Saint Nicolas Icon

Every Friday i am studying iconography art and the icon i am working on is the icon of Saint Nicolas. My previous attempt was on a smaller board with the Saints Raphael, Nicolaos and Irene. I had a failure with the gold leaves for my icon and i was disappointed a bit. I am happy to see that i had a success on the gold gilding for my next icon Saint Nicolaos. Ofcourse gold gilding is a procedure that needs expertise and gets better with practice and time. Before the gold gilding the icon needs much care and preparing. Next Friday i will start painting and the same time i will work with my digital icon. I hope that soon i will reach a phase when i will paint traditionally and digitally icons and get the results that i am looking for (litourgical and aesthetic).

Doros, My best friend! The proskinitari construction filmed.

Doros Gabriel is my best friend. He is a great craft-man and builder with dexterity. He is interested in acting and antiques. He is my right hand for building the proskinitari according to my plans and he distress for the fulfillment of the construction. The work is filmed in every phase.

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Proskinitari is now in phase 3.

What can happen in a week? There is a Greek motto saying: Όσα δεν φέρνει ο χρόνος τα φέρνει η στιγμή’ – ‘Osa den fernei o hronos ta fernei i stigmi’, which means: A single moment can bring more than a whole year”. It is true. A moment can change someones life for the better or the worse. The cloudy sky in the photo taken on Saturday 24th of November, resembles my heart. 

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The proskinitari is in phase 2

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“The rock is almost ready to scream!”

The proskinitari has started getting its shape and i am happy to see another part of my project getting ‘alive”. Every Saturday evening i will meet with my friend Doros. We will work together till dawn and in few weeks the passerbyes can stand in front the proskinitari and worship God and his Saints.

For phase1 i have bought a cemented box with two opened sides. I have been looking for such a box and i fount it with not much struggle. The icon of Saint Raphael, Nicolaos and Irene will be accommodated inside. The cemented box was engraved underneath – the base so that it would be rough. After that the base was glued on the rock so that we could have a strong solid body.

 

I could say that this rock and the proskinitari that is taking its shape is the prototype of my work. This is the prototype of prototypes of my work. Other ideas and scopes of my project are circulating the proskinitari, a real construction in my neighborhood park.

The progress of my digital icon – Saint Raphael, Nikolaos and Irene

I don’t want to rush the completion of my first digital icon. I take my time and i am working on it when i have a clear mind. I find that is very difficult for me to work when i try to work on the icon with blurred mind. The process of making an icon is sacred and the mind has to be free of disturbing thoughts.

I remember a day when my mind and soul were not devoted to the Saints but i was still trying to work on the icon regardless the fact that i was ”away”. A strong shaking of the ground has shocked me. It was an earthquake that lasted for few seconds but has reminded me the real devotion of the true iconographer when making a sacred icon. I don’t claim that an earthquake happened to wake me up but has reminded me that our world is so fragile and if you are really devoted to something then you must do it properly.

 I am still very coutious to work slowly on my icon so that i will present an icon that will not brake the aesthetic and liturgical values of the traditional iconography. This is also a difficult task.The icon is not yet finished but i feel that i am on a good way.    

                          

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The second group had the chance to have their q&a session. I was the first student to speak about my presentation.

Paul asked me how the physical proskinitari and the virtual in Second life relate. Because of the short time i had to answer i said that the physical proskinitari is like a receiver of the passerbyes prayers in real life. I had to mention also that the virtual proskinitari will act the same way in the virtual environment of Second Life. Passerbye avatars can enter the chapel in Second life and adore the digital icons inside. Since the chapel will be virtual so the icons inside have to be virtual too. They will exist in digital form / bytes and not as paint on wooden boards and the other materials of the Byzantine technique. The purpose in each case is the same. It is to bring the Christian closer to the Saints and God. Orthodox Christians make their cross and kiss the icons. In this way they show their respected to the depicted Saints, Jesus Christ and Virgin Mary. I have an idea of an animation in Second life that an avatar can activate and kiss the icons inside the virtual chapel one by one like Orthodox Christians are doing in a real church. I will create a video of this worship soon because some do not know the Orthodox dogma tradition.

Jessica asked  “are you planning to combine the virtual and the “real” chapel – like integreating images of the real one in the virtual version and the other way around etc?

The answer is that i am thinking this idea. The virtual chapel will have digital icons inside.I am planning also to create Byzantine icons with the traditional technique because i want to show respect to the old tradition and dogma and not only create teh digital icons. The physical materials used in the traditional Byzantine technique have their meaning which is “