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.

Faces

This past week I was finishing up the first highlight. And I have to tell you-- I struggled specifically with the faces. Part of the glorious mystery of the Trinity is found amidst the total oneness, and yet total three-ness of the persons. And since icons are theology in pictorial form, I was faced with the balance of expressing the oneness, most prominently found (depicted in this icon) in the faces. Take a look above. The original icon has these faces nearly identical.
I am challenged with trying to mimic these same faces. You would not think it so hard. But so much is implied in the tiniest facial lines. I've been watching faces this week, as I try to master this art. I've seen stress and worry, happiness and joy, and everything in between. Beyond mere expressions, I have noticed the amazing creativity God has used in forming his creation. Our faces are so very different. From the small tiny noses, to the long and wide ones. I've seen chubby cheeks and laugh lines-- there is so much written on our faces!

Here are my faces. There's a lot of work to do yet, so don't worry about the finished product. But tell me,

what do you see?

First Highlight, part 1

I've now moved on to highlighting. Since we are having fantastic gusts of wind today, I thought it only appropriate to start with the angel representing the Holy Spirit, the breathe.

 The first highlight represents the cosmos ("cosmic highlight"), and the "light of nature", separating from the dark.                                                                                             
This was magnificently illustrated to me, as I tried to find the right folds in the clothing. Where are the shadows hiding? Where is the light coming from? And yet, still keeping in mind, there is more to come. Now, there are obvious parallels in those questions alone. But, I found myself meditating on God's rest demonstrated here and in all other icons. Icons are not to show action, but a moment at rest. Part of the reasoning for this is the intended use of the icon once written. Icons are tools used for meditation and prayer.

What do you think of when you envision mediation and prayer?
A soccer game? A race car? Nope, me neither.

Meditation and prayer are encountered in stillness, in listening, as much (or more) as in speaking.



p.s.- I'd also like to point out the beginnings of the building up of not only color, but texture! See below!

Finishing lines

I have finished the lines. They have definitely taught me patience. And during meditation of straight lines, I contemplated the straight things of God. His truth. His will for our life. I messed up a few times and had to realize that God uses everything. Even those times when we veer. And when I got back on track, I was relieved to be back. Back in truth.

I've also finished the Curved lines (at least the ones I was going to do in black). In curve lines, we find "the deeper movement of thought". They took more precision, and yet seemed easier to make when allowed. I am in a place in my life where I am being encouraged to think deeply, and ask questions. And often times when I am there, I feel just as I felt in this curve writing, a little hesitant, but eased in the asking/writing. In the same way, Christ invites us deeper and deeper into relationship with himself. It can be tentative. It means doing things you've never done before and letting go of fears, and yet, the reward is wonderful and filled with hope!

I pray you see hope in these lines.

Beginning with lines: Straight

The first depiction of the Trinity/Visitors to Abraham story was thought to be carved out of a cylindrical stone. It included three figures and a small amount of background. And while I'm sure the sculptor(s) were much more talented than I, it had no lines to be painted. And lines are hard. 

At this early stage, lines are added on top of the 2nd layer of Roskrish. The icon I chose has LOTS of lines. So these updates will come in segments. Because lines are HARD. I practiced a lot and still wasn't particularly wonderful.

 Did I mention lines are hard? Don't make fun.

 I thought I'd also talk about the differences in lines. Today-- straight lines. I did some curved lines, but for the most, this first section was straight.

"A straight line represents the straight motion of our mind, and in practicing it we prepare our will to act in the simple straight way, the way of Truth." (Prosopon School)

This truth, we know as the love of God, His unending story of love to His people. The truth, we know, is that Christ came to earth, fully God and fully man, to trample down "death by death".

This phrase is one my favorite from the Eastern Orthodox liturgy. The whole proclamation is...

Christ is risen from the dead, trampling down death by death;
and upon those in the tombs bestowing life!

Because the unending story continues with the living, breathing, restored relationship, just as is shown in this icon. Today, let the lines give a little more distinction to the hope and truth we have in Christ!

Second Layer of Roskrish: Looking "through a glass darkly"

I applied the second layer of Roskrish today.  It's a little darker, but for the most part, you can hardly tell the difference. It is forming, though. The chiton and himation are the most prominent and easily distinguishable right now (these are the garments they are wearing).

This reminds me of the passage in I Corinthians 13:12, where Paul is going to great lengths to pour out his passion for what Love really is. And the entire time he is outlining God's love. The perfect love. And the love that inspired this icon, which is God at it's core. And in verse 12, he hits the climax by saying that one day, we shall see face to face. Can you picture it? Face to face?
I imagined my face being inches away from another person's. The things you see and experience with another person are completely different when standing at normal distance. There is a comfortability that you feel when you are literally SO close. You know them differently. And creator and creation will meet face. to. face. Paul says.

But for now, "we see but a poor reflection as in a mirror", a foggy mirror. This is what the second layer of Roskrish did for me. It's intensity in color and it's deepness in meaning, invoked a meditation on the "already, but not yet". And as you can see, it's a foggy reflection right now.

"If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, 

but have not love, 

I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal.

If I have the gift of prophecy
and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, 

and if I have a faith that can move mountains, 

but have not love, 

I am nothing. 

If I give all I possess to the poor
and surrender my body to the flames,

but have not love, 

I gain nothing.
 

Love is patient, 

love is kind. 

It does not envy, 

it does not boast, 

it is not proud. 

It is not rude, 

it is not self-seeking, 

it is not easily angered, 

it keeps no record of wrongs. 

Love does not delight in evil 

but rejoices with the truth. 

It always protects, 

always trusts, 

always hopes, 

always perseveres. 

Love never fails. 

But where there are prophecies, 

they will cease; 

where there are tongues, 

they will be stilled; 

where there is knowledge, 

it will pass away. 

For we know in part and we prophesy in part, 

but when perfection comes, 

the imperfect disappears. 

When I was a child, 

I talked like a child, 

I thought like a child, 

I reasoned like a child. 

When I became a man, 

I put childish ways behind me. 

Now we see but a poor reflection as in a mirror; 

then we shall see face to face. 

Now I know in part; 

then I shall know fully, 

even as I am fully known.

(NIV, 2 Cor. 13:1-12, spacing my own)

Finishing the first layer of Roskrish

Roskrish is a muddling. It was almost upsetting to me, a type-A, "in the lines" kind of person. But, this world was muddled before it was defined. First God separated out the light from the dark. Then he separated the land from the oceans. And so on. It didn't start with the intricate leaf, or the structured snowflake. It started a little muddled. And so was the Roskrish.

Another thought as clear as mud-- every time I sit down, pray, and paint, I seem to have all this stuff leftover. The bits of dried pigments, the unclean brushes and the water, you guessed it-- clear as mud.
As I was contemplating the trinity and the making of the earth out of chaos, I was struck by God making everything out of nothing. And he had nothing to clean up. Just a declaration, "And it was good, and there was evening and there was morning," that day.

"To the King of the ages, immortal, invisible, the only God" (1 Tim. 1.17a)

Roskrish, layer 1

Today I applied the Roskrish colors. Traditionally, the next step would be to do any gilding, or "gold leaf" sections. Since I didn't have any gilding to do, I skipped applying bole and gold leaf. Roskrish colors are dark and muted. They represent the base materials that life (and this icon) are formed from.

So, first off-- mixing the egg tempera. This is prepared, as everything in iconography with intentionality and prayer. The yoke of the egg is separated out and punctured to release the inner yolk, from the membrane. Eggs are such a symbol of new life; and this is no exception. This is one of the first steps to "birthing" an icon, if you will. It is combined with a thinning and acidic agent, which for me was a vinegar/distilled water mix. (Dry white wine can also be used.)

With my egg mixture, I was ready to mix. Mixing is probably the largest mystery to me. I took a tiny bit of the all-natural pigment, and used my dropper to add the egg mixture. I found that I needed about 4-6 drops to get the consistency below:

From here, I started with the background of my icon. Generally, you would first start with the main image of the icon. However, my images are fairly small, so I needed to practice the special brush stroke for icons.

"A long wide brush stroke is considered the
narcissistic 'mark of the artist,' and
unbecoming to an iconographer."
-Betsy Porter

Therefore, the brush strokes are in small circular patterns. I found this extremely serene to paint. It is concentrated and precise. I found myself, while painting the robes, able to meditate on the meaning of each color, and it's attribute of God. I started dwelling on the difference of Christ's Reddish robes relating to Christ coming to the earth as a man, representing the dirt that man was created out of by the father versus the Holy Spirit's greenish robes relating to the Spirit's presence amid creation and life, in a subtly different way. Both have come to earth, and yet each in their own unique way of relation. It reminds me once again of the way that community has such a part to play in the Trinity and therefore our relationship with God. Even when encountering the same thing, we experience and relate to it different than others. We were created as individuals, with different talents and gifts, and it seems precisely in the image of God, who also relates to us in different ways.

What do you see, in the formation of these figures?

Day 2: Tracing

First thing's first. Icons are not art. I am not showing off my artistic eye and putting it on display in a gallery. The roots of iconography come from Judaism where it is forbidden to make graven images of God. With this in mind, the goal of an icon is not to represent an actual representation of the image (what s/he actually looked like), or convey the artist's heart's desire or meaning. The image is made to invoke the life and act(s) portrayed. Let us consider the words from the Council of Nicea:

"...so much the more will beholders be aroused to recollect the originals and to long after them, and to pay to the images the tribute of an embrace and a reverence of honour, not to pay to them the actual worship which is according to our faith, and which is proper only to the divine nature...For the honour paid to the image
passes to its original, and he that adores an image adores in it the person depicted thereby…"¹


To recap-- iconography is not to be used as art, that you look at and put in a gallery, nor is it to be worshiped.  (All protestants repeat this six times before continuing to read.)

In this way, then, we capture the image in such a way that we purposefully neglect our knowledge of proportion and perspective. This is distorted to remind us that the image we see is not the person, that we are not to dwell over the beauty of their eyes. We see this image as a bearer of the depicted, a window to the divine. Now some icons represent Christ, the Holy Mother, or other saints.  The icon I will be walking you through is of the story of the three visitors to Abraham, found in Genesis 18:1-15. In iconography and in traditional interpretation, this passage lends itself to identifying the three angels as the trinity. I will be assuming this interpretation and so depicting it as seen in the Icon to the right.  

Since this is not a display of my own art, I will be, quite literally, reproducing the form and structure as precisely as possible. So, my first step is to trace the image to the board. 

A Song of Creation (Benedicite, omnia opera Domini)

Glorify the Lord, all you works of the Lord,
praise him and highly exalt him for ever.
In the firmament of his power, glorify the Lord,
praise him and highly exalt him for ever.
Glorify the Lord, you angels and all powers of the Lord, 
O heavens and all waters above the heavens.
Sun and moon and stars of the sky, glorify the Lord,
praise him and highly exalt him for ever.
Glorify the Lord, every shower of rain and fall of dew, 
all winds and fire and heat. 
Winter and Summer, glorify the Lord,
praise him and highly exalt him for ever. 
Glorify the Lord, O chill and cold,
drops of dew and flakes of snow.
Frost and cold, ice and sleet, glorify the Lord,
praise him and highly exalt him for ever.
Glorify the Lord, O nights and ays, O hining light and enfolding dark.
Storm clouds and thunderbolts, glorify the Lord, 
praise him and highly exalt him for ever.
(Song of the Three Young Men, 35-51, courtesy of The Night Offices, by Phyllis Tickle)


1. Henry Bettenson & Chris Maunder, Documents of the Christian Church (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1999), 130