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Iconography by Yvette Abdallah
representing
the sacrament of marriage, depicting the
figures of Saints Joachim and Anna (the
parents of the Virgin Mary) embracing. |
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The icon creation follows several meticulous artistic
steps that require great attention to detail, including tracing the icon,
etching it, painting seven layers, burnishing it with a stone, guilding,
gold-leaf application, and varnishing the final piece. This artistic
immersion and the time involved in creating just one icon, which can take
many months, allows the artist to strive for a higher artistic level through
introspection, prayer, Bible studies, and church teachings to make a
personal, spiritual connection with the icon.
Artistically inclined as a child, Yvette was soon
drawn to this art that was, basically, thrust upon her. "It's not a
'traditional' form of fine art," she says. "Because God created the world
from nothing, no synthetic or manmade materials are used when creating the
icon. Colors are made by grinding stones that look quite ordinary, but are
actually colored inside," she says. "It's a very 'green' art form."
Each artist's icon is different, in that it is
created in his or her state of self reflection, while being liturgically
correct according to church teachings.
Note: This text has been excerpted and
adapted from a feature on the Rutger's University Alumni website. To
read the original article (Click
Here) |
