Happy Xmas

To all my Orthodox friends: HAPPY CHRISTMAS! Wish u all the best to u and ur families!
Srećno Badnje veče i Božić svim Pravoslavnim vernicima
Neka Vas greje vatra sveta neka Vam srećom kuća cveta.
Badnjak se loži vatra plamti zdravlje i sreća neka Vas prati.
Srećno Badnje veče i Božić. Mir Božji Hristos se rodi.

Oplenac Royal Mausoleum, Serbia

As Byzantika was relocated from Denmark to Australia, and had an extended break, here is my first post in a while. I am currently on holiday in Europe gathering supplies and inspiration for upcoming projects. Be sure to keep an eye out soon for new Byzantika products.

I found a big source of inspiration at the Oplenac Royal Mausoleum Опленац (where I took these few photos), the historic place of the mausoleum of the Serbian Karađorđević Royal Family located in central Serbia near the town of Topola. It is known for the St. George Church (црква светог Ђорђа). The Foundation in Oplenac is named after King Peter I of Yugoslavia.The initial idea of King Peter I was to carve into the walls the names of all soldiers and officers who had perished in the Balkan Wars of 1912 and 1913. But, since the church was not fully completed, and since First World War followed (1914-1918), this idea had to be abandoned. The solution was to decorate the interior of the temple with mosaics, which would be a sort of a museum of reproductions of the prettiest frescoes of the Serbian medieval arts. Copies from 60 Serbian medieval churches and monasteries had been brought to the St. George church at Oplenac. The entire mosaic has 725 painted compositions (513 in the temple and 212 in the crypt), on which there are 1500 figures. The entire area of the mosaic is 3,500 square metres with 40 million various coloured pieces of glass which have 15 thousand different varieties of colour, making the most vivid artistic impression.

Information above is from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oplenac if you wish to read more about this amazing church and mausoleum please follow the link.

39 Onyx slabs cover the final resting place of members of the Karageorge Dynasty on the lower floor.

My Latest Art

The altarpiece "Virgin and Child Enthroned with Saint Justus of Volterra and Saint Margaret of Antioch" by Sebastiano Mainardi (1466–1513)

I painted section of this masterpiece for a very good friend as he wanted this to be surprise gift for his wife, as wedding anniversary gift.

Virgin and Child Enthroned with Saint Justus of Volterra and Saint Margaret of Antioch is considered a major work of Mainardi’s from late in his career. Created in 1507 during the height of the Italian Renaissance, the 63.5- by 61-inch painting was commissioned to adorn the altar of a church. The altarpiece has significant provenance, having belonged to popular American novelist and Indianapolis native Booth Tarkington. It was donated by Mrs. Tarkington in honor of her late husband in 1951, and was displayed at the John Herron Museum of Art. Upon entry into the Indianapolis Museum of Art collections, the work was already in precarious condition and its appearance had changed drastically since 1507. At some time in its history, long before it entered the museum’s collection, the wood panel suffered serious insect infestation. Fluctuations in temperature and humidity in the church where the painting was originally displayed also contributed to its poor condition.

Various restorers over the centuries had made many attempts to reduce the effects of past damage, but some of their methods did not have a desirable outcome. The structure had deteriorated extensively due to an earlier elaborate cradle bracing system constructed for the painting. In 1961 its condition was declared "extremely hazardous," and the piece was finally deemed to be"unexhibitable" in 1965. Owing to its increasingly fragile condition and the difficulty of conserving it, the altarpiece was then held in IMA storage for more than 40 years.

NEW Byzantika Memory Staves FOR SALE

NEW Byzantika Memory Staves FOR SALE

Like fragmented memories and treasured relics of the past, Byzantika has started production of an enchanting series of Memory Staves!

300 year-old wooden blocks serve as the perfect canvas upon which this collection of iconic Byzantine-inspired images have been painted. Each measuring approximately 15 x 17cm, these Memory Staves are small enough to mix and match and display in wall-mounted groupings, or dot about your home to bring a feeling of old-world opulence.

Please contact me for more info!

Price is €99

Happy Xmas and new 2010

NEW Byzantika Memory Staves

NEW Byzantika Memory Staves FOR SALE

Like fragmented memories and treasured relics of the past, Byzantika has started production of an enchanting series of Memory Staves!

300 year-old wooden blocks serve as the perfect canvas upon which this collection of iconic Byzantine-inspired images have been painted. Each measuring approximately 15 x 17cm, these Memory Staves are small enough to mix and match and display in wall-mounted groupings, or dot about your home to bring a feeling of old-world opulence.

Please contact me for more info!

Byzantika will be adding new designs to the gallery, so be sure to check back often for new inclusions! Price is €99

Xmas Market

Byzantika has been very busy in the leadup to the holiday season, 2009!
Aside from a heavily advertised showing gallery in Odense today and tomorrow, (Dec 5th and 6th), I have been painting a lovely new icon of Saint Nikolaos - patron saint of sailors, merchants, archers, children and students! He is a work in progress, and I will be posting proper pics soon.

In the meantime I am busy creating some new items to sell, one of which is a series of hand-made Christmas cards based on some of my work (all individually cello-wrapped with envelopes)!
Take a sneak peek at the photos above.


Stay tuned for more photos and news on this blog and Byzantika.com!

Mira.