“Commit yourself, I repeat, without defense to the will of your [spiritual] guides – give way to them, like clay to the potter, like iron to a smith; let them mold and hammer on the forge of obedience (as was expressed by St. John, author of the Ladder) your unruly and proud will, until it will be ground into the soft wax of humility, so that with understanding and discernment you may repeat the words of the Psalmist:
“In our humiliation the Lord remembered us” (Ps. 135:23), or, “It is good for me that Thou hast humbled me, that I might learn Thy statutes (Ps. 118:71).”
Abbess Thaisia, in “Letters to a Beginner”
Iconography: Articles and Theology
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An Iconographer's "Rule of Seven Sacraments"
“Every work has its own time. There is time for working, and there is time for praying—but there is also time for praying while working.
An iconwriter is not just an artist but also a “theologian through images.” The talent of an artist is nourished through work and the talent of a theologian is opened through prayer. An artist tries to meditate on God in his or her paintings, but the artist-iconwriter is practically touching the heavenly powers through the icon’s symbols and, to a certain degree, perceives the Presence of God. An iconwriter-theologian contemplates the revelation of the Prosopon –the uncreated Image of God. That is why prayer together with praxis forms the essence of an iconwriter’s life. “
-as taught by the Prosopon School of Iconology
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An Icon: two types of Creativity
An Icon suggests two types of creativity. It is art and religion, and these two types are complementary and interrelated. Therefore, the painting of an icon is a process of ascent from darkness to light, as material things ascend to their spiritual essence. That’s why the process of iconography is related to liturgy—It is liturgical. An icon on the board is a symbolical description of reality. That’s why the teaching about an icon is the teaching about the image of God in man. So every step that we demonstrate on the board shows certain realities that have to be not only depicted on the board but also be realized in one’s soul.
-as taught by the Prosopon School of Iconology -
The Meaning of an Icon Board
The Iconographic process begins with the preparation of the board. The board is the first step. The Iconographic process uses natural materials, and therefore, the base of an icon is a natural wooden panel. Traditionally, certain kinds of woods are used in the process of preparation of icon boards. Most preferred are boss or linden wood, as well as poplar.
