May 08
Icons of the Faith
My niece is a nun. She entered St Meinrad Abbey in Indiana and took orders as a Benedictine nun in 2006. She’s also an incredible artist, and has turned her hand to producing icons, which have been made into greeting cards and note cards. This is from
The Dome
:
[Sister Jeana] is one of four artists whose icons will be on display at the Saint Meinrad Archabbey Library Gallery, St. Meinrad, Indiana, May 2 through June 3. Icons in the exhibit represent a diversity of styles, ranging from traditional egg tempera and gold leaf on wood panel to the contemporary medium of acrylic on canvas. Sister Jeana works in acrylic and gold leaf on canvas. Her icons in the exhibit include images of Jesus Christ Savior, Our Lady of Perpetual Help, Vladimir Mother of God, and the Holy Family.
Icons were originally painted by artists in monasteries in the Eastern Church, where they are an integral part of church architecture and worship. Appropriate subjects for representation in icons include saints, the Virgin Mary, and depictions of narratives from the Bible. Icons are considered to be windows into the realm of the spirit, inviting the viewer to contemplation and prayer.
A northern Illinois native, Sister Jeana says that she “grew up loving art” and was particularly drawn to portraiture. She attended Kenyon College in Gambier, Ohio, with a major in religious studies and a minor in art history, and spent a junior semester researching pilgrimage and studying art history in Rome. She entered Monastery Immaculate Conception in 2003 and made her first profession in 2006. She currently teaches theology at Providence Junior–Senior High School in Clarksville, Indiana.
When Sister Jeana began painting icons several years ago, she discovered that iconography built on her love of portraiture. Since then, she has been studying the history, technique, and spirituality of creating and praying with icons. She believes that painting icons is part of a lifelong calling.
I think it’s very cool when faith, art, and God-given talent intersect.
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May 10th, 2008 at 01:42 am
At a book club I’m a part of, I mentioned, in some wonderment, that many of my favorite authors are Catholic. A friend responded, “Art has always been a big part of the Catholic tradition.” It’s true. Doesn’t quite make me regret being a Protestant, but I do envy (or something) the fact that Catholics do, in general, seek to merge art, faith, and talent.
Karen Joys last blog post..Shifting Due Dates
May 10th, 2008 at 06:27 am
Karen:
It’s given me a new appreciation for the phrase ‘God-given talent’. Some of the most amazing artists I know are Christians, and the deeper their faith, the more talented they seem to become. Cyndie’s nephew Nick is in the metalcore band As I Lay Dying. The whole band (I think) are believers, and I’m continually amazing at the skills and depth of their stuff - and I’m not even a huge metal fan.