Learning to Paint an Icon

Earlier this month, I spent six days at the guest house of a Toronto Anglican convent - learning how to paint a Greek-Orthodox style icon.

I had first heard about the course a year and a half ago...

It's something I've wanted to do for a long while - so immediately signed up.

I knew nothing about the purpose of these religious paintings - but I was curious...

The instructor - a professional iconographer from southern Ontario -  mentioned three traditions of icons - all slightly different: Greek Orthodox, Russian Orthodox, and Coptic.

Like me, the instructor grew up in a church that didn't use these religious images.

He didn't mention why he was drawn to the Greek-Orthodox tradition, but he did show us  how to make natural pigments - by grinding up plants, minerals - and even burned bones - to make different colors of egg tempera paint - the way painters used to do it back in the day....

(The eggs used to make the egg tempura came from iconographer's own chickens!)

The painting process was a quiet, meditative exercise.

Over the course of the week, our paintings changed...

Finally came the time to add gold leaf (a new experience for me)...

When they were done, our icons were blessed...

Now they need to rest on a shelf for about six months so that everything can dry.

The whole icon making course was a wonderful experience... Challenging - yet so much fun!

I think that all 12 of us who participated in the course were happy with the results...

But, not having grown up with the tradition, I still can't say I understand icons - an art form our instructor called "windows to heaven."