Bessie began studying Byzantine iconography (acrylic and gold leaf on wood panels) in 1994 under the guidance of Diamantis Cassis of blessed memory.
In 2007, under the direction and support of George Filippakis, she began work on the Saint Efstathios Chapel in Houston, Texas, completing 100 icons over the next eleven years including the Pantocrator, the Platititera, the 24 Stanzas of the Akathist Hymn, and the Life of Saint Efstathios. Since completing this work in 2018, she has been blessed to work on major projects for Orthodox parishes in Craig and Boulder, Colorado.
In 2025, she completed a Byzantine Iconography Certificate Program through Saint Vladimir’s Seminary under Dr. George Kordis, expanding her work into egg tempera. She is currently working on a multi-phase project for her home parish at Saint John the Baptist Orthodox Church in Craig, Colorado, with installation of Phase I in April of 2026.