If I Can, You Can! - The Writing of an Icon
Charlotte Carver writes about her experience of writing attending one of Fr Alex's Icon workshops.
For some time, I have enjoyed moments of calm and contemplation working in mixed media. Now in the seventh year of a local class, I’m the perpetual art student, always learning and experimenting. So, when I heard about a Beginners Icon Workshop at Belmont Abbey, I thought “How relaxing to go and paint an icon in the summer holidays”. But I was wrong on two counts: it wasn’t all relaxing; and you don’t paint an icon, you write it!
However, it was good to know that Materials would be supplied: gessoed boards, special sandpaper, dry pigments and eggs and vinegar for tempera. But that wasn’t quite all - we had to take a notebook and pen, drawing materials, quite a few technical instruments, plus brushes, palettes and several rags which “must be absorbent and non-fluffy – a lot!” and jam jars.
Anyway, shopping done and lunches booked, I set off in early August with my bulging kit bag. Our small group was met by our tutor, Dom Alex Echeandía who had flown in four days earlier from Belmont’s Monastery in Peru, whereupon he set about preparing for the three courses about to take place. This included making about 40 ‘boards’ for the three workshops… all highly significant, but that’s another story.
So, we were now in class and we really had to concentrate: there were Rules of Iconographers; and it was all about layers (one at a time) and prayers -The Iconographer’s Prayer, The Jesus Prayer and into the Abbey for optional Midday Prayers and Vespers. Light relief, in the form of presentations and talks were educational, and we enjoyed lots of chatty breaks - including when The Magic Monk Fr. Dominic joined us with his box of tricks. Not exactly as relaxing as I’d been expecting, but it was special to spend time fully focussed in a quiet way with such a brilliant tutor and to have time to make new friends into the bargain.
Fr Alex looked after us so kindly, blessing (carefully, from a great height) our work with holy water and an olive branch before we departed on the sixth day. On the seventh day, I just hope he rested from his labours before he welcomed the intermediate and advanced groups.
He mentioned he was then due to take three of his works to the "Icons for Hope and Faith" exhibition, organised by the British Association of Iconographers at Westminster Abbey in September.
For more about Fr Alex, see https://domalexicons.org/ and Icon Workshops – https://domalexicons.org/blog-full-width/ https://www.belmontabbey.org.uk/icon-workshops
Meanwhile our parish priest at St Wulstan's. Little Malvern, Fr Thomas,recently suggested that we might like to do something to support the education of the young monks in Peru, where Fr Alex is the Prior.
So, we are having a Special Collection at St Wulstan’s at the beginning of Advent. We are also taking orders now for greeting cards (5x7ins and blank inside) made from my representation of The Mandylion icon.
Also known as the Image of Edessa, it is a holy relic and early Christian icon depicting the face of Jesus and described as a cloth (like a towel of napkin) upon which the image of the face of Jesus was miraculously imprinted, without human intervention.
Booking forms for the Mandylion cards are available at the back of St Wulsan's church or by email from carvers57@gmail.com.
The question is now: will I will sign up for next summer’s Workshop? Might you be tempted to join me and write an Icon? If I can, then you can too!
Charlotte Carver
