New Beginnings

I am back to the studio at last. After a challenging spring/summer, I am back to the business of iconography. A few people have asked me if I was continuing with iconography which sort of shocked me. Have you been with me so long...?

Anyway, my intention, which may be redirected by the powers that be, is to work on two icons simultaneously. C. said that it was important to finish a number of icons before starting multiple icons. He said that the temptation is not to finish and just keep starting new icons. Makes sense.

The first of the two is the Pantocrator- see this link for a definition http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christ_Pantocrator. I have yet to paint an icon with the person of Christ alone (meaning without Mary or John the Baptist and angels). I am using an icon that L. gave to E. as a model. The inscription in the book of the gospels is from:

Matthew 25:34-36 (New International Version)

34"Then the King will say to those on his right, 'Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. 35For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, 36I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.'

The Drawing: In previous posts I have talked about drawing. I spent hours to get the drawing above (also referred to as a cartoon). I am not sure why, but I had so much more patience for it than I have had in the past. I referenced multiple texts and models for proportion and detail, compasses, dividers, rulers, etc. It is important to get the drawing right as an icon is essentially a painted drawing. Drawing for an icon is not naturalistic because it uses inverse perspective. So, think of taking an image and make it concave. This reflects the intention of the icon, the iconographer and God to include the observer (YOU!).

I have tickets to go to Alaska and work with C. I have sent off the drawing to C. for comments- stay tuned.