iconspirit: the website of Karen Blampied, iconographer

The Earthday Icon

You can follow the creation of this icon on my Facebook page

https://www.facebook.com/Iconspirit/

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The writing of the Earthday Icon

"Earthday Icon". Creation in Crisis

Writing this Earthday icon has been totally inspiring because of the ancient nature of the Eastern Orthodox Church's Calendar. It begins with the 1st September each year being celebrated as Creation Day. The following 4 Sundays celebrate an aspect of Creation over a 3 year Cycle. Each ends with the feast of St Francis of Assisi and the Blessing of the Animals. During this liturgical time of Creation each Sunday is dedicated to a specific aspect of creation and so lends itself to the visual written Word of God.

These cycles of; The Spirit of Creation, The Word of Creation and The Wisdom of Creation give design and substance to the Earth Icon I am writing, while at the same time I believe, allow me to be true to the Canon of iconography.

My circular design allows the 3 year cycle to be evident and flowing at the same time emphasising the Earth’s natural recourses of different habitats. We discover; Forest Sunday, Land Sunday, Wilderness Sunday and River Sunday in Year A ‘The Spirit of Creation’ Breathing life into Creation, starting in September 2017. In Year B ‘The Word of Creation’ 2018, evokes Praise from Creation – Here the Word is Made Flesh through Planet Earth Sunday and Humanity Sunday, Sky Sunday and Mountain Sunday. Finally, Year C- 2019 ‘The Wisdom of Creation’, the deep impulse within all parts of Creation that guides the purpose of creation. Here we find Universe Sunday, Animal Sunday, Storm Sunday and Ocean Sunday.

Designing this icon was tuning into the design of the mysteries of creation itself, all become important aspects in the understanding of humanities place in the Creation narrative.

For me this icon shouted ‘Conservation’ and so living in Jersey I looked towards the work of Gerald and Lee Durrell at Jersey Zoo. Since the Earth Day Icon has been one that I have wanted to write for years, my meeting with Lee Durrell proved very inspiring and positive offering a way to approach this icon.

My personal inspiration for this Earth Day Icon is to highlight the need of all people to be stewards of the Earth. I feel that Durrell's considerable work in stewardship and conservation is a necessary ingredient for this Orthodox Christian Icon.

Karen Blampied