Painting the Face of Jesus. The face of Christ icon is the most simplified of all icons, it is His face as a portrait and reminder of the mysterious presence that is in everything, everywhere, all the …More
Painting the Face of Jesus.
The face of Christ icon is the most simplified of all icons, it is His face as a portrait and reminder of the mysterious presence that is in everything, everywhere, all the time. Gazing at the face of Christ image is sufficient to grasp the simplicity of all humanity. We are flesh and spirit being seen, I am flesh and spirit indivisible in God. I cannot exist, not one breath outside the same energy that created Him. Each time we see our own likeness in the face of Christ we are changed and I suspect each time we hear the biblical words which speak of limitless, unbound love we are also changed. There is potential in the icon image to make us feel seen by something greater than ourselves. John 1:14 “The Word became Flesh and walked among us.” This tiny statement explains the intense mental involvement in painting icons.
Every time I touch the brush to the board and stand back after it has been completed, I am amazed at what has happened. As some would say, God’s word is written in stone so it is with icon painting, we created image from living stone. The simplicity of million-year-old dirt becoming image is supernatural. After twenty years of painting with egg tempera, I still cannot grasp how pushing around small particles of earth can create such extraordinary line, color and shape.
www.sacrediconretreat.com
The face of Christ icon is the most simplified of all icons, it is His face as a portrait and reminder of the mysterious presence that is in everything, everywhere, all the time. Gazing at the face of Christ image is sufficient to grasp the simplicity of all humanity. We are flesh and spirit being seen, I am flesh and spirit indivisible in God. I cannot exist, not one breath outside the same energy that created Him. Each time we see our own likeness in the face of Christ we are changed and I suspect each time we hear the biblical words which speak of limitless, unbound love we are also changed. There is potential in the icon image to make us feel seen by something greater than ourselves. John 1:14 “The Word became Flesh and walked among us.” This tiny statement explains the intense mental involvement in painting icons.
Every time I touch the brush to the board and stand back after it has been completed, I am amazed at what has happened. As some would say, God’s word is written in stone so it is with icon painting, we created image from living stone. The simplicity of million-year-old dirt becoming image is supernatural. After twenty years of painting with egg tempera, I still cannot grasp how pushing around small particles of earth can create such extraordinary line, color and shape.
www.sacrediconretreat.com