I have always loved Russian Icons, and since the day I saw them hanging in a friends home they became an obsession.  One of those obsessions you keep with you because you are not sure how you are going to get your hands on one unless you paint it yourself.  Painting something yourself isn’t always the solution though, because what you envision and the reality of what you are capable of are sometimes two very different things.  It took many years, and a lot of quiet mustering of courage before I took the plunge, and tried to paint one of my own.

A few years ago a friend who fly’s for Emirates Airlines was flying to Moscow and I asked him to bring me back a touristy icon they are known to sell outside the cathedrals as mementos.  He came back with two, but they weren’t painted, they were stickers on wooden panels. I was initially a little disappointed, but the more I looked at them the more I felt compelled to try to paint them.  I kept them in my art studio to torment me into submission (and for inspiration), and eventually after a good few years I plucked up the courage to give it a try and below is the result.  In reality I should thank our friend profusely, because if he had brought me back a painted icon I probably would never have frustrated myself into painting my own so THANK YOU for your beautiful gift, and unwitting inspiration. It makes that gift all the more special!

Icon
24 carat Gold leaf and acrylic on wooden artists board
20 cm X 25 cm X 2 cm

Icon, close-up #1

First I sealed the board with white artists gesso, then sanded it down lightly so when I painted the icon I would be painting on a very smooth surface. Next, I carefully drew out the image of what I was going to paint and then painted the back ground in a red iron oxide. After that I lay down the gold leaf, smoothing it on with a soft paint brush, but not too gently, as I wanted to get an aged feeling to the leaf. In the places where it tore I wanted the red of the undercoat to show through adding to the look of an old icon. When completed the gold leaf was sealed with a special metal leaf sealer so it would not damage further than I wanted it to, and finally an isolation coat to protect the complete painting was painted on.

Icon, close-up #2

Icon, close-up #3

Icon, close-up #4

Icon, close-up #5

Icon, close-up #6