I forgot how difficult it can be to be accurate to the original! Part of what makes this particular icon difficult is the disproportion in the faces of Our Lady and Jesus. I want so much for my paintings to conform to common ideas of beauty - shapely eyes, small noses, big lips, heart shaped heads... But what is amazing is that this icon is perfect without such uniformity. Our Lady doesn't need the "perfect" features to speak to the whole world and win the hearts of all her people. And she is beautiful.
God can give me such confidence, if He wishes, and in the way He wishes for me. He desires me for the person He made me (baldness and all!), in the capacity of love for which He made me. If I am beautiful in His eyes, I will move the world. God both knows us each to be beautiful, and at the same time desires each of us to become the fullness of beauty.
Wait a minute. You do it freehand? Holy Cow that's impressive.
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