Across the Finish Line

I completed the "Burning Bush Triptych" yesterday afternoon.   The photo is a bit skewampus but the colors are pretty accurate.  

I wish I could say that the last-minute decision to gild the fruit on the thorn bush was primarily motivated by theology, but actually, I realized that there needed to be something more in the background to balance the dominance of the gilding of the figures of the Mother of God and Jesus.  

In other words, the gilding of the figures made the burning bush recede so much that it almost disappeared.  

That said, I also realized that if I didn't balance out the figures in the foreground and the background, it would be distracting during prayer.  (This icon is for the prayer corner in my studio, which means I'll be praying with it a lot). 

 

At Last!

 Back on February 17th  I completed the drawing for what I thought was going to be my next icon - a triptych of the Mother of God of the Burning Bush (or the Unburnt Bush) with flanking figures of the Prophet Moses and the Prophet Isaiah for the prayer corner of the little oratory in my studio.   

My plan was to pray and meditate on the theophany at Sinai during Lent when Roman Catholics read and ponder the Book of Exodus.  

It was a great plan, except that my Lent this year started on the 24th of February when I discovered that I couldn't move without being in terrific pain and ended up going down to Seattle for back surgery (I'm doing much, much better, thank you!) and a long recuperation.  

As October begins and the year is almost over, I'm grateful to say that this icon is finally underway.  This afternoon I finished applying the red ochre trace lines and shadows on each of the figures and backgrounds.  

If you are interested, please  join me as I post from time to time on this new project. 

Getting to the Start Line

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I love to draw but its a steep climb getting to the start line.   For me, at least, despite years of experience drawing, I still need to get through the "preparatory rites" before putting pencil to paper.  Today, I took the entire day off,  ready and eager to draw.  Which I did, but only after praying, reading, three cups of tea, doing two loads of laundry, straightening up the living room, taking out the trash, sweeping the floors and putting clean sheets on the bed.  Pondering throughout the icon cartoon I intended to draw but it was early afternoon when I was actually at the drawing, ready to begin.

I've learned over the years that what I first considered procrastination is in reality an oblique way of getting myself in the undistracted frame of mind that, for me at least if I'm to pay attention well enough to grasp forms and the relationships of the forms to each other and draw them.  So what would appear to be distractions are, it turns out, at least for me, a way of deflecting distraction.  

This drawing is the central image of Jesus and Mary for what will eventually be a triptych icon.  Am still pondering and praying about what the images should be on each of the wings.  That's for the future.  In the meantime there is always laundry that needs to be folded.

Thinking with a Compass and Straightedge

I wouldn't say geometry was my best subject in high school, but it was certainly the most appealing!  Not the axioms and proofs but the fact that geometry required putting pencil to paper and drawing!  Imagine my astonishment (and delight) twenty-five years ago when I discovered via Pere Igor Sendler's book, "The Icon: Image of the Invisible" chapter after chapter on proportions and the underlying geometry of icons!

For iconographers probably the most useful aspects of geometry and proportions is gaining the almost miraculous ability (using only proportions and simple multiplication and division) to make a drawing larger (or smaller). And, by establishing a set of proportional relationships, based on the proportions of the panel (or wall) that serves as the support for the icon, being able to construct the figures within the icon.

Although I'm behind on the studio - mea culpa! - I've taken the first steps in designing a new work for the upcoming solo exhibit at the state museum (the first of  several icons that I hope to complete in time for that exhibition.)  The starting place is thinking through, with a compass and straightedge, the proportions and proportional relationships of a triptych icon (a central image with two hinged panels that are half the width of the main image.) 

Having laid the foundation, I'll be putting it aside to complete the icons that I have promised those who have commissioned them.  Thank you for your patient forebearance!