At the initiative of Alena Martynova

At the initiative of Alena Martynova

Thursday, November 13, 2014

Calgary ICON PAINTING WORKSHOP


The registration is open. 

Course schedule: 9:00 AM - 5:30 PM
Monday 6th - Friday 10th of April 2015 

Location: All Saints Church,
905, 8 th Ave. N.E. Calgary, AB T2E 0S2. Canada

Payment options:
To reserve a space, you can pay full cost of the workshop: 520 US dollars(which is moreless equal to 570 canadian dollars) , or $100 as a non refundable deposit using the button below. The rest 420 USD can be paid by Paypal or cash, otherwise - or 460 Canadian Dollars upon arrival.
The registration payments are non-refundable, unless the workshop is canceled due to lack of participation. The workshops will be limited to 10 participants. Students will be accepted on a first-come first-served basis.
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Course description:
With deepest love and respect to traditional iconography our icon painting workshops are put up to introduce students to the practice of it's visual language, sometimes called “Theology in color”. Even though old Christian mosaics, frescoes, icons and miniatures are all different, they have very similar inner values, revealed individually in every single image.

Medieval Christian art with it's unique system of rules and requirements, “canons” (or “byzantine painting system”) was developed by artists in a close collaboration with church fathers in order to give image in church it's appropriate place.

Therefore we understand our task to teach our students thoughtful drawing and painting methods, used by most serious iconographers all over the world. From the very beginning we train and encourage workshop participants to make accept drawing and sketches as necessary visual studies, we let everybody paint freehand, responsibly and freely at the same time.

The goal of our whole teaching process is to inspire and to open the horizon, so that our students may continue their practice and education after the course.

This year we have chosen mosaic image of the Mother of God Orant, and at the workshop we are going to paint the icon of the Mother of God in egg tempera. We decided to use this model because very often it happens, that an iconographer has to “translate” the image from one medium to another, and this image can be a wonderful training for this kind of work.


What the student will be taught during the Icon Painting Course:
·  to define the basic forms through free-hand drawing and painting techniques
·  to understand methods of mixing and applying egg-tempera
·  to use basic colors, to create shadows and highlights
·  to control the finer highlights and to practice writing proper lettering on the icon
·  to apply the final varnish on the surface of the finished and dried up icon

What to expect:
Each student will be presented with a white-gessoed board, brushes and other instruments and materials (provided by the instructors).
The workshop begins with exercises on paper that teach students to plan the future image, it's composition and the structure. These excercises, with corresponding slide-shows, lectures and discussions, help students to understand the context and feel more prepared for work on gessoed boards.
During the course every participant will experience step by step instructions to start and complete an icon according to the traditional egg tempera method.
Daily lectures with slide presentations will include discussions on different topics, such as theology and history of medieval Christian art, related to actual practical and theoretical questions of contemporary iconography.
Students are encouraged to take notes during teacher-demonstrations and ask questions for clarification. Students are advised to bring photographs of their icons, previously painted (if any). The needs and questions of each student will be taken into account.
Every session will begin with prayer.
Writing an icon is taught to be done in a totally focused and concentrated way with no chatting or music. It is very important to go slowly at all times, living and understanding each of the steps deeply in our being. The students are encouraged to come to class each day with a refreshed, open mind and heart.

Who should attend:
Our workshops are beneficial for beginning students as well as for advanced iconographers and anyone drawn to practical and theoretical study of Medieval art in general, including Byzantine and Early Russian.
Previous experience is not required but any art background can be very helpful.
About the instructors:
Philip Davydov and Olga Shalamova are founders of Sacred Murals Studio (Saint Petersburg, Russia). Philip, M.A. in State Fine Art Academy of Saint Petersburg, faculty of Theory and History of Art, is a professional, second-generation iconographer with more than 15 years of experience, teaching professor at the Institute of Theology and Sacred Arts and head of Sacred Murals Studio in St. Petersburg, Russia.
Olga Shalamova, M.A. In State Fine Art Academy of Saint Petersburg, faculty of Theory and History of Art, Member of Union of artists of Russia, chief artist of embroidery workshop at Feodorovsky cathedral in Saint Petersburg, active participant of exhibitions of contemporary ecclesiastical art.
Philip's goal and the goal of his studio is to create icons and murals within the Christian tradition, while being contemporary works of Christian sacred art. Philip shares this creative and responsible approach as well as his own experience and professional discoveries with his students at his workshops.
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If you really wish and plan to join our workshop, but have no possibility to make the deposit payment right now, please, send us an email and let us know. Then we put your name on the list and plan the groups sizes more precisely. When the group gets filled up or the workshop period approaches, we contact you again and touch the ground about the payment details.

Be sure to give us your actual contact information: first and last name, telephone number, street address and email address. It is important for us to be able to contact you.
For all questions regarding registration and payments, please, contact Pavel Kireyev (Calgary) by phone 403-401-2819 and Philip Davydov (Russia) by email phildavydov@gmail.com

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