About Sister Paula Howard's Icons

About Icons
by Sister Paula Howard, OSB

Icon is the Greek word for image. Icons are basically paintings that tell stories; sacred icons tell stories from Scripture or depict an image of the Savior, Mary His Mother, or one of the saints. Considered more a form of prayer than a form of art, some icons are magnificently beautiful, but they are not created in the first place for pleasure or ornamentation. They are intended to invite the viewer to communicate with the person or event depicted in the image. Every line and every color has a meaning, just as every meter of poetry contributes to the message an author wants to tell. For this reason, icons are said to be "written" rather than painted.

For St. John Damascene in the early Christian era, the icon is the "Bible of the illiterate": What the Bible is for an educated person, the icon two icons is for those who cannot read or write; and what the word is for hearing, the icon is for sight. Even beyond this didactic purpose, the Eastern Church attributes a dimension of the sacred and the divine to the image, which makes a "vision of the invisible."

Church tradition traces the first icons back to the lifetime of the Savior Himself and the period immediately after Him. In the History of the Church by St. Eusebius (265-340) we read, " I have seen a great many portraits of the Savior, and of Peter and Paul, which have been preserved to our times." Early classical icons were written during the time of the Byzantine culture in Palestine, but the center of iconography was moved to Kiev in 988 under the rule of Vladimir. In 1240, the center of icon painting again moved to the cities of Russia where it reached its zenith in the 15 century. The past fifty years have witnessed a rebirth of appreciation of classic iconography.

The Writing of Icons
The writing of icons is considered a special vocation. The iconographer is expected to fast, pray, and live a holy life so as to be capable of expressing sacred and divine mysteries. Thus, the icon becomes, in a way, the fruit of the Holy Spirit often transmitting spiritual insight.

Although some adaptation has been made in modern times, many ancient procedures for writing icons are followed by today"s iconographers. The slab of knot-free, non-resinous wood is cut and prepared by covering it with some twelve coats of gesso, sanding after each third coat and wet-sanding after the last coat to give it a silky smooth, matte surface. Outlines of the prototype are transferred to this surface and the writing begins. Some iconographers still use egg tempera in the classic tradition, but many have turned to the use of a special brand of tempera that has a smooth texture, dries to a matte finish, and will not decompose.
One begins the writing of the icon by covering the skin areas with a shadowy deep brown color called sankir. Several coats are needed to make the area totally opaque and free of any streaks or blemishes. Lighter tones are washed on, in coat after coat, to provide the highlight areas. The same procedure is followed for each garment and background area. The halos made with delicate 18 karat gold leaf applied with a special varnish. Appropriate lettering is applied where necessary to identify the figures.

The Language of Icons
Through line and color, the iconographer tries to convey the awesomeness of the invisible and divine reality and to lead the viewer to a consciousness of the divine presence. The icon is not intended to create an emotional response. There is a conscious avoidance of movement or theatrical gesture. The faces are rarely expressive of feelings.

Icons avoid artistic techniques intended to create an illusion of three-dimensional space; they suggest space without attempting to escape the place on the panel. The lighting within is never explained by a single light source, but seems to come from within the image to illumine whosever stands before the icon. The image is reduced to a minimum of detail. Inverse perspective is used in which there is no single vanishing point. Objects often expand where, according to the rules of perspective, they should contract. Lines move toward rather than away from the person at prayer before the icon. Natural objects are rendered in symbolic, abstract manner. The icon uses earth tones for the most part, reserving more vivid colors of royalty for garments of Christ and Mary.

Figures are shown facing directly or at three-fourths front indicating the engagement of the person depicted in the icon with the viewer of the icon. Facial features are somewhat stylized. Large almond-shaped eyes become prominent windows to the soul. The nose is long and thin. The mouth is small and always closed to indicate the silence of wisdom. The neck is usually enlarged with light shining through, indicating the fullness of the Spirit. Icons of Christ have a glow of light in the forehead to indicate Divine Wisdom. In most cases some portion of the picture"part of the halo, a sandal on the Child"s foot"extends outside the frame because the divine cannot be contained in the finite.

The icon is unsigned. Having been blessed to carry on this form of non-verbal theological activity, the writer of icons avoids stylistic innovations and willingly works under the guidance of church canons and traditions. Yet real iconography is not merely the slavish copying of work done by others. The relationship is somewhat like that of a composer of music and the musician who plays the composition. Each interpretation is different depending on the degree of understanding and spiritual insight.

The icon is silent. No mouths are open nor are do any other physical details suggest sound. But, far from being empty, the silence draws us gaze in thoughtful contemplation until we have the courage to receive the gaze of the One who looks back at us, knowing us and loving us to a newfound transformation.

Blessing Prayer for Icons

O, Divine Mystery, All creation is filled with holy images of you. . . trees, flowers, rivers and hills.

Each bears the imprint of your beauty and speaks to me of your love.
May this sacred image be for me such an avenue to you and an aid in time of prayer.

May it inspire me to become an image of your love as it assists me in devotion.
O gracious God, in whose holy image we are all made, let your graceful blessing flow through me and consecrate this image to your glory. Amen.

About Sister Paula Howard
Sister Paula Howard began her ministry in iconography when she retired in 1999, Sister Paula writing an icon after several decades of teaching and administration. Interest in icons had been awakened during her more than eight years in the Middle East, but the desire to write them came alive during a retreat-workshop on icons sponsored by Sophia Center here at the Mount. Four workshops later, with the encouragement of Sister Mary Charles McGough, instructor, Sister Paula has written well over 170 icons, mostly in the Byzantine tradition. Several of them are kept for display in the monastery to enhance liturgical functions. Many of them have been sold to visitors or to inquirers across the country who have "discovered" them on our web site. In the past several years Sister Paula has begun to accept commissions to write icons of special requests.

Some Icons Written by Sister Paula Howard

Our Lady of Vladimir
Virgin Orans (One Who Prays)
The Image "Not Made by Human Hands"
Christ, The Lightgiver
Pantocrator (Maker of All Things)
Virgin of Tenderness
The Trinity of Andrei Rublev
The Virgin Korunskaja