Heritage Woven with Process

Sophia Savalas was an Artist and Iconographer whose work had been inspired by her Savalas ancestors. Her grandfather and uncle were Iconographers before her. Sophia’s early childhood was spent at their Greek family farm compound on New York’s Long Island. As a first-generation Greek American, she was nurtured by her large extended family’s involvement in various forms of creative expression - including the Culinary Arts, the Theater, Writing and Poetry, and a unique focus on Art. Her grandfather, Constantine Tsavalas, was taught by the monks in the monasteries of Greece’s Peloponnese region. He was trained in the traditional methods of using egg tempera and a multi-layered technique to create luminous Byzantine Icons. These traditions and secrets were handed down to her uncle, Theodore Tsavalas.

Pleasure-filled recollections of his studio were among her earliest memories; the sights, the aromas, and the tactile impact of gently gliding her small fingers over the finished icons. Prominent in her mind’s eye were the beautiful icon images from this prolific creative environment. She carried forward this tradition of bringing unique, luminous icons into existence.

Sophia generated her traditional Byzantine Icons through a multi-layered process utilizing only natural materials. She created an icon from wood, marble dust, clay, natural glues, pure egg tempera pigment, gold leaf and linseed oil. To maintain the heritage of iconic art methodology she never used synthetic materials. Rather than brushing the paint onto the icon it is customary to roll-on the paint, using the petite lac method. Because of the origins of these techniques the process is infused with spiritual symbolism.

Even some of the terminology used to describe the various stages in the lengthy process harkens back to these origins. One step in the process is a garlic-laden breathing technique, called “the breath of God.” This sets the clay on which the gold leaf is placed. Sophia found that there was a meditative “letting-go to the process” that allowed the inherent beauty of the icon to flourish forward. People of many diverse backgrounds are attracted to the energetic ambience of the icons and have opened themselves to the influence of this art form. 

As an Artist and Iconographer, Sophia Savalas returned often to her roots for inspiration using her sensory memories to stimulate her own creative expression. Her work has been exhibited in galleries and museums, and many of her works have been selected for private and corporate collections.