Mane Highlights for Friday March 14, 2014

Hear Me Roar!: I decided to focus this week on an ancient Eastern art form that I am fascinated by; the Icon.  It is fitting for the season of Lent, as the Eastern church celebrates the "Sunday of Orthodoxy" on the first Sunday of Lent.  This is a celebration of the triumph over the Iconoclasm heresy, in which Icons where forbidden by the Eastern Emperor.  I hope you find The Art of the Icon as interesting as I did and increase your appreciation for this theological teaching through images.  

        Reflection of the Week: The Art of the Icon

Perhaps strange to some in the language of the aesthetically pleasing, Eastern religious Icons have a deep history and are developed through a mystical process.  As an artist I am fascinated by the unusual method of achieving a religious experience through the painting of the icon.  Continue

For more reflections: http://lionofdesign.blogspot.com/p/about.html

Gallery Piece of the Week: St. Luke Painting Virgin Mary

Wall painting in Kykkos Monastary, Cyrus

St. Luke is credited with painting the first Icon of Christ and His Mother.  The amazing thing about this is that Luke was often in the presence of both holy persons and would have easily been able to paint the Blessed Mother's likeness in the flesh as she stood before him!

Icon's are painted in seven layers, symbolizing the process of creation, from shadow towards light. 

Symbolism in Icon Materials:

• Board painted white represents uncreated light of God
• Red Clay - earth which man was created
• Gold Leaf - God breathed life into Adam
• Circular brush strokes - chaos at beginning of creation
• First Highlight - light of natural order
• Second Highlight - light of human intellect
• Third Highlight - spiritual angelic light
• Fourth Highlight - light of God
• "Ozhivki" - life-giving lines (around eyes)

Learn more about Icon History, Symbolism, and Meaning

To see more works: http://lionofdesign.blogspot.com/p/gallery.html

I leave you with this until next week: Mom Moments

Today I truly had a "mom moment" that gave me a good laugh to share.  It seemed like a million things were going on as I was cleaning up my son's high chair tray after lunch.  I was turned to say something to him and had the sink sprayer in my hand.  Thinking the sprayer was facing the tray in the sink, I squeezed the lever.  It was in fact backwards, pointing straight at me.  The shock as I was hit in the face full blast with cold water took me a few seconds to let go of the lever.  My son stared with wide eyes wondering what happened and then laughed and laughed as I wiped off my face with a paper towel.