Eleousa 3

This Eleousa, the third one, took some years to finish.

I did not make it easy for myself, because I prepared an old bread cutting board, probably used in the kitchen for years, from the recycle shop. Real wood keeps always working, (changing form) so in the end, when I was busy painting it, I got some air under the cloth. And that makes the risk of breaking the painted layer.

But I loved her tender expression and also it had a real old feeling and look.

When I showed it to Marina, who I met in Greece in 2018, on my phone, she fell in love with the piece. It was just half way done, but it gave her a feeling. She’s from a Greek mother and an English father, so she is connected to icons and has her kitchen full of them.

Anyway, finally 4 years later, in a weird way we kept connected, she bought it for her son and I sent it to her in Bath, England.

Below you can see some pictures of the process of painting. I totally once removed her face and started all over. And finally Marina’s son Eugene, happy with his present.