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About icons

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The icon is a picture showing the image of God, Mother of God, angels, saints and their lives or scenes from the Bible. The first icons were created in the V-VI century. This art developed in Byzantium - the medieval Roman Empire with its capital in Constantinople - until its demise in the XV century. Also in the areas covered by it’s cultural influence: in Greece, Serbia, Balkans, Italy and in Russia.
In Poland, icons were created mainly in the XV and XVI centuries, in the eastern areas.

Some combine Russian icons and the legacy of Eastern Church. However, the origins of icons set back to time when Church was not divided. On the contrary, it was firmly united in fight against heresy. Icons are legacy of the whole Christian world.

Icon is not just a picture – art subject, but also the work of prayer and God’s Mistery hidden inside image. Through contact with icon we open to holiness and another human being. Getting to know ourselves more. Icon’s creator is only a tool in the hands of Highest, who gives His grace and joy of creating through the inspiration of Holy Spirit.

Currently, the icons are becoming more and more popular, especially among people looking for meaning, authorities and durable, timeless values in a busy, modern world.

I create icons in egg tempera painting technique on wood, whose secrets are passed from generation to generation since Byzantine times. I'm using planks of hardwood with a cotton cloth pasted and ground made of 12 layers of champagne chalk and glue rabbit. I use dry pigments diluted with medium of yolk and white dry wine.
I make gilding with 24-carat ducat gold flakes or so called szlakmetal (artificial gold). Entire icon is protected further with shellac or varnish.
This technique, as well as the entire process of creating icons, requires a lot of patience, precision, humility and time.
I create icons in silence, thinking not only about their topic, but also about the people who interest them.