While walking through the streets of the Old Port, a beautiful shop window caught our attention. We entered the shop to look at all of the beautiful art pieces, and were greeted by Myrianthi, a woman sitting in front of an easel surrounded by a rainbow of paints. She held a special brush and was painting one of these beautiful pieces.
She paused just long enough to welcome us into her shop, explaining that the shop is also her work gallery where she does all of her painting. Amazed by what I saw, I asked her if I could take a photo of her while she was painting. I always make a point of asking for permission before taking a picture. She hand paints Byzantine icons such as Mary & Jesus, as well as the Apostles and the Saints specific to Cyprus. She learned the process from her dad and began helping him when she was only 12 years old. Using special paints, including expensive 24kt gold paint, the preparation of the canvas and wood is a complicated process that takes quite a long time to complete.
We continued looking around the shop at each of these iconic works of art as Myrianthi explained what each of the icons represented. We ran out of time before we could make our selections, but assured her that we will return to her shop and choose a few to bring home.