Faith painting

The art of icon writing is one that traverses many cultures. From Buddhism, to Orthodox Christianity, to Islam, the practice is as widespread as religion itself. Katherine de Shazer teaches a weekend class on this historical art form in the Byzantine Russian tradition at the St. Mary of Perpetual Help Church in Bridgeport. “The idea of icons in the Orthodox faith is that this is actually a prayer,” de Shazer explains. “You are painting a prayer, it’s just rendered in color instead of words.” The sixteen-hour “spiritual retreat” is spread out over the second weekend of every month, and is comprised of instruction in artistic technique as well as in the relevant theology and symbolism. At the end of the class, students can expect to have “a liturgical icon for use in churches or in private homes.”

Iconography students begin by following the steps of iconographers of the past. “We are basically following traditions, and as with any artist, when you start, you copy a master,” says de Shazer. Her students begin by copying and tracing traditional icons of the saints, and are prepared to devote a long time to this laborious, yet potentially rewarding process: according to de Shazer, completing “an icon of the Archangel Michael will take 36 to 40 hours.”

In continuing this ancient religious tradition, de Shazer utilizes techniques that are “centuries and centuries old.” She paints with egg tempera, which was the primary medium of painting before oil paints were popularized in the fifteenth century. De Shazer’s icons are created in the fashion of early iconographers: an egg yolk emulsion is colored with different natural pigments made from organic material and minerals. The resulting paint is applied in alternating layers, creating a unique effect. While enthusiasts of art and/or history may be interested in this process, participants should be aware that de Shazer’s instruction addresses a significant and living historical tradition in the Orthodox faith, and demands a fair degree of devotion and respect.

St. Mary of Perpetual Help Church, 1039 W. 32nd St. February 12-14, March 12-14, April 9-11, continuing on the 2nd weekend of every month. Friday, 6-9pm; Saturday, 8am-5pm; Sunday, 8am-12pm. $10/hour, all materials included except for gesso board. (773)927-6646. stmaryofperpetualhelp.com

Tags: Bridgeport, Katherine de Shazer, St. Mary of Perpetual Help

This entry was posted on Wednesday, January 13th, 2010 at 6:41 pm and is filed under Bridgeport, Page Three, Visual Arts. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed.