Writing the Icon

A sacred art form dating back to the Byzantine era

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Throughout history, artists have relied on inspiration or imagination to create works of art unlike any other. In Western traditions especially, artists are encouraged to express their individual styles and personal viewpoints. For a select group of practitioners, however, works of great beauty can arise by adhering to the precepts of a sacred artistic tradition called icon painting. These painters, or writers as some prefer to be called, keep this centuries-old art form alive by reproducing traditional forms rather than inventing new interpretations. 

For the past two years, Baton Rougean Ginnie Bolin has spearheaded workshops at which she assists participants in painting an icon—an image depicting Christ, the Virgin Mary, saints, or angels. The tradition is a sacred art form that dates back to the Byzantine era and was practiced among Eastern Orthodox and Catholic churches. “It’s a very prescriptive form of painting,” Bolin said. “We have rules to follow through the Orthodox churches. Everyone paints the same image and tries to make the image look just like the picture we give them—to not be creative. It’s hard.”

Though it may sound methodical, paint-by-numbers it is not. As the famous Greek iconographer Photios Kontoglou, who died in 1965, wrote, “The art of the icon painter is above all a sacred activity. ... Its style is entirely different from that of all the schools of secular painting. It does not have its aim to reproduce a saint or an incident from the Gospels, but to express them mystically, to impart to them a spiritual character ... to represent the saint as he is in the heavenly kingdom, as he is in eternity.” 

“Painting the icon is considered a prayer,” said Kathryn Hessburg, a friend of Bolin’s who has participated in all of her past workshops. Though Bolin does not pressure participants to embark upon any spiritual practice, icon painters historically prepare for the activity with long periods of spiritual cleansing: fasting and clearing the mind of bad thoughts, for instance. “You get out of it what you put into it,” Bolin said. 

Not only an act of prayer itself, a finished icon is also meant to invoke prayer from those who look upon its visage. As the website orthodox.cn describes, the icon is “a window through which we look with our physical eyes at the Kingdom of Heaven and the realm of spiritual experience.” In fact, according to Jelena Bogdanovic, a professor of architectural history at Iowa State University, icons “not only represent the holy image but also communicate the Christian Orthodox tradition and beliefs.”

The method for achieving these spiritual ideals is to strictly adhere to traditional methods for creating these images. Originally, all icon paintings were done in egg tempura and gold leaf on wooden panels. The painter would first apply a layer of gesso and outline the image, oftentimes from a pattern book that contained “established” images. Several layers (up to twelve) of gesso are again applied, starting with dark colors and progressing toward lighter, more spiritual, colors. According to Bogdanovic, the painter would refine the image to convey, as carefully as possible, “spiritual depth and the idea of emanating light from the face.” Gold leafing with sugar and water would come at the end.

“It takes a good forty hours to do an icon,” Bolin said, “and that’s a simple one. There is always something new to learn, whether it’s the background with mountains or different types of furniture. It’s an intriguing process.” 

Bolin painted her first icon at the Christ the King Catholic Student Center at LSU in 2000 after a friend told her about the class. She then began attending icon painting workshops regularly at St. Joseph Cathedral, which eventually led to her painting icons at home with friends. She hosted her first workshop in November 2014 at the LSU AgCenter Botanic Gardens at Burden as a fundraiser for Burden. Though she has painted icons for sixteen years, she refuses to call herself an expert. “I still have a lot to learn,” she said.

Bolin will teach her fourth workshop in November, when the class will paint Deborah, a female judge from the Old Testament. “How about that?” said Bolin. “We had been trying to write her biography for the participants, and she’s a very interesting, powerful woman who was also a lawyer.” Icons written in previous classes include St. Thomas, St. Francis, and Mary Magdalene. 

Each workshop lasts one week, with classes starting at 9:30 am and ending at 4:30 pm each day. The total cost for each workshop is $350, which covers all necessary materials as well as breakfast and lunch. On the first day, participants receive a plain 8x10-inch board that will serve as their canvas as well as a folder with a color picture of the subject icon.

For some, the painting process can be tricky. “I’d have to say it was intense,” Hessburg said. “I accidentally painted six fingers on Mary Magdalene,” she laughed. “In the beginning, you’re so afraid of making a mistake; but the one thing Ginnie reiterates in class is that if you make a mistake, it can be fixed.” 

Though there are no openings for the upcoming workshop, another will be held January 23—27, when participants will paint “Holy Silence,” depicting an angel. With only twenty spots in each workshop, early registration is crucial. To reserve a spot in the workshop, call Bolin at (225) 343-2225. 

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