12 years of training, mentorship and friendship with one of the greatest artists of our time Manolis Betinakis. 

The person to whom I own my knowledge today.

1946 / Manolis Betinakis was born  in Heraklion, Crete.

1962 / Starts apprenticeship in icon painting in the workshop of painter Papa-Giorgis Manousakis.

1965 / He works as an assistant to painter George Philippaki the narration of I. N. g. Dimitrios pistachios.

1969 / Opens own iconography workshop at Heraklion and worked as a freelance iconographer and the church authorities.

1975 / He is awarded the first set of frescos for the Chapel St. John the Hermit Metropolis Ierapytna and Sitia (with assistants Michael Vassilakis and Nicholas Cretan).

1975-1990 / mural sets this year are including in Faneromeni in Pahia Ammos Virgin monastery in retreat Ag. Theodori and Ag. Dimitriou Heraklion in retreat Axion Esti in Ierapetra (with partner Michael Stavroulaki) in I .N. Ag. Georgios and the Church Ag. Nektarios in Heraklion, Poros, in I. N. g. Triada in Roussa Church, in I. N. g. Triada Kavousi and churches of Lower and Upper Village in Ierapetra. 

1990-2000 / This period continues to sculpt portable iconostasis icons, including for the Church Annunciation in Sitia, the I. N. ransfiguration Arkalohori in churches in Rhodes and various churches abroad. 

2000-2015 / The decade begins dealing with the art of mosaic. Mosaic works of this decade (in collaboration with Maria Kumanova) located on I. N. g. Nicholas in naval Sitia basis, the Monastery of Our Lady Pantanassa, the Monastery of Toplou, the Monastery Savvathiana in Heraklion and in private collections. 

As early as 2012 has been a proposal for a retrospective report to St. Isaac St. Petersburg in Russia. The last three years completely dedicated to the realization of creating works especially for the exhibition. 

The exhibition took place on October 3, 2015 at the State Museum-Monument Cathedral of St. Isaac in St. Petersburg. He was unable to attend because of the heavy state of health, however spoke to attendees online.

Manolis past away on October 6, 2015, three days after the opening of the exhibition which lasted until November 16, 2015 and received rave reviews. The top, however, is vindication after his death, the project selection for the Hermitage Museum of St. Petersburg.

More about the great painter and iconographer here