The Sower
2018, Gold acrylic, swarovski crystals, 18 x 14 in.
I was born in Bulgaria. I came to America in 1990 and received M.S. degrees in Religious Studies and Library and Information Science. My Ph.D. dissertation explored manuscript marginalia, revealing a "secret history" of the Balkans during the Ottoman rule. After graduation, I began recreating iconography and illuminations with gold and metallic paints and crystals. My illuminations emphasize the Divine Light and I have participated in 70 juried exhibits, including 33 solo, international and national exhibits in the U.S. and abroad (Canada, Holland, and Bulgaria). Selected pieces have been published in numerous publications such as Christian Century, L-Magazine, and Behold, appeared as the front cover of Beautiful Prayer and The Real Christ, and were used by the "Kamerkoor Kwintesens" from the Hague for Arvo Part's Adam's Lament. My catalog currently includes more than 500 titles.