Surrounded by the heat of one of the warmest summers I can remember, I have spent the last week working on the drawing of the icon for our upcoming Fall Intermediate Class: The Protection of the Most Holy Mother of God. The Virgin is shown with her arms outspread, holding a white veil that symbolizes her protection over those who implored her help. This prototype was developed in the 12th century and is a beloved icon of the people of the Ukraine. The unfinished drawing of the image is pictured below.
Our work in painting this icon will be rooted in our prayers for peace in the Ukraine, and those prayers will be reflected in the icon by the details in our image: the bands of trim on the Virgin’s white veil will be painted in blue and gold (the national colors of the Ukraine), and her halo will have an optional decorative design of embossed sunflowers (the national flower of the Ukraine).
UPDATE: Fall Classes 2022 have now ended! The Protection of the Mother of God class is complete,
as is the beginning level Theotokos class. I am blessed to have dedicated, hard-working
students who paint with me weekly during the year to complete these projects and learn
more about the joy of icon painting! May God continue to prosper the work of our hands in
2023!
