Two Traditions of Icon Painting

 K Fisher (2016) Mary - Western tradition
  (original fragment of icon by Segna di Bonaventura in the beginning of 14th century and kept in Honolulu Museum of Art)

Before I start to tell you about the Icon Painting course, I wanted to share that my web page on the Society of Scottish Artists is now up and running. You can find it at My SSA Web Page. I hope to update the images during the year as I finish new work. I am quite excited to have another online space.

Part of my plan for this year is to gain more knowledge and experience in the art of egg tempera painting, including different methods to protect and or varnish my work. I was very fortunate in January to attend an icon painting course in Melbourne Australia with Philip Davydov and Olga Shalamova, who are iconographers in Saint Petersburg. Their web page can be found here Sacred Murals Studio.

The course was 5 days long and even better than I had expected. I knew nothing about iconography when I started and felt I had a good grasp of what icons were about and the traditions behind them by the end of the week. I learnt that icons are a focus for prayer and meditation and that while the figures and scenes should be recognisable and painted with love and skill, they should also be abstract enough and not too flashy so as not to detract the focus from prayer. 

The course was logically set out and made more energetic and interesting by swapping between demonstration, painting and lectures in the exhibition space, where the current exhibition included icons painted by Philip and Olga. Both artists were great tutors, being very patient and encouraging and happy to answer the questions I had about their own work and practice.

K Fisher (2016) Looking at classical proportions of face

K Fisher (2016) Drawing in Ochre and Water

K Fisher (2016) Mixing flesh tone using mortar, pestle and egg yolk

K Fisher (2016) Painting tools and pigments

K Fisher (2016) Finalising drawing before green layer

K Fisher (2016) Mary - Eastern (Byzantine) Tradition  (original fragment of icon by anonymous iconographer of the Eastern Orthdox church in last two thirds of 13th century from Chilander Monastery (Mount Athos in Greece))
 

 K Fisher (2016) Mary - Western tradition
  (original fragment of icon by Segna di Bonaventura in the beginning of 14th century and kept in Honolulu Museum of Art)

Street Art - Fitzroy, Melbourne

Just over a week ago I attended a week long icon painting workshop in Fitzroy, Melbourne at the Australian Catholic University on Brunswick Street. I will post more about the course later (which was brilliant I might add!), but for now I wanted to share some of the fantastic street art I came across during one of my lunch time walks. Enjoy!