ICON PAINTING
St. Basil the Great teaches that the honor given to an iconographic image is transferred to the Original Image. According to the tradition, the first icon was created by Christ himself when He displayed His Face on a cloth. The Word became flesh, and the icon captures this most important Gospel event in color, preaching to the world about the incarnation of the Word, the theosis of man and the transformation of matter. The Church of Christ keeps many traces of the heavy wheels of history on itself. Whatever happens, icons have always been kept in Christian churches and homes, because they are not so much an adornment and depiction of the saints, the Mother of God, Christ, or the Gospel events, as a window to the spiritual world through which the worshipper communicates with Heaven.
Icons accompany an Orthodox person throughout their entire life. A measure icon (corresponding to the baby's height) with the image of the patron saint was painted as a gift for the naming ceremony. Parents blessed their children with a pair of wedding icons for marriage. Over time, a family icon appeared in the red corner, which depicted the heavenly patrons of all family members. Warriors were blessed with holy images on the battlefield. When traveling, believers often took a small icon with them. Orthodox Christians are also "escorted" by icons in churches and houses in their final journey.
Icon painting is not just for artists, but for those people who have received blessing and education in religious schools and for whom icon painting is a way of life. Icon painters represent a certain church rank; therefore painting icons requires not only professional qualities and an understanding of dogmata, but also participation in the liturgical life of the Church. In the case of our painters, each icon is not just a matter of craft and workflow, but also the contact with the Original figure, who is portrayed on the board. This process requires perseverance, craftsmanship, and a certain prayerful mood, because painting an icon is a kind of its birth into this world. Thus, the icon painter connects the heavenly with the earthly through his skills, expressing spiritual realities in colors, according to the traditions of the Church.
The icon painters of the Prohram Studio utilize the ancient technique of egg tempera with only natural materials, which ensures virtually centuries-old storage of icons. You can read more about the technique of painting icons in the Technique tab.
Icons accompany an Orthodox person throughout their entire life. A measure icon (corresponding to the baby's height) with the image of the patron saint was painted as a gift for the naming ceremony. Parents blessed their children with a pair of wedding icons for marriage. Over time, a family icon appeared in the red corner, which depicted the heavenly patrons of all family members. Warriors were blessed with holy images on the battlefield. When traveling, believers often took a small icon with them. Orthodox Christians are also "escorted" by icons in churches and houses in their final journey.
Icon painting is not just for artists, but for those people who have received blessing and education in religious schools and for whom icon painting is a way of life. Icon painters represent a certain church rank; therefore painting icons requires not only professional qualities and an understanding of dogmata, but also participation in the liturgical life of the Church. In the case of our painters, each icon is not just a matter of craft and workflow, but also the contact with the Original figure, who is portrayed on the board. This process requires perseverance, craftsmanship, and a certain prayerful mood, because painting an icon is a kind of its birth into this world. Thus, the icon painter connects the heavenly with the earthly through his skills, expressing spiritual realities in colors, according to the traditions of the Church.
The icon painters of the Prohram Studio utilize the ancient technique of egg tempera with only natural materials, which ensures virtually centuries-old storage of icons. You can read more about the technique of painting icons in the Technique tab.
