The Birth of An Icon

Music track: J. S. Bach, "Esurientes" from Magnificat
Performers: Ingeborg Danz, alto; Bach Collegium Stuttgart, Helmuth Rilling, conductor

[@katherinenoggle6407]

Beautiful! I'd love to see more of your icon work- they have such depth of feeling!

[@paulstetsenko5721]

Katherine, you are too kind. But thank you! There is a collection on pinterest: www.pinterest.dk/paulstetsenko/paul-stetsenkos-icons/

[@elisacasa_creations]

Very beautiful result !

[@tandymartin3120]

I am SO happy to see you. I've been living in Mexico. Met an amazing icon painter who is sure you studied with the same teachers she did. I'm going to try and send you an installation she did. You'll love it.

[@paulstetsenko5721]

Oh, Tandy!!!!! so great to hear from you!

[@pakmana.k.6662]

Amazing!

[@SidiVici]

So beautiful and peaceful. It fills the heart with true love. God bless you.

[@williamhuber9639]

2 questions: 1: The first icon of Christ looks like it has white gold or silver leaf right next to higher karat gold leaf. Is that true? If so, do you have any resources on how to do that? 2: How many layers of gold leaf did you apply to get the mirror finish?

[@paulstetsenko5721]

William, the icon with the purple background has aluminum leaf, on oil gold size. There is no gold leaf; or it might just be the effect of lighting. After that first try, I didn’t like it, and it was the only time I tried it. I typically try anything at least once. As for water gilding, I only apply one layer of gold leaf. Even if there are imperfections, I leave them as they are. If it has a big holiday, I might fault it, but otherwise I don’t futz with it. Double gilding silences the color of the bole, and I like the bole to speak. The relationship between the bole and gold is the same as between the singer and the accompaniment. Neither should be too loud.

[@williamhuber9639]

@@paulstetsenko5721 ok, thank you.

[@williamhuber9639]

@@paulstetsenko5721 follow up questions about the bole. How do you apply it? By flooding it or with a dry brush and how many layers do you place?

[@paulstetsenko5721]

@@williamhuber9639 Not too dry, not too wet, just in the middle. If too wet, the puddles will dry and be somewhat raised. I make my bole rather watery, so it takes many layers to build-up the stratum. The thicker the layer of bole, the better will gilding go. Besides, I seek a certain effect, which a thicker layer of bole provides. But I don't want to do it with 5-6 layers of thick bole solution; this will not do. So it takes a few hours. I generally don't count how many layers I place. I make a small batch of bole+glue solution, and finish when the jar is empty.

[@williamhuber9639]

@@paulstetsenko5721 ok thank you.

[@shihantemplet]

So glad to see your videos. They have helped my iconography greatly.

[@mariemit1]

Hello!! I would love to purchase an icon from you! Do you sell them? Thank you!

[@paulstetsenko5721]

As a lowly monk, I cannot paint icons for sale, accept commissions, or anything of the sort. I can do that only with the Abbot's blessing and through him. Please contact Fr. Sergius, the Abbot of St. Tikhon's directly. Here is the link: sttikhonsmonastery.org/contact

[@dorothyallen8012]

Brother Paul: What is your medium. I work in egg-tempera, but this is something different? The results look nice.

[@paulstetsenko5721]

It is egg tempera

[@chrisgosey1821]

Novice Paul, Christopher Gosey the Iconographer here. What a pleasant surprise to see your latest upload...beautiful. I hope to enter the noviate soon myself. God bless your hands and your novitiate!

[@paulstetsenko5721]

HI Chris! It is good to hear from you! Can you "friend" me on FaceBook? I would like to stay in touch.

[@chrisgosey1821]

@@paulstetsenko5721 yes, I will try & do that soon!

[@alexeyulko]

Очень здорово! А в чем принцип начинать с золотой рамки? Мне бы показалось логичным сделать ее в самом конце - это из практических или каких-то принципиальных соображений?

[@paulstetsenko5721]

Практические соображения, конечно! Если делать наоборот, то всё «ненужное» золото прилипнет к красочному слою так, что придётся всё сдирать и переписывать. Может и есть способ как такое делать, но я его не знаю.

[@alexeyulko]

Молодец, брат Павел ))) рад за тебя!

[@Oleksandr.Tarasenko]

@@paulstetsenko5721 Божаю здоров’я !

[@PaintingtheLight]

Beautiful!!!