Finishing: OZHIVKI

And right about now you're asking, "How do you pronounce that?"
Oh-jeev-kee

These are the "life-giving" lines. They accentuate the life of an object. And represent that uncreated light of God. You can see mine in the garments of the three persons, and also around the nimbi of their heads. Sometimes these are incorporated on the face or hands, but since I am using a specific icon to draw from which do not have them on the flesh, I am following suit. When incorporated on the face or hands, they generally occur in twos or threes. They are the tiniest "whispers" of paint with the smallest brush you have.

This completes the painting portion of making this icon. Andrei Rublev painted this icon to hang over the tomb of St. Sergius of Radonezh, a dear friend and brother theologian of Rublev's.  When I think about finishing what seems to me, a huge task, I am reminded of what a masterpiece this was for Rublev. And it has sustained as that such masterpiece in the eyes of persons well beyond himself. Though, I can not imagine Rublev writing this icon out of a yearning for it to be a masterpiece, but instead, an act of devotion and offering to God for the life of St. Sergius of Radonezh.
These "life-giving" lines stir my soul for the things that we give our lives to, the people we care about, the offerings we extend, and the God we serve. A life worthy of the calling. May that life be lived through Jesus Christ, our Lord, who lives and reigns with the Father and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

Blessed be the tie that binds
our hearts in Christian love;
the fellowship of kindred minds
is like to that above.

We share each other's woes
our mutual burdens bear:
and often for each other flow
the sympathizing tear.

Before our Father's throne,
we pour our ardent prayers;
our fears, our hopes, our aims are one,
our comforts and our cares

When we asunder part,
it gives us inward pain;
but we shall still be joined in heart,
and hope to meet again.

By John Fawcett

Finishing touches: Border

Finishing touches. The next to final steps include putting the tiniest "extras" in. I selected a very simple, hand-drawn line as my border. I wasn't going to push my luck with the fancy birds and stars and multi-lined borders. I'm a simple girl.

And this is it touched up!

This border requires touching up the red paint (signifying the clay of the earth) around where you see those white edges peaking through.

 

And these are finishing pictures, as I work on the right color olive for the border.

Third Float & repainting Lines

The third float is the brightest and purest of colors. It's light and I put two layers of it on the icon. This is the last section of the highlighting/float process, and enunciates the colors vibrantly.

Following the float, I repainted the lines of the icon. Where before some were black (a mistake the first go-round), I adjusted them to their rightful colors.

This was a sit back and gaze moment for me. Without a doubt, iconography is a spiritual discipline. When I started, it was hard to pray and paint and write. I used resources to help aid where my head and heart and hands should react. But after a more steady practice, more of me dragging myself out of bed at 5 in the morning, much more of it came naturally. And I yearned for that time, those prayers, and what God was speaking to me here.

And just as these colors shone brilliantly and vibrantly on this wood, I felt like I was shinning more vibrantly, as well.

Third Highlight: Theocosm

The Third Highlight "symbolizes the Theocosm, the spiritual or angelic light."

There is an uniquely interesting dimension to the icon of the Troitsia. As I've mentioned before, the story depicted in this icon has evolved in the historical church, as well as found a variety of interpretations on the classification of the "three visitors". So, who gets these heavenly highlights?

Gabriel Bunge poses this question: 

"Should the three figures be understood as angels and only angels? Probably not."

There is a dimension in which this story represents both angelic and divine persons (hence the name, The Holy Trinity). This angelic or spiritual light is displayed in the third highlight. The highlights are actually very small, accentuating the second highlight, movements, gestures and assigning special significance to the persons noted.


This is the highlight that really starts to shape up the icon as a picture, as well. In this case, all three of these figures, whether angelic or divine, will have the third highlight-- both are deserving!  (Pop quiz: Are non-saints depicted in icons?  Yes! HOWEVER, they will be noted by the fact that they do not receive this final highlight and you will not see their full face, but instead a profile.) 

Bunge also quotes a liturgical text of St Romanos the Melodist, in which the Christological connections and meanings are inferred. 

"Once when the faithful Sarah, in her barrenness longed to give birth,
Before Isaac her son was born,
She received God himself in human form,
with two archangels, 

And the word came to her at that hour,
'to Sarah a son shall be.' "

As I added the third highlight, this quote was helpful to me in recognizing each story amidst the larger story. This story on its own does not mean much. But all these stories add up to help us see the larger one, the one of God's consistent commitment to humankind, the love of which God not only speaks but IS, and demonstrated in coming to earth. In retrospect, we can see how each story has its perfect place in the larger one.

Second Float: Revolution and revelation

The Second Float is harder to see. It's meant to soften the highlights a little. I specifically concentrated on the three figures depicted, but the grass was also given a second Float.

Another thing struck me in this stage. The history of this iconic story of Abraham and the three visitors has been shaped and changed throughout history. Sometimes you'll see this depicted with a prominent house and Sarah in the doorway with Abraham greeting the visitors, and sometimes you see them eating together, somewhat like this one is configured. But one of the things that makes this icon by Rublev completely different is his decision to remove Abraham and Sarah as people. The indications of the house, the Tree (of Mamre) and the Mountain (Mt. Sinai) are what helps the reader link it to the icon's tradition. 
Rublev, however was a revolutionary, in his time. The creation of this image was very reflective of the he and his contemporary, Sergii of Radonezh's vision for how they imagined the trinity to be.

"Rublev distinguished, for the first time, all three Persons, shifting the focus to the Spirit and illustrating the Johannine Pentecost in its trinitarian, christological, soteri-ological, sacramental, and spiritual dimensions."*

This reminds me of how intently these icons portray and even teach theology. By including some and not other characters, but understanding the dimensions of how each persons is facing, their hand gestures, and hierarchical ordering in the portrait-- we are helped to shape our meditations and understandings of this scene.

We see this in our everyday lives, don't we? When we read a passage of the living, breathing word of God, we can't read it the same way twice. As God moves and shapes us, we continue to learn more about who God is, how he acts, and the plethora of layers and meanings within scripture-- unlocked!
And as we see God through the glasses of our understanding, community, and relationship, we uncover new truths about God, articulated in His word, and specifically that passage you are reading again.**





* J.S. Custer review of Gabriel Bunge's The Rublev Trinity. Translated from the German by Andrew Louth. Crestwood, N.Y.: St. Vladimir's Seminary, 2007. Pp. 120.

**This liturgy of formation is very delicate. If you are not surrounding yourself with the body of Christ and if you are not in relationship with God, then these revelations become impositions of your thoughts onto the text, instead of the God speaking to you through the text.

Triangles and lines: Second Highlight

I've just finished the Second Highlight on the garments. Take a look. It should look a little out-of-place yet, but give a sense of light, as well.

Betsy Porter explains that "A smaller second highlight represents the Anthropos, the enlivening light of
human intellect and culture."


It definitely reveals a dimension that we are used to seeing around us, doesn't it?
After preparing all the mixtures and getting them just right, these lines took about 15 minutes per area.


Okay, maybe 20.


And as you can see, most areas are in these very pointy triangles, or trapezoids.

In the middle figure, there were LOTS of triangles.

 In the right figure, there were longer triangles.

 And in the figure on the left, we see more of the lines, than actual shapes.

(These pointed aspects are supposed to help indicate the icon's divinity, and, dare I say, sparkle.)


One of the things that I am really coming to terms with while prayerfully walking through this writing process, is my tendency for perfection. This is my FIRST icon. And I am by no means an expert in iconography, but I have this inkling to make it perfect, make it either exactly like the original, or exactly life-like. And one of the things that iconography is NOT supposed to be, is life-like. I hope I'm not repeating myself, but Iconography has an approachable, but distinctly "other" character about it. It's not like a snapshot picture. You have elongated noses, and the ignorance of three-dimensions.

Intentionally, the icon is trying to engage, but not represent the image. No idol-worship in these parts!


And this struck me this week. My perfectionist tendency lead me to confront my heart's desire. This icon is to be used completely for God's glory, and so it must be given into His hands. And the Eastern Orthodox church acknowledges this wonderfully, and incorporates the artist's mistakes into the understanding that this is not a perfect picture of the divine. And there is just one more thing that shows that. And something to recognize the next time you see an icon.


It also allowed me to let go of my need to have my icon look precisely like the Rublev's, giving me permission to make my prayers be known through the writing. What freedom! Now, if only I could get these faces down...


Another challenge for another day.


"Lord God, almighty and everlasting Father, you have brought me in safety to the beginning of this day: Preserve me with your mighty power, that I may not fall into sin, nor be overcome by adversity; and in all I do, direct me to the fulfilling of your purposes; through Jesus Christ my Lord. Amen."

The Divine Hours: Pocket Edition. Phyllis Tickle. (Oxford University, 2007.)

Finished First Float

In the whole Icon writing process, we have lots of layers including Lines, Highlights, Floats (and later, coats!), so in my mind's eye, I was thinking that highlights would articulate color, and floats would mute it. In actuality, we have the opposite! Highlights provide the depth of shapes and floats warm everything back up again with vibrant color. Here is the finished first float.

Icons showcase light inherently. Floats help illuminate and deepen the original colors of the icon. Both the figures and scene are used to articulate the "created" and inner light. There are no deep shadows in iconography. There is a sense that you are standing in the midst, invited to be a part of the conversation. There is both illumination on and from.

I found a neat excerpt from Henri Nouwen in some recent reading. Thought I'd share-
"Icons are not easy to 'see.' They do not immediately speak to our senses. They do not excite, fascinate, stir our emotions, or stimulate our imagination. At first, they even seem somewhat rigid, lifeless, schematic, and dull. They do not reveal themselves to us at first sight. It is only gradually, after  patient, prayerful presence that they start speaking to us. And as they speak, they speak more to our inner than to our outer senses. They speak to the heart that searches for God."


Behold the Beauty of the Lord: Praying with Icons
Henri Nouwen (Notre Dame, Indiana: Ave Maria, 1987), 14.