What is CHRISTMAS all about and my ICON collection

I do have a big collection of real Icons painted by an Icon-artist living in the north of Sweden

I got to know her on an art exhibition where I was also showing my paintings...

We started a long friendship back then in the 90-ties and I did buy several of her beautiful artwork.

She has been learning the technique from an icon-painting  monk and using the way to make them as have been done for 1000 years. That is a lot of work with preparing the wood with textile sort of and then using egg-tempera the old way of painting and real gold is used a lot!

You can not paint what You like...Only those special icon pictures can be painted. I was going to give it a try but the way of starting out with the dark colors and than adding the light is opposite of the way I work so I made my own way...not real icons...and those I made are given away...

but I do have some paintings with motives of Mary and the Son

First picture is my first Icon and she told me she worked on it for HUNDREDS of hours!

very very veeery ...heavy this one on a big thick piece of wood

This is my favorite  (I think)  a special orde from this Icon picture I found in a cataloge from Greece

Jesus with wings ..very unusual and pretty...also more pastel colors as not from Russia

This one is also unusual and a special order with Jesus in Getsemane (spelling?)  as I like gardens

on this wall many from my collection

this is one of my own  paintings  BIG one with Jesus  on thin wood and crackle effect to look old.... I  made 2002

And finally mother Mary  the best painting I ever made so far .......also big 40 inches high on thin wood and crackle effect. A church was interested in buying this one but today I am glad they were a bit short of money as they were rebuilding..:)

So What is Christmas all about  ?

We do not have the Thanks Giving holiday over here so Christmas is a time to be grateful

• To try and celebrate LOVE and THANKFULNESS (does that word exist in engl.?)
• To share what You have with others
• And to forgive
• To remember that we are all the same  wonderful  souls trying to live good lives here on earth

So I want to thank You out there in cyberspace- who I never meat  irl - for bringing light into my life with nice comments (hint)  beautiful artwork and tons of inspiration for my creative soul !

Thank´s!

and I wish You a very MERRY CHRISTMAS

Birgitta