Krzeszów Icon Writing School of All Saints
in the abbey of the Benedictine nuns
‘Creating new iconographic designs is not a task for any iconographer. Only the greatest artists who have penetrated into the language of icons and reached a high level of spirituality in their personal piety can think how theologians and embody the theology into colors. The creation of new iconographic designs requires an iconographer of deep knowledge not only in the field of art but also in theology, church history, hagiography, liturgy and other fields. In this work the artist should be courageous and even courageous enough to move on from his predecessors to think for himself. At the same time, however ,there is no place for any amateur creativity and individualism. ‘
(Iryna Jazykowa, Here I do all new, Warsaw 2011, p.217)
The purpose of the School is to acquire knowledge about the icon in a practical and theoretical context with an in-depth formation for inner life, a prayer life. The practical dimension will include: working on the drawing initially from still life to the human form in the academic area, then by working smoothly with the line (the poor tool present in the icon at each stage of the work), and grasping with only lines of character, weight, movement of the object. The practical space will also include work with color, then learning the traditional techniques closely related to writing the icon, namely: making a glue-chalk mortar, preparing the basis, constructing a yellowish distemper, applying a real gilding, varnishing. The theoretical part is aimed at penetrating into the canon, history, function of the icon in the life of modern man, and will also deal with topics in the field of painting technology in the broad sense. The formation site is meant to broaden the knowledge of the theology of inner life in a theoretical and practical dimension, as we believe will help us to believe that we are all called together to be friends with God through contemplative prayer, and in every vocation and place we can find such areas helping to enter into space of God as loneliness, silence, prayer.
Classes take place once a month and last for the weekend, from Friday 16:30 to Sunday 15:00.
The school provides approximately 25 hours of theoretical and 100 hours of practical classes.
Planned dates for the next school year:
6 - 8 October 2017
10 - 12 November
8 - 10 December
5-7 January 2018
holidays
9 -11 March
6 - 8 April
11-13 May
8 - 10 June
WROCLAW
Planned dates for the next school year:
28-29 October
25-26 November
02-03 December
20 - 21 January 2018
holidays
17-18 March
21-22 April
5-6 May
June?