Nicholas

2008-11-03T10:19:00.003+02:00

Material: Linden Wood

Dimensions: 35 x 50 x 5 cm.

Location: It will be in Boston, Massachusetts, USA, after April, 2009

Completed: October 16, 2008

Particularities: This is a gift from me to Nicholas, who is my great great nephew, whose bed I have taken while I was hopsitalized and to Kelly, his mother, to whom I owe a great deal in appreciation, with my love and gratitude.

This icon will be in the upcoming exhibit from Dec. 2008 to Jan. 2009 at one of the Exhibit Halls of the Municipality of Thessaloniki.

St. Spyridon

2008-11-03T10:09:00.002+02:00

Material: Linden wood

Dimensions: 50 x 35 x 5 cm.

Location: American Farm School, Thessaloniki, Greece

Completed: October 7, 2008

Particularities: A very beloved saint. This icon will be in the upcoming exhibit from Dec. 2008, to Jan. 2009 at one of the Exhibit Halls of the Municipality of Thessaloniki

St. George

2008-09-25T10:31:00.002+03:00

Material: Red Beech
Dimensions: 144 x 49 x 11 cm.
Location: Thessaloniki, Greece
Completed: September 24, 2008
Particularities: This icon was made to be in the upcoming exhibit of Dec. 12 to Jan. 10 at one of the Exhibit Hall of the Municipality of Thessaloniki.

St. Cleopatra

2008-06-19T13:30:00.003+03:00

Material: Poplar

Dimensions: approximately 30 x 40 x 4 cm.

Location: Peabody, Massachusetts

Completed: 1990

Particularities: Schoolmate and presently brother in Christ, Father Chris Foustoukos, came to me and asked me if I had an icon of St. Cleopatra. A week later, I was able to find a drawing of St. Cleopatra from the Old Calendarist Monastery in Brookline. I made the icon and it was a surprise to his wife, Cleopatra, who fell in love with it

When I finished carving this icon, I thought I had done the "world". I thought that I was the best. I carved into new depths with a new type of frame and a new beauty. This was definitely a turning point of my carving. I had made 200 pictures of the icon and put my labels on the back with my contact information as a form of advertisement. Most if not all people were stunned by the beauty of the icon and the fact that there was an icon of St. Cleopatra. Most people did not know that there was a St. Cleopatra. Some people sent this picture to their relatives whose name is Cleopatra.

St. Constantine the Great -- Triptych

2008-06-19T13:22:00.003+03:00

Material: Linden wood
Dimensions: approximately 30 x 40 x 6 cm.
Location: Thermi, Thessaloniki, Greece
Completed: April 19, 2004
Particularities: This is one of the three pieces which makes the triptych of Christ and St. Fotini.

Christ -- Triptych

2008-06-19T13:18:00.003+03:00

Material: Linden wood

Dimensions: approximately 30 x 40 x 6 cm.

Location: Thermi, Thessaloniki, Greece

Completed: April 19, 2004

Particularities: This is the center piece of the triptych which includes St. Constantine and St. Fotini.

St. Photine -- Triptych

2008-06-19T13:14:00.003+03:00

Material: Linden wood

Dimensions: approximately 30 x 40 x 6 cm.

Location: Thermi, Thessaloniki, Greece

Completed: April 19, 2004

Particularities: This is one of the three pieces which makes the triptych of Christ and St. Constantine. It was a wedding gift from one cousin to the other. The groom's name is Constantine and the bride's name is Fotini and since it was a wedding gift, Christ is between them in the triptych and hopefully, in their life.

Christ Praying in Gethsemene

2008-06-19T12:59:00.002+03:00

Material: Poplar

Dimensions: approximately 30 x 25 x 4 cm.

Location: New York, New York

Completed: February, 1992

Particularities: My wife loved this icon very much.

St. Paraskevi

2008-05-30T14:51:00.004+03:00

Material: Linden wood

Dimensions: 130 x 54 x 6 cm.

Location: Kynopiastes, Corfu, Greece

Completed: 2003

Particularities: This is an icon that was dedicated by Tasos and Maria to the monastery of St. Paraskevi. We took the icon to the monastery on the day of St. Paraskevi, on July 26, and it was brought out so that the people might reverence the icon.

St. Spyridon

2008-05-22T10:16:00.003+03:00

Material: Beech Wood

Dimensions: approximately 30 x 40 x 5 cm.

Location: Thessaloniki, Greece

Completed: October 8, 2004

Particularities: This icon has been in several exhibits and it is very hard wood, not recommended for wood carving.

St. Demetrios

2008-05-21T15:34:00.003+03:00

Material: Red Beech wood
Dimensions: 114 x 45 x 10 cm.
Location: American Farm School Library
Completed: May 19, 2008
Particularities: It is hardwood not highly recommended for woodcarving. This icon has a very thin and small mustache as St. Demetrios had but you must look closely to see it.

St. Trifon

2008-02-12T16:17:00.001+02:00

Material: California Redwood

Dimensions: approximately 30 x 50 x 4 cm.

Location: The cell of St. Trifon at the Monastery of Xenophon at Mt Athos in Greece

Completed: 1993

Particularities: St. Trifon was a young man who was a gardener and a farmer. He suffered martyrdom very young and this is the reason we depict him with no beard and his hair a bit messy, while in his right hand, he holds the cross to show that he was a martyr and on his left hand, he normally holds a flower or a farming tool.

St. Triantafyllos

2008-01-29T02:14:00.000+02:00

Material: Linden wood.

Dimensions: approximately 30 x 40 x 4 cm.

Location: Volos, Greece.

Completed: 2002.

Particularities: The translation of triantafyllos is 'rose', which is the reason why there are roses around the saint.

St. Paraskevi

2007-12-17T11:25:00.000+02:00

Material: Linden wood.

Dimensions: approximately 30 x 40 cm.

Location: Thessaloniki, Greece.

Completed: Summer of 1999, while I was on Mt. Athos.

Finished with oil.

Particularities: The line now on the face of the icon was not on the surface of the wood when I began to carve it. The person who commissioned it wanted two columns with ivy.

St. Nicholas

2007-12-16T20:27:00.000+02:00

Material: Linden wood.

Dimensions: 35x45x4.

Location: Thessaloniki, Greece

Completed: around 2005

Finished with oil.

St Irene

2007-12-16T17:00:00.000+02:00

Material: Linden wood.
Dimensions: 35x50x4 cm.
Location: Panorama, Thessaloniki, Greece.
Completed: June 15, 2002.
Finished with oil.
Particularities: Elizabeth and Johana gave it to their teacher of iconography, whose name is Irene. She is a nun at a monastery. She was also my teacher.

Glykofilousa 2

2007-12-07T09:36:00.000+02:00

Material: Linden wood.
Dimensions: 30 x 40 x 5 cm.
Location: Triadi, Thessaloniki, Greece.
Completed: Dec. 12, 2002.
Finished with oil.
Particularities: None of the flowers is the same as the others.
This icon was a gift from a mother to her daughter.

St. John the Baptist

2007-12-07T09:21:00.000+02:00

Material: Poplar.

Dimensions: approximately 20 x 15 x 3 cm.

Location: Akron, Ohio, USA

Completed: 1991.

It has been finished with varnish.

This icon was a gift from a presbytera to her godson.

Glykofilousa (Sweet Kissing)

2007-12-06T09:25:00.000+02:00

Material: lime wood.
Finished with oil.
Dimensions: 38 x 55 x 5 cm.
Location: Makrilogos, Pierias, Greece.
Finished: June 3, 2004.
Particularities: The flowers around the icon.

St. George

2007-12-05T10:23:00.000+02:00

Made of linden wood.
Dimensions: 48 x 102 x 10 cm.
Location: Cedar Lake, Indiana, USA.
Finished and delivered in July, 2005.
Approximate time for completion: 5 months.
I made a special box for this icon to transport it to America. I oiled it while I was there. I was assisted in the entire process by my son.
Particularities: It has a number of flowers, a lake, a few cypress trees, St. George on his horse slaying the dragon, the princess by the lake, the tower with the royals and the soldiers observing the event and all is surrounded by mountains.
I hope you enjoy this icon. There is plenty to see and to discover.

This is a closeup of the horse so that we might be able to appreciate the workmanship on the head and the hair of the horse.

This is a detail of the icon that shows the dragon.

What you see here is the bottom of the icon and it has a number of trees and flowers which took a long time to make. I don't think you can appreciate it unless you double click on the image to expand it. This icon is 5 months of work and it has many details which need to be carefully examined in order to appreciate the work. For instance, the leaves on the tree on the left has taken 4 days to do. There is a similar tree on the other side which took as long. The flowers are about 4-5 cm. tall and they are on several levels.

Holy Transfiguration

2007-12-05T10:18:00.000+02:00

Made out of linden wood.

Finished with cassia and oil.

It has six persons: Christ in the center, Moses on one side holding the tablets, Elijah the Prophet on the other side, the disciples who saw the light and fell down (Peter, John, and James).

Dimensions: 30 x 45 cm.

Location: Metamorphosis, Halkidiki, Greece

Saint Athanasios

2007-12-04T16:09:00.000+02:00

St Athansios the Great
This icon was completed in the spring of 2001.
It is on lime wood, finished with oil.
Particularities: It has a grapevine with grapes which begin with one grape, then two grapes, and so on till there are twelve, as each is a symbolic number. Other bunches are random numbers. It also has six birds in different poses and in different places in the icon. It is my first and only icon that is made with openings that go through the wood.
Location: Kalamaria, Thessaloniki, Greece.
This icon is a gift from Tasos and Maria to his father.

Dormition

2007-11-30T12:39:00.001+02:00

Dormition
Material: linden wood
Dimensions: 34x52x5
Time from order to begining: 5 years
Time to complete: 5 months
Patient person who ordered the icon: Mother!
Completed: November 2, 2005
Number of faces: 27
Location: Philiria, Peonias, Kilkis

St. Demetrios no. 2

2007-11-30T10:35:00.000+02:00

This icon was completed in April 2004.
It is on linden wood
Dimensions: 30x45x4cm
The wood is plane and it does not have a finish
Location: Panorama, Thessaloniki, Greece

St. Demetrios

2007-11-30T10:31:00.001+02:00

St. Demetrios ia a small icon. It is about 20 x 25 or so cm and about 4 cm thick.

It is done on linden wood and finished with oil.

It was completed in April of 2002

Location: American Farm School, Thessaloniki, Greece

Archangel Michael no. 2

2007-11-30T08:43:00.001+02:00

This Icon was completed on linden wood and finished with oil on Saturday Junce 4, 2005.
It is one of my favored icons and this is the reason I have done it for the second time.
The dimensions are about 35X 50 cm or so, and it is about 5 cm thick.

This icon was placed in an exibit. A visitor came and after carefull examination asked me: "How did you get the grain of the wood alligned so well with the background?" He was surprised to find that this was one piece of wood and not two pieces glued together.

This icon is at the American Farm School in Thessaloniki, Greece.

Christ

2007-11-30T08:27:00.000+02:00

This Icon of Jesus Christ was completed on linden wood on the 3rd of July 2004. The dimensions are about 35X 45 cm and it is about 5 cm thick and it was finished with oil.

This was a joint effort between me and another person. He did the hard work and I did the art work.

This icon is at the American Farm School in Thessaloniki, Greece

St George & St Demetrios

2007-11-29T19:12:00.000+02:00

Material: Linden wood
Completed: July 24, 2004
Dimensions: approximately 30 x 40 cm.
Finished: with oil
Location: Edessa, Greece
Particularity: This icon is carved against the grain
Commissioned privately for a lady with two sons, George and Demetrios

Archangel Michael no. 4

2007-11-27T13:53:00.000+02:00

This carving was completed in three weeks time and it took one week to sand down. It is carved on lime wood and it shows Archangel Michael. Because it is the fourth time that I have carved this same icon, I call it Archangel Michael 4. Its dimensions are 48 cm wide, 1.20 cm tall and about 10 cm thick. This stage is right before I detailed the hair, the eyes and some other minor finishing touches.

Oiling the icon on November 6, 2007 at the office of a beloved person.

You can see and appreciate the thickness of the wood and the carving which is all one piece of wood. No cuts, glues, nor mending were used.

Oiling the back is essential because this is wood and its a living organism. Whatever you do in the front, you need to do in the back so as to keep it from warping.

Archangel Michael no. 3

2007-11-26T12:58:00.000+02:00

Material: Bass wood, finished with oil
Dimensions: 30cm x 40cm
Completed: May 2006
Location: Thermi, Thessaloniki