Icon of St. Genevieve of Paris

[Michael the Iconographer]

Ok, I don't mean to bomb everyone with my work. This is the icon of St. Genevieve of Paris that I wrote for my sister for a Nativity gift.

[BabyLutheran]

that is beautiful! How long did it take you to develop such a great talent?

[Michael the Iconographer]

that is beautiful! How long did it take you to develop such a great talent?

Nine years.

[Michael the Iconographer]

For all those who haven't seen this:

BUMP!

[MariaRegina]

It is beautiful, Mike.

Each icon gets better.

Have you heard of St. Xenia of Greece. There is a "modern" icon of her in a Greek Church in New York City. Father Poulos wrote of her in his 4 volume lives of the saints. Her feast day is May 3.

She is my husband's patron saint as her prayers (and miracle) led to his conversion.

[Michael the Iconographer]

It is beautiful, Mike.

Each icon gets better.

Have you heard of St. Xenia of Greece. There is a "modern" icon of her in a Greek Church in New York City. Father Poulos wrote of her in his 4 volume lives of the saints. Her feast day is May 3.

She is my husband's patron saint as her prayers (and miracle) led to his conversion.

I have not heard of her, I might have to look her up. This icon was actually painted 2x. The first copy I stopped 1/2 way through 'cuz I did not like it and then I started the copy that you see here.

[Michael the Iconographer]

It is beautiful, Mike.

Each icon gets better.

Have you heard of St. Xenia of Greece. There is a "modern" icon of her in a Greek Church in New York City. Father Poulos wrote of her in his 4 volume lives of the saints. Her feast day is May 3.

She is my husband's patron saint as her prayers (and miracle) led to his conversion.

BTW, do you know how torturous it was for me, a Germanophile, to write an icon of a French Saint? To quote my old friend Fr. Vasily Vasilievich: "Is OUTRAGE!"

[eoe]

More icon bombing please!

I like these threads.....

[HandmaidenOfGod]

BTW, do you know how torturous it was for me, a Germanophile, to write an icon of a French Saint? To quote my old friend Fr. Vasily Vasilievich: "Is OUTRAGE!"

Just think how painful it would be for a Francophile to write the icon of a German saint! Then again, they might just collapse under the pressure. :D ^_^

[copticorthodoxy]

Nine years.

how could you take of time to draw icons for a whole church ?

[Michael the Iconographer]

Just think how painful it would be for a Francophile to write the icon of a German saint! Then again, they might just collapse under the pressure. :D ^_^

I thoroughly enjoyed writing the icon of St. Boniface Enlightener of Germany that I did this past summer!

[Michael the Iconographer]

how could you take of time to draw icons for a whole church ?

It took me 9 years of study to get to the point where I am now in my study of iconography. It would only take me a few weeks working 40 hour weeks to draw out the icons for an entire church.

[SumTinWong]

It took me 9 years of study to get to the point where I am now in my study of iconography. It would only take me a few weeks working 40 hour weeks to draw out the icons for an entire church.
Would you charge by the hour or by the icon ;)

Again, I love the icons you write MIT, they are soemthing to behold. Thanks for sharing.

[Michael the Iconographer]

Would you charge by the hour or by the icon ;)

Again, I love the icons you write MIT, they are soemthing to behold. Thanks for sharing.

For churches, it goes a little different. Churches tend to get the icons at a slightly reduced price because if I charged the full price for each icon the price would be thousands more than the price bid. I have yet to paint a church. I bid on one a few years ago, and I thank God they decided not to have anyone paint it (mostly because the older parishoners did not want to part with their money) because at that time I was not yet ready to write a church. I bid on the church with a "package price" meaning I gave them a price to write the entire church. I did this by figuring out the price of each icon. Smaller icons I charge by the size of the icon, ammount of time required to write the icon, the complexity of the icon and the ammount of gold I am putting on the icon. Pricing icons (as with any artwork) is a very complex matter as it is very subjective and not very many artists actually enjoy pricing their work. My ideal situation would be to be independently wealthy and to be able to charge people for icons based soley on the cost for materials.

[SumTinWong]

For churches, it goes a little different. Churches tend to get the icons at a slightly reduced price because if I charged the full price for each icon the price would be thousands more than the price bid. I have yet to paint a church. I bid on one a few years ago, and I thank God they decided not to have anyone paint it (mostly because the older parishoners did not want to part with their money) because at that time I was not yet ready to write a church. I bid on the church with a "package price" meaning I gave them a price to write the entire church. I did this by figuring out the price of each icon. Smaller icons I charge by the size of the icon, ammount of time required to write the icon, the complexity of the icon and the ammount of gold I am putting on the icon. Pricing icons (as with any artwork) is a very complex matter as it is very subjective and not very many artists actually enjoy pricing their work. My ideal situation would be to be independently wealthy and to be able to charge people for icons based soley on the cost for materials.
I imagine it would be tough considering if you give a bid on a church and the price of gold skyrockets you would be broke trying to fulfill the order. Do you use paint ont he icons? Does that get pricy as well? Is there a certain kind of paint that is used? I know that when making stained glass the red is always most expensive for whatever reason, is it the same with icons?

Here is a good question for you. Why is it that i have never seen an icon with a person with a smile on their face? Jesus always looks rather cross, and the rest usually look tired or sad.

We have to get you your own website, or a place where everyone can see all of your work.

[Michael the Iconographer]

I imagine it would be tough considering if you give a bid on a church and the price of gold skyrockets you would be broke trying to fulfill the order. Do you use paint ont he icons? Does that get pricy as well? Is there a certain kind of paint that is used? I know that when making stained glass the red is always most expensive for whatever reason, is it the same with icons?

Here is a good question for you. Why is it that i have never seen an icon with a person with a smile on their face? Jesus always looks rather cross, and the rest usually look tired or sad.

We have to get you your own website, or a place where everyone can see all of your work.

The cost of gold has gone up 33% over the past 5 years. In 2000 I bought gold leaf at $20 per packet of 25 sheets. I now pay about $30 per packet.

I use 2 brands of paint exclusively. One brand that I use I use only on smaller icons (24x18 and under) because the beautiful tones and colors it creates are only able to be seen up close and would be lost in a church sized icon. Some colors are a bit more pricey than others, but most of the colors I use in the brand I use most are about the same price. Some of the reds and yellows are more pricey than others, but I don't use the pricier colors. Paint actually gets cheaper the larger quantity you buy it in. Gallons of colors are cheaper than 2 oz tubes of colors when you price it by the ounce.

As for faces in icons, icons are to be emotionless. That is why you never see anyone smiling in icons.

[SumTinWong]

The cost of gold has gone up 33% over the past 5 years. In 2000 I bought gold leaf at $20 per packet of 25 sheets. I now pay about $30 per packet.
How big are the sheets? I seem to remember a thread where you showed us a step by step process, but I cannot remember how big the sheets were.

As for faces in icons, icons are to be emotionless. That is why you never see anyone smiling in icons.
Interesting, what was/is the reason for this?

[Michael the Iconographer]

How big are the sheets? I seem to remember a thread where you showed us a step by step process, but I cannot remember how big the sheets were.


Interesting, what was/is the reason for this?

The sheets are 2.5 inches square. I use patent gold leaf, which is gold leaf that is adhered to a tissue paper. A special glue called "seize" is used to adhere the glue.

Icons show no emotion because they quietly contemplate the Divine.

[SumTinWong]

The sheets are 2.5 inches square. I use patent gold leaf, which is gold leaf that is adhered to a tissue paper. A special glue called "seize" is used to adhere the glue.
Wow, $30 for that little bit of gold sheets. No wonder the big icons are so much more.

Icons show no emotion because they quietly contemplate the Divine.
As Christ is Divine, couldn't He be the exception to the rule?

Thanks for the info by the way :)

[Michael the Iconographer]

Wow, $30 for that little bit of gold sheets. No wonder the big icons are so much more.


As Christ is Divine, couldn't He be the exception to the rule?

Thanks for the info by the way :)

$30 for 25 2.5 x 2.5 sheets of gold leaf. Now you can see how the halo on a dome sized icon can cost in the thousands of dollars to create.

This is not to forget the scaffolding needed (most of the time rented) to put the icons in place, nor the cost of delivering the icons to the church.

There are only a few exceptions to the rule. The only real exceptions I have seen are the Sinai Pantocrator (where his face has both judgement and mercy on it, depending on which side of the face you look at) and the Entombment icon where the Theotokos has a look of love and sadness on her face. But for the most part, the faces on icons are meant to be emotionless.

[SumTinWong]

$30 for 25 2.5 x 2.5 sheets of gold leaf. Now you can see how the halo on a dome sized icon can cost in the thousands of dollars to create.

This is not to forget the scaffolding needed (most of the time rented) to put the icons in place, nor the cost of delivering the icons to the church.

There are only a few exceptions to the rule. The only real exceptions I have seen are the Sinai Pantocrator (where his face has both judgement and mercy on it, depending on which side of the face you look at) and the Entombment icon where the Theotokos has a look of love and sadness on her face. But for the most part, the faces on icons are meant to be emotionless.
As usual you a great ambassador to your craft, I thank you much for the lessons!

[Emmanuel-A]

BTW, do you know how torturous it was for me, a Germanophile, to write an icon of a French Saint? To quote my old friend Fr. Vasily Vasilievich: "Is OUTRAGE!"

Thanks for your efforts. They were worth the pain, the result is great.


Just think how painful it would be for a Francophile to write the icon of a German saint! Then again, they might just collapse under the pressure. :D ^_^


There are german saints ? :scratch:

[Michael the Iconographer]

Thanks for your efforts. They were worth the pain, the result is great.



There are german saints ? :scratch:

Heiliger Boniface, Apostle der Deutschen.

[Emmanuel-A]

Heiliger Boniface, Apostle der Deutschen.

Well, Saint Boniface was born in England, maybe that helped.

I checked Fr.Andrew Philips website (www.orthodoxengland.org (http://www.othodoxengland.org)) :

Boniface June 5
c 675-754. Born in Crediton in Devon in England, his baptismal name was Winfrid. At the age of five he entered the monastery in Exeter. In 718 he left England for Germany as a missionary and enlightened Bavaria, Hesse, Friesland, Thuringia and Franconia. In 723 Pope Gregory II consecrated him bishop with full jurisdiction over the Germanies. In 731 he became Metropolitan beyond the Rhine and in 747 Archbishop of Mainz. He established many monasteries and convents, including Fulda, where his relics are still venerated. He put these monasteries under the charge of English monks and nuns. He was also responsible for reorganising the corrupt Frankish Church. He was martyred in his old age, with fifty-two companions, ain Dokkum in Holland. He is known as the Apostle of Germany.

[Michael the Iconographer]

Well, Saint Boniface was born in England, maybe that helped.

I checked Fr.Andrew Philips website (www.othodoxengland.org) :

But he enlightened the Germans! :D

[Michael the Iconographer]

Thanks for your efforts. They were worth the pain, the result is great.



There are german saints ? :scratch:

Thank you, I was very happy with the result. My sister loved the icon as well. What is up, though, with all these western saints I am writing? The icon I am working on now is St. Kevin of Glendalough (Irish).

[Michael the Iconographer]

The cost of gold has gone up 33% over the past 5 years. In 2000 I bought gold leaf at $20 per packet of 25 sheets. I now pay about $30 per packet.

I use 2 brands of paint exclusively. One brand that I use I use only on smaller icons (24x18 and under) because the beautiful tones and colors it creates are only able to be seen up close and would be lost in a church sized icon. Some colors are a bit more pricey than others, but most of the colors I use in the brand I use most are about the same price. Some of the reds and yellows are more pricey than others, but I don't use the pricier colors. Paint actually gets cheaper the larger quantity you buy it in. Gallons of colors are cheaper than 2 oz tubes of colors when you price it by the ounce.

As for faces in icons, icons are to be emotionless. That is why you never see anyone smiling in icons.

Some of my work can be seen Come And See Icons (http://www.comeandseeicons.com/goltz.htm) . However, he is really slow about adding my icons to that site, so most of my stuff done within the past years has yet to be put on the site. I really need to get my own site up and running.

[SumTinWong]

Some of my work can be seen Come And See Icons (http://www.comeandseeicons.com/goltz.htm) . However, he is really slow about adding my icons to that site, so most of my stuff done within the past years has yet to be put on the site. I really need to get my own site up and running.
If you ever need a designer let Uncle Bud know ;)

[Michael the Iconographer]

If you ever need a designer let Uncle Bud know ;)

I will keep that in mind. My x-wife and I built a web store which we sold nutcrackers through, but it was using a site that had all the tools to build it for you. If I do set up my own site I am going to want a web store where people can buy prints of my work but also can read my writings on iconography as well.

[Michael the Iconographer]

Some of my work can be seen Come And See Icons (http://www.comeandseeicons.com/goltz.htm) . However, he is really slow about adding my icons to that site, so most of my stuff done within the past years has yet to be put on the site. I really need to get my own site up and running.

Uncle Bud,
Did you check my page out?
Michael