Latest Project
Devotional Carvings
by Iulian Budea
Previous Project
Iconostasis for the Monastery of Celtic Saints
There are 8 Icons in this project. They were commissioned for the small historical church of Kilninian, now part of the Orthodox Monastery of Celtic Saints on the Island of Mull in the Inner Herbides that border Scotland. Six of the icons are for the Iconostasis and the others for the nave. The Archangels will be used for the two deacon’s doors to the altar. The entire project took about a year to complete. The Icons are 43in x 27in, with the exception of the two archangels which are much taller, 59in x 27in respectively. They are painted in traditional fashion in egg tempera on natural birch wood.
C O M M I S S I O N S
A unique gift that lasts a lifetime
One of the loveliest gifts for a special occasion such as a christening or wedding is a namesake icon for a loved one. They are unique, hand-painted and last for a lifetime. We offer an affordable monthly installment plan that can bring a hand-painted icon within financial reach for pretty much anyone. Please e-mail citypaintings@gmail.com should you wish to commission an original egg tempera icon. But first see how it’s done.
About Byzantine Art
Byzantine art developed during the 6th century over the entirety of the Byzantine Empire and continued in the same traditional style and technique throughout the middle ages in Greece, Russia and the Balkans.
Around the turn of the 20th century, byzantine iconography began to loose popularity throughout Eastern Europe, being replaced by westernized oil paintings inspired by the renaissance and baroque. Much of the craft dating back over a millenium was lost or forgotten within the span of a generation. In recent years, however, scholars began to realize the artistic value of the ancient Icons and that rediscovery, coupled with the need for a uniquely Eastern European sense of spiritual identity after the fall of the Iron Curtain, caused a worldwide revival of Byzantine Icon painting.
How it's done - Painting with Egg Tempera
This video details the layered technique of painting in egg tempera. Unlike many schools in the Balkan region, we paint with transparent layers to enhance the depth and richness of the colors.
YouTube Channel
Focus on quality
Our Icons are painted in egg tempera, made entirely by hand with natural pigments and materials. The support is expertly made of poplar or birch wood and covered with a traditional gesso made of rabitskin glue and chalk. The paints are mixed by hand from powdered pigments and an egg yolk solution. All gilding is done with genuine gold leaf on red clay bole. The final product is varnished with an oil mixture and allowed to cure for several months, creating a durable, permanent surface with little or no shine.
Process Gallery
The stages of the gilding and painting process documented
After gilding the halo with gold leaf, there are seven layers of color: the background plus three highlights and three floats. The background is coarse, dark, and highly textured, allowing the highlights to shine on top. The highlights are smooth and fairly opaque. The floats are transparent veils that colorize and intensify each highlight.
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