Painting Progress

Many of you might have seen I started a new page just for my studio. Please 'Like' the page and you will get updates as I post photos of works in progress if that interests you.  I was working again last night making more refinements to the 5 Saints for the Narthex Project.

Working again....

Making slow progress through these last 5 Saints. Started background fill in to finish the garments.So many details left to do.

Slowly but surely I hope to be done here fairly soon and get this project off the board and on to something else. Concurrently I am working on a private commission panel. I would love to do about 50 more of these to go all the way around the church but not sure how approach the board or parish.

I would rather the parish choose their own Saints this time and even donate whole 'family' panels. The dilemma comes when we move to a new church and they want to hire a 'real' iconographer. what do we do with all of this?  Anyway, I want to paint a few 'soldier' saints and the like. There is room for about 50 or so and create a real 'cloud of witnesses' around the sanctuary and meanwhile I get much needed practice. This go around they might need to run about $300 each to keep me in the business and still give 1/2 to the altar servers.

Icon Progress

 

Are you done yet? Hardly, I say with a smile but getting there. Someone asks me every week.

The hard parts? Laying out the cross pattern on the Bishop. Getting some great expressions on the figures. Basing in all this color sometimes multiple times, sometimes not liking and changing color, rearranging garments so they make more sense. It's coming along. 

The good part is that the heavy lifting was done with the first batch. I drew all ten after the research and he research took a few weeks at least. Now its just settling down and making them better than the first ones. 

It seems I am always buying brushes. I look for them every time I go to the store to take advantage of sales and clearance.  They usually only last  for one painting. They lose their point and shape and get relegated to applying background paint. I hate throwing them out so they go into a container of 'gently' used brushes that look to be in pretty poor shape. 

My favorite paint is no longer available locally so I have to buy on online now. It takes surprisingly little paint to cover the figures. I buy paint as I can and have issues with storage and finding what I need  so I keep a box of the current palette handy and together so I don't have to look for things. I have reorganized most of the studio so I put things back instead of wasting 20 minutes looking for whatever. I have a lot of whatever.

A Story of Conversion and Struggle

Lately, I have enjoyed the influx of younger people into the church but also have been a little dismayed at their casual attendance. I enjoy conversation with them but I looked back at my own life and found the pattern to alarmingly familiar as we struggled at that 20 to 30 something age to find some common ground and then muster what we needed to become regulars on Sunday mornings.

I converted to Orthodoxy at the age of 11 after we were evacuated from Cyprus due to the escalating tension with Turkey and finally settled in Omaha with my Dad's parents.  My mom and I attended  a South Omaha Catholic Church during the Vatican II transition and my Dad and sister went St. Nicholas Serbian Orthodox church.

At a family discussion I was given an option to convert or remain attached to the Roman Church. No small decision on my part, I was an altar boy in the Latin tradition which now was changing but decided to be chrismated Orthodox with the rest of my family. I served the altar for many, many years at St. Nicholas Serbian Orthodox till I hit my late teens when my attendance dwindled due to job commitments and my new lifestyle as a sulky teen.  I rarely attended Liturgy during those years but remained in my head staunchly Orthodox though I knew little of my church or its teachings.

In college I had some passing interest, read a few things, studied the art but really failed to become engaged  in the faith. I met Brenda who was from a Evangelical background and we rarely attended services together as we courted and eventually became engaged. The wedding planning became the glaring fly in the ointment as we struggled with faith and beliefs and tradition in order to become wed. It was important to us to married in church and for some reason I thought it would always be mine but she balked at the Orthodox service and I started to learn the art of true compromise.

We searched for common ground but found little. I didn't like the post Vatican II Roman Church. She didn't like anything that had, what I thought to be,  traditional elements (they were not traditional to Brenda)  I was as completely unfamiliar with Evangelical teachings as she was with Orthodox teaching. On top of that, a lot of her tradition taught my tradition was heresy and idolatry. We were at an impasse and to add to the mix, her family preferred we marry in her home town.

That Thanksgiving, we met with her pastor several times over the weekend. He was a typical Evangelical preacher throwing biblical darts which I was unequipped to defend myself. He eventually refused to marry us as I refused to be baptized (again) and condemned our relationship warning Brenda's folks that marrying this idolator would surely be the end of her. Tough time for us. We really had no platform to stand on and felt lost at sea.

Brenda's aunt was kind enough to introduce us to her Lutheran pastor who counseled us wisely, found us some religious middle ground and we  married in his church.  We rarely attended any church after that and lived in a religious vacuum until our next hurdle, children.  Another element immediately presents itself and all the baggage that goes with it. Baptism. I knew enough that this had to happen but where? The Lutheran tradition was not specific enough for me and again, we are without a church.  I insisted on a Orthodox Baptism though we did not attend the church of my youth, we,  like so many of the churchings I see at our own church, were strangers. My parents still went there but really? Who were these people? Why are they here? And like so many of the churchings and Baptisms I see at our church, we were not seen again until kid #2 of course.

We had moved to Cedar Rapids before Ben was born and Mackenzie was getting to the age where we needed to make a decision and attend some service so we began to hunt in earnest again for a church we could both love. We tried the Lutherans again. The problem was me. Always me.

I was raised in the smells and bells tradition. I needed the visual pageantry and sounds of the familiar. I eschewed the "white bread" tradition of  other faiths including the Lutherans. I felt like the service was sanitized and plain without substance. My wife was offended by my insistence and selfishness and I was pretty offensive at insisting on my own way for sure. We found ourselves dropping off the kids at Sunday school but not attending the services ourselves and I hated that about us so I made an executive decision and started attending the Antiochian Orthodox church, kids in tow. Brenda could opt out if she wanted but rarely did.

It seemed I simply could not wash off that chrism. It felt familiar and spiritual in the Orthodox tradition and teaching but I could not express to you why. I had not really been Orthodox that long, at least in practice,  but it was my way or nothing and I took the kids with me, Brenda followed reluctantly. We began fasting on Wednesday and Friday. I and the kids took communion every Sunday. In her head Brenda was looking for the idolatry
that her pastor had seeded in her head. I was unaware of her struggles but she was kind enough to indulge me and quietly ruminate things in her head. I don't believe I could have allayed her fears anyway. I was still Orthodox stupid, following the tradition I hardly understood myself and unable to explain myself.

Eventually, back in Omaha, we started attending the local Antiochian church since the priest was American and easier for Brenda to understand but still her doubts nagged her. She watched every Sunday and wondered what was wrong with this? Where is the fault? The kids questioned why she did not have to go to communion.  She attended convert classes of her own volition  with a large number of folks and we had many a discussion about the faith before she converted. It was here that I finally learned about my own church, through her conversion. Her inquiries sparked my interest and need to know. In reality, Brenda brought me to the church, I certainly did not bring her.

After many years of marriage, Brenda converted to Orthodoxy and we raised our family in the tradition of the church rarely missing a Sunday Liturgy.  Our kids attended Liturgy when they lived at home but have sadly followed our same path, although they have more knowledge about the church than I did, they have fallen away somewhat but I am sure they will find their path eventually but it may not be Orthodoxy.  I think my personal struggle with priests and my constant questioning and relationship with pastors may have taken the shine off the faith for them and for that I am truly sorry.  I should have been a better man.

On our 30th wedding anniversary in 2011, we finally blessed our marriage in the Orthodox Tradition and became 'legit'. The final sacrament we were lacking in our life as Orthodox Christians. Why did it take so long? Struggles. Always struggles either with pastors or with ourselves we could not all seem to get on the same page.  We had a lovely little ceremony with our kids and our chosen Koumbari, Paul and Dora Bitsos. To this day we wear our rings on our right hands as the priest put them and there they stayed. 

Back to the fast....

It was a nice week of of feasting on whatever came to mind but now it's time get back to the calendar which says to fast every Wednesday for the betrayal and Friday for His crucifixion until the next Great fasting period, the Dormition Fast August 2-15th.



From the OCA website I pass on the following information:

This form of fasting was passed on in the early Church from Jewish practice. In Matthew, Christ says, “When you fast do not be like the hypocrites,” which indicates that the Jews fasted—it also indicates that Christ assumes that one fasts, for He says “when you fast” not “if you fast.” Fasting is not something that only developed alongside Christianity; rather, it is a practice that had been followed by the Jews, and even Scripture mentions that Christ fasted.

The purpose of fasting is not to “give up” things, nor to do something “sacrificial.” The purpose of fasting is to learn discipline, to gain control of those things that are indeed within our control but that we so often allow to control us. In our culture especially, food dominates the lives of many people. We collect cookbooks. We have an entire TV network devoted to food [the “Food Channel”]. We have eating disorders, diets galore, weight loss pills, liposuction treatments, stomach stapling—all sorts of things that proceed out of the fact that we often allow food, which in an of itself cannot possible control us, to control us. We fast in order to gain control, to discipline ourselves, to gain control of those things that we have allowed to get out of control. Giving up candy—unless one is controlled by candy—is not fasting. It is giving up candy, or it is done with the idea that we fast in order to suffer. But we do not fast in order to suffer. We fast in order to get a grip on our lives and to regain control of those things that have gotten out of control. Further, as we sing during the first week of Great Lent, “while fasting from food, let us also fast from our passions.”

We always struggle with our fasting because to us,  it has become routine and we need to intensify our participation. Few people are aware we fast but it does niggle the back our minds of why we participate and  I suppose in that way is successful in keeping us focused during the week on God as well as just on Sunday.

We do things a bit different as we fast Tuesday evening, Wednesday lunch, Thursday evening and Friday Lunch. To the Orthodox, each day begins at sundown so choose to fast this way starting at sundown Tuesday. This pattern also allows us to extend our thought/prayer process to all the days of the week.

What are you willing to sacrifice?

A thought provoking question posed to us yesterday after the Homily as part of the announcements at church. Standing before us, Father Alex outlined  Holy Week and his expectations for us with some pretty thought provoking insights as well as some very direct instructions. I was impressed coming from the history we have had with previous pastors, this guy is serious and seriously knows his stuff. There has been nothing nonchalant about our Pascha journey this year. We are hitting it hard and head on and Father is pulling no punches.

Holy Week has started. It began last night with the first Bridegroom service which we missed but that should be the only service we can't make. Tonight, another Bridegroom and so forth for the rest of the week. On Friday, we are having a soup supper after the Hours service which he is holding at 5 instead of three so more us can make the service until the Lamentations at 7.

So what was so thought provoking on Sunday? No TV on Saturday, a quiet day when the Lord is working on His Resurrection. And here is what really hit home, no sports/activities for the kids on Friday, Saturday and Sunday. Really, no sports, I love it. Holy Week is important, so why not make it important?  What a sacrifice. Something so simple, a no brainer really but how many are willing to give it up?  I have never heard a pastor stand before us and say this to us. I love this guy. How many Sundays were missed because Jr. had a basketball game? Or baseball game or hockey? How many of us are too complacent to stand before another man and say, "Church comes first?" Can we expect our children to attend if you constantly subjugate Church to a secondary, unimportant event that can be missed when something better comes along? The matter of children staying in the church after graduation is much more complicated than this as we can well attest in our family but this casual attitude has to break some of the bonds for sure.

How many are really ready to acknowledge their Christian faith and comply by understanding what this week really represents? How many of us are willing to stand at the foot of His cross with Mary and John (the only two left after the Crucifixion). How many of us are willing to really offer up any kind of sacrifice for this short period of time?  Darn few I would guess but we'll see. Meanwhile,  bravo Father Alex, bravo.

Plaki for 100, Dinner for 2

Yesterday was a busy day with church and a benefit and I had to make the Plaki sauce for Palm Sunday as I would not have much time the rest of the week. So 15 pounds of peeled onions and lots of tears later, I made 5 gallons of sauce in my large pot and packaged it for the church. Meanwhile I have a gallon left over or so so dinner was set and a container or two set aside for friends and Mackenzie.

Psari Plaki  is a traditional Greek way of cooking fish in a tomato based sauce heavy on the onions, celery and garlic, seasoned with Oregano and Basil. Basically I used some great cod we had in the freezer and roasted the fish in the fresh sauce base for about 30 minutes. It is traditionally served over pasta at our church with a sprinkling of Parmesan which always confused me a bit since my more traditional Slav background forbade cheese during Lent (of course, we only fasted for a week, not all of Lent) but when in Greece....

The recipes vary but remains about the same. Onions, lots of onions, celery, tomatoes, garlic and seasonings. I use a bit of lemon also. A firm white fish  (Red Snapper is more traditional) we use Cod.
Elsewhere on the blog you will find the recipe for 100 and a recipe for 8 as Mackenzie occasionally craves the sauce just for fun. I have used the leftover sauce (buzzed it with my hand held blender) for pizza too.

Kali Orexi!

Prayer Ropes...Spiritual Survivor Bracelets

I have been asked to teach my altar servers how to tie prayer ropes at their retreat this weekend so I have been busy prepping the material and brushing up my knotting skills. We are going to use parachute cord I picked up at the Army Surplus store as it is popular these days to make survivor bracelets out of this material. What better use to employ this material for our spiritual survival?
The boys are ages 10 to 16, eager yet inattentive struggling to stay focused for the services and generally missing nearly every cue for their next task. The are well meaning and this retreat will give me and Fr. Alex a chance to define certain aspects of the service and how he needs them to behave, where to stand and other generalities of altar service. There is no sitting down up there and it can be a bit tedious for them. There is lots of stuff to get them in trouble and things to fuss with including charcoal and smokey incense as well as open flame. The temptation and potential for distraction is great so someone has to keep them in line. Traditionally, fathers would serve and guide the boys but a lot of the converts lack the experience so the role falls to me. A poorly prepared and behaved crew up there makes for a distracting service for all.
So the first order of business will be to teach the prayer used with the ropes. Not nearly as complicated as the rosary in the Western church, the simple Jesus prayer is repeated throughout the process if tying the knots and then using the rope. It goes thus: "O Lord, Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner."
The ropes are a complicated process of finger knitting that produces a round knot of crosses pretty much impossible to untie. Legend has it that an angel taught a monk the knot to confound the Devil who would untie the monk's knots which he used to track his prayer rule. This knot made it impossible for the Devil to undo.
I am hoping the boys won't find this too lame as teenagers are wont to do.

PS

OK,  I wrote this before the retreat. We met on Saturday for what must have been a long time for the boys, about 5 hours. We discovered somethings about them and about us. Father has the patience of Job, I do not. The prayer rope exercise was a disaster and they could not make it through the first few steps and pretty much could have cared less.

We discovered the areas the need to be brought up to speed including the basic terminology of altar objects, that they have no clue as to what the priest is doing pretty much at any given time. It's going to be a while before they come up to speed. I have two new guys, one of them post college who helped me chant the vesper service so he will be a big help. The boys were pretty excited about reading/ chanting the Epistle but none of them tried it on Sunday. Keep your fingers crossed.

Good Questions...good answers

WHY DO WE FAST SO OFTEN?

 

 

 

By Fr. Stephen Ziton 

 

 

 

Let’s begin by taking a look at what happens when we do not keep the fast. In Genesis 3 we learn of the fall of Adam and Eve, and how their failure to keep the fast when they ate the forbidden fruit was a sin (i.e., love of their own will more than the will of God) which caused mankind to be expelled from paradise and perfect union with the Creator. Why would we want to mimic the original sin?

Our bodies and our souls are connected in such a way that the actions of our bodies articulate the attitudes of our souls. Prayer is not just a function of the soul alone. We see this phenomenon often in the Scriptures. In Luke, when the Samaritan leper gave thanks for his healing, he did more than just say words, he “fell down on his face at [Jesus’] feet” (9:16). Later, in chapter 18, the Publican praying in the temple was so full of sorrow, he would not even look in the direction of the heavens, but cast his eyes down and smote his breast while praying for mercy. And it is more than mere coincidence that we prostrate when we say the prayer of St. Ephraim during Great Lent, “O Lord and Master of my life, take from me the spirit of sloth, despair, lust of power, and idle talk. . . .”

All of the Holy Fathers of the Church, as well as many of the saints from both the Old and New Testament, practiced fasting, including Christ Himself. In fact, Jesus also taught that certain forms of evil could not be conquered without it (Matt 17:21).

Father Thomas Hopko reminds us that man does not fast because it pleases God if His servants do not eat, for, as the Lenten hymns of the Church tell us, “the devil also never eats.” Neither do we fast in order to afflict ourselves with suffering and pain, for God takes no pleasure in the discomfort of His people. But we fast only to gain mastery over ourselves and to conquer the passions of the flesh.

If I may insert a personal note here, fasting helps me on several levels. First, when I cannot have any amount of meat or dairy, my body reminds me. My lack of contentment with what I eat is something of which I am continually aware. But this helps me become more focused in prayer because my sensitivities have not been dulled by foods that satisfy. Also, it gives my spirituality a realistic barometer that lets me know where I am with my faith. It’s easy to use the verbiage of an addict (“I can begin the fast anytime I want to”) because we are all addicted to food to various degrees. But it is a very practical dilemma with which we have to come to grips meal after meal. For example, do I love the Big Mac more than I love the Lord and doing his will? Is there any real harm to that cup of cappuccino? After all, God is going to have to forgive me of much bigger sins than eating a cheese sandwich. Excuses are never very far away.

It can be easy to justify not participating in the fast to your greatest ability if that is your desire. If you’ve never done it, it’s hard to describe what you’re missing. But it’s a great first step to growing as a Christian. Fasting can be a lot easier when it is viewed not as an end in itself, but as something which aids in our repentance. So, ask your Spiritual Father to give guidance if you’ve never fasted before. Avoiding the foods from which the Church asks us to abstain is easier if you replace them by increasing worthy activities like self-examination, works of love, giving to the poor, prayer, reading the Scriptures and the Fathers, and refraining from gossip. If you are only avoiding certain foods and aren’t doing those things which edify, then you are not really fasting; you’re just on some kind of weird diet. The bottom line is Christ fasted (Matt 4) and taught His disciples to fast (Matt 6, Mk 2). Are you participating as best as you can ...? Are you one of His disciples?

Fr. Stephen is pastor of St. Mary Antiochian Orthodox Church, Wichita, KS. 

 

Word Magazine  March 2000 Page 14 

Great Lent...the beginning

We are close to starting Great Lent as we do every year. Not something we look forward to but once into it it seems to be a natural cycle and we don't ever mind participating. For us that means no meat for the next 4-6 weeks as well as a break from dairy and eggs if we can manage.

An increase in services and attendance to the church, Friday night Fish Fry's (even though, technically, fish is not on the menu during most of lent), scouring the ads for sales on shrimp and seafood and creative vegetarian dishes or adjustments to our regular fair to make dishes vegetarian.  We have been collecting recipes for the last few weeks since it is always nice to have something different for the Potlucks.

This year, I'm a bit anxious as we have a new priest and I am hoping we use the same books. I like those services but if history is any indication, it will be nothing like our past Wednesdays.  So a new year, a new Lent and a season of repentance and fasting in the near future but we have our parish friends and family to get us along.

Icon Commission from the Church

A few months ago, when Fr. Alex came we had to say good bye to Fr. Nick. He was so gracious and kind to us as we transitioned from our old priest to our new one. The church anted to have a special event for him and commissioned me to paint the church's patron icon for him. I also fund out that the board plans to use the icon for all our letterhead and marketing. I tried my best, as the panel was small for so many figures, to get as detailed as possible. The icon is finally finished and we have to have a high resolution photo done before I varnish it to keep down the reflection.

Here it is unvarnished and ready for photos. I hope it shows well when enlarged. 

St Thomas Sunday

Coming right up this first Sunday in October is St. Thomas Sunday. My and Ben's nameday I had painted this icon for him so long ago I had forgotten what it looked like.

Happy Name Day to all the Thomas' out there.

new Icon finished

Just finished for a baptism gift

Finished icons

I finally finished a few icons and still have a few left. Brenda works late this week so maybe I can get them done waiting for her shift to end.  Unfortunately I was in such a hurry to get them to church that I forgot to photograph them. These IPhone pics are really rough but you get the idea.

For Apostolos. Sadly Paul is in Detroit at a golf tourney so this will await his return.

St. Mark of Ephesus for dear Fr. Nick. We love and miss him so much.

St. Dorotheus for Paul's wife. Not sure about this one. They have the option of accepting it as Doro is unsure about a male patron saint. I checked several times though and according to the feast day, this is the guy.

Another icon finished

Finally an icon for my good friend Paul who patiently waited while I finshed all the "emergency" icons and got caught up with the demands of Baptisms and short notice comissions. He is in Greece these next few weeks so hopefully he will be pleased when he returns.

Kalo Pascha!

Holy Week Preparations coming to a close

Our new Russian descent priest is influencing my prep this year by making Pascha a more traditional Slavic theme. Case in point, we spent the last few days assembling a basket for blessing on Saturday. I made a traditional Pashka, a molded cheese that is reminiscent of cheesecake in its sweet fruit and nut filled flavor. We picked up traditional items like a small ham and un traditional items like Beef Jerky. Today I am baking a Kulich or at least my version of this sweet Slavic bread heavily frosted and baked in a coffee can. It is rising as I type.

So, the Kulich came out with a nice tall rise and smells amazing flavored with cardomon and mace. The basket has come together with sausage, ham, salt, eggs and the molded cheese 'Pashka'. We will take it all to church today for a blessing to be consumed with our family meal on Sunday. I have ribs, chicken wings and a lovely leg of lamb ready for cooking as well as our usual sides. Despite the cold weather it's going to be a great day!

Pre Sanctified services and The Word Of God....

Last night there were more people than usual at Pre Sanctified but still a relatively small crowd. I am assuming the new pastor has a lot to do with attendance.

Fr. Alex spoke to us about several things last night but one of the things I had not thought about in context was the printing of the Epistle and Gospel in the Sunday bulletin.  He expressed some concern that people refer to the written text rather than devote their attention to him as he proclaims The Word.

It makes perfect sense and will probably be a hard habit to break and of course 50% of the people coming to church don't show till after the Gospel has been read. Another local priest attempted to stop people from communing if they had not heard the Gospel ( a tough decision that was met with sturdy resistance so he merely mentioned that fact that if you had not heard The Word Of God, that perhaps you should abstain. Today's society does not allow for such incrimination of self so therefore it mostly falls on deaf ears, sadly.)

Father then went on to explain that we are using the common tongue so why not listen since that is what he is here to do. I have to agree. Father also follows the Gospel with his sermon which I personally LOVE because all the kids are still in church to hear the teaching which we have deprived them of by sending them to Sunday School after communion and the homily delivered to a mostly empty house after services since most of the parents follow the children out of the church never to return for the final prayers. Sad indeed.

The other major change was the processions. They now take place around the church (YAY!) as opposed to a simple walk to the front of the altar. I have always missed this tradition since leaving the Antiochian church. It is touching to someone reach from the aisle to touch the hem of his garment as he passes with the Holy Gifts.

There was a discussion about the church's name which apparently is a sticking point for several people in the church but I cannot understand why. Folks have an issue with the word "All" in All Holy Spirit. Even tough there has been substantial evidence that this is proper as it is portrayed in hymnography and even in the Liturgy, people are still unhappy. I don't get it, at all. 

I am going to enjoy these changes back to a more traditional way of performing the service and worshiping. It feels like home again to go to church in a traditional Orthodox way. I am, for the record, not happy with the Archdiocese decision to modernize the language and insist we all use it. They have destroyed some beautiful prose with silly modern interpretations that are just annoying.

First week of Lent...busy week

We had the pleasure of Father Nick Klodnicki coming to stay with us this past weekend while the weather threatened his drive from Lincoln. We had some great meals together, fantastic conversation and memorable company. He left on Monday after Annunciation services and we are sad to see him go. He will be back on Wednesday for Pre Sanctified Liturgy and probably Friday's Akathist hymns.

meanwhile, back at the ranch, I was able to complete another icon. This icon of St. Dorotheos was a challenge. I wanted it to look great for a special couple that commissioned it and I must have repainted the garments 3 times before being satisfied with the final result.


St. Dorotheos, June 5th.

I also made Prosphora this week for Pre Sanctified. I usually make a fresh loaf for every Wednesday service. This week some thing odd happened and I simply made too much dough. I knew it would rise over the pan so I placed a collar of parchment around the pan before the final rise. Well, rise it did to a full 4 inches over the top. I baked it as is and with the oven spring it made a loaf about 8 inches tall.

That is one whooping Prosphora!

Icons are us...

I have 8 commissions on the bench and for some reason I have been working furiously to finish the most pressing paintings. Several baptisms are looming on the horizon and I have to get the work done. Here are just 3, 2 are finished now. Just 6 more to go!

I am hating the wings on this guy so these photos give me a new perspective. Gonna have to repaint these spots that I don't care for,  The rest is OK. These are just 9 x 12 so they are still pretty small  for my aging eyes to deal with and the hotos reveal details from a new point of view. Justian is varnished so too late to change things for him. Pretty happy with Athanasios. So ready to varnish him in the next few days. I have a new commission for the Sts Michael and Gabriel so I see angelic hosts in my future.