Amritanandamayi Ma's visit to NYC

Only one week until Amma's darshan..........I can't wait!!!

The Sacred Art of Icon-writing

My icon-writing in progress of Archangel Michael in the Russian Byzantine style offered at the Prosopon School of Iconology. Further illuminations will lighten the face and hands.

Since this blog is about spiritual and sacred art, I wanted to do at least one post about the sacred art of icon-writing. After painting the initial stages of only one icon, shown above, I am still strictly a beginner, and there is so much more to learn, but I was fortunate to spend my Saturdays for about a year's time at the New York Studio of the Prosopon School of Iconology. When my art sales improve, I also hope to resume icon-writing lessons.

I initially learned about the presence of Russian master icon painter Vladislav Andrejev in the U.S. through artist friends Suzanne Scherer and Pavel Ouporov. Later when I heard he had formed the Prosopon School, which included a New York Studio, I was thrilled to start lessons with one of Vladislav's sons, Dmitri Andrejev, and later with Tatiana Berestova. My reaction when I entered the icon studio for the very first time and saw all of the icons in progress lining the room, was to cry, because it is such a very wonderful and moving sight.

Icon-writing is done with egg tempera and gold leaf on gessoed icon panels which usually have a niched border and vary in shape. Partly because it is considered to be a spiritual practice, it is probably true that as many as 50% of icon-writers have no previous artistic training or background, even though artists also enjoy the craft aspects of this art form. Icons stand apart from other forms of spiritual art because they are created to serve as an interface or portal window between the spiritual and physical realms, and it is for this reason that classes at Prosopon give equal emphasis and time to teaching the spiritual and symbolic meaning of each part of the physical process involved in this sacred art.

To learn more about icon-writing, and to see wonderful pictures of icons and sacred paintings, please visit Prosopon School of Iconology . There are also some wonderful icons from around the world currently posting in the Facebook group Egg Tempera Painters

Progress update on the first "Mary in Kimberly" panel painting

(click on the art in progress to view it larger; as previously explained, the red clay bole background will later be covered with gold leaf and bordered with the mother of pearl, a sample of which is included at the lower right)

At this time I am working on the veil, hands, and lower portions of the portrait. This post shows further work in egg tempera, on and around the hands.