A gift and an idea - various approaches to art

Today I received a beautiful gift from my friend John - a book on history of Russian art as collected in Russian Museum - the fascitanting collection of 200 illustrations - I will have a feast on many levels and for various reasons with that.

- I have already found the name of a painter whose pictures I was trying to chase (Arkady Plastov), and I am so grateful I have seen the real art work in Sanktpetersbutg because of descepancies between the original piece and printed version. I specifically remember the bright orange underpainted the bottom of toes to make glowy feeling of skin almost translucent in the sunshine, I cannot see in in the illustrations but I trust my memory better than the printing process.

- I shall educate myself on the history,  I would like to learn to spot any differences in the different artists from different epochs and compare the uniqueness of both.

- The oldest art is Christian - all those icons I know from thousand a reproduction - and even more I should have recognise by now. And also I can feel more inspired because...

... a short wile ago, an idea came from my fellow artist Alina Katarasinska Tokar who suggested we prepare an icon together - she'd prepare the detailed sketch and I'll work with colour - s0unds beautiful and interesting, and I smell some challenges in the precise colour matching. I love the idea of the exploration of two mind sets, two ways of thinking, feeling, perceving the reality.

Below there is a book cover, a modern icon, not unlikely to be re-worked... Alina, what would you say?