|
|
icon spirit studios The Progress of the Twelve Parish Saints Icons Karen Blampied B.Ed M.A. - Iconographer |
|
|
Karen Blampied is creating an icon for each of the twelve Parish Churches of Jersey.
This page will detail the progress |
Click here to read about the Parish Saints
Click these links to find out about St. Helier St John St Lawrence St Mary
Click here for dates when Karen will Artist in Residence at each of the Parish Churches.
Karen's Next Artist in Residence will be at St Mary's Church between 30th August - 4th September 10am-4.30pm each day. She will then be at Grouville Parish Church between 2nd -6th November |
|
|
Open Studio Karen has an exhibition of her icons at her studio at Port de Lyvet, Brittany. If you want a sneek preview of the first 6 of the 12 Parish Saints of Jersey icons call in. I work in my studio 10am to 4.30pm each day. Click here to find out more
|
||
|
Six Parish Saints Icons in Preparation |
||
 |
|
|
|
Saint Mary of the Burnt Monastery I have now finished the base colours to Saint Mary of the Burnt Monastery. Karen will be Artiist in Residence at St Mary's Church from 30th August - 4th September between 10am-4.30pm each day |
||
|
|
||
|
Saint John of the Oaks 16th June 2010 - Karen is presently Artist in Residence in the Church of St John of the Oaks |
||
|
|
|
|
|
Saint Lawrence - preparing the icon - Karen will be Artist in Residence at St Lawrence Church between 9th -14th August from 10am-4.30pm each day |
||
|
|
|
|
|
Saint Brelade Saint Brelade is nearly finished |
||
 |
|
|
|
Holy Trinity
The final
stages.
I have my test
piece icon of the Holy Trinity on exhibition at the
Artists
Directory
Exhibition.
Date: Friday, June 4, 2010 |
||
 |
|
|
 |
|
|
|
Saint Helier week will be the 12th-18th July.
The base colours of Saint Helier are now complete. I am looking forward to finishing this icon of Saint Helier during that week. |
|
|
|
Saint Mary of the Burnt Monastery The final design and gilding of Saint Mary of the Burnt Monastrey. |
||
 |
|
|
|
Saint Ouen de Rouen The final design and gilding of Saint Ouen Karen will be Artist in Residence at St Ouen's Church from 16th -21st August between 10am-4.30pm each day |
||
|
|
|
|
|
The Icon of St Lawrence |
||
|
|
|
|
| St Lawrence, St Mary and St Ouen For Ascension day here are the designs of my next three Parish saint icons. | ||
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Saint Martin Le Vieux The icon of Saint Martin Le Vieux. I have completed the base colours and will finish the icon in St Martin's Church the 28th June 2010 |
||
|
|
|
|
 |
|
|
|
Saint Peter in the Dessert Saint Peter in the Desert the base colours are now complete. visit me in St peter's church to see me finish the icon. |
||
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Saint John of the Oaks more photographs - more of all these photographs can be seen on my Facebook page | ||
 |
 |
|
| Saint Brelade - photos | ||
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Monday 19th April Final Stage painting the Icon of Holy Trinity Here is the final stage - painting the icon of the Holy Trinity. The base colours first - I will finish the painting at Trinity Church Egg tempera is the binding medium used for the pigments. The yolk of an egg, which has the potential for life, is mixed with water and vinegar a reminder of the crucifixion. This egg and pigment mixture petrifies and becomes everlasting. The pigments have a death to life quality and are wherever possible, naturally occurring, either washed or baked clays, powdered stone and decayed metals. |
||
|
|
|
|
 |
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Thursday 25th March finished gilding these icons yesterday, wow! so intense but so rewarding |
||
|
|
|
|
|
Gilding the Icons Tuesday 24th March I am now placing the gold leaf onto each of the icons. The gold represents the presence of God. Like God it does not tarnish, does not decay, and cannot be destroyed. |
||
|
|
|
|
|
Claybase for Guilding the Icons |
||
|
|
|
|
|
Saturday 20th March Gilding the icon - I have just begun to place the two main layers of clay onto the white stone surface. First the yellow ochre clay and then the red ochre clay both earthy colours. They form the earthly base for the gold leaf which symbolises the Glory of God. |
||
|
Wednesday 17th March Yesterday I engraved two icons Saint Helier and Saint Brelade |
||
|
|
|
|
|
Tuesday 16th March 2010 "Writing these icons is so inspiring, I feel I am doing a pilgrimage through each parish of the Island" |
||
|
|
|
|
|
I engraved the icon of Saint Peter in the Desert yesterday afternoon. |
||
|
|
|
|
|
I finished engraving the icon of Saint John of the Oaks yesterday morning. |
||
|
|
|
|
|
Carving the word of God in Stone Carving the word of God in stone. I an now on the next stage of the icon. Having drawn the 12 Parish saints I now trace the image onto the stone layer on the icon board. Now is the difficult part I have to carve it into the stone. I carved in stone the icon of Saint John of the Oaks on Saturday. Then on Sunday the icon of Saint Martin Le Vieux.
|
||
|
|
|
|
|
Baptising the icon This is the next stage of the icon making process, and my lenten journey. The cleansing waters of Baptism smooth the surface of the board. to make it ready to carve the word of God |
||
|
|
|
|
|
The Stone The third Sunday of Lent and I am halfway through the gesso on the icon boards for the 12 parish saints project. The rabbit skin glue is mixed with chalk to make the gesso this is then placed onto of the shroud (material) the gesso will dry and form a stone surface on the icon board. This symbolically represents the stone that was rolled in front of Christ's tomb. |
||
|
|
|
|
|
The Shroud - The 12 parish saints icon boards are covered with material |
||
|
The wood is then covered with strips of cloth - This symbolises the shroud in which the body of the Lord was wrapped. The cloth is steeped in size and laid down in strips. The size is made from rabbit skin glue and water, the death of the animal is a necessary sacrifice for the icon to be given life. Water is seen in terms of the cleansing qualities of baptism. |
||
|
|
|
|
|
"Tomorrow I will begin working on my icon boards for the 12 Parish Saints of Jersey, I will spend Lent with the wood of the cross, the shroud and the rolling of the stone in front of the tomb and the inscribing (graving) of the word of God in stone. I am photographing the making of the icons as I work and complete each stage. " Karen.
|
||
|
The Making of the Boards - The boards are made from old Church Pews The board on which the icon will be written is first chosen - The wood is a symbol of the wood of the cross. A hollow area is carved out from the centre of the board; this is the sacred place where the word of ‘scripture’ is written in paint. |
||
|
"What an incredible group of gentlemen who worked so hard to produce the icon boards for the 12 parish saints project". - Karen Blampied |
This is how the boards turned out. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Initial Story Board of Twelve Parish Saints |
||
|
|
|
|
