For each of the participants, it is the first such experience in life, so an experienced guidance is really important. Renata Gąglewska-Gniady, painter, iconographer and cultural activist associated with the Sejny Land introduced them to the mysteries of the art of Iconography. Not infrequently, this means that she literally takes care of the participants, helping them to overcome doubt and take heart in the times of creativity crisis. There is also a deeper meaning – we are sally accustomed to, in our everyday existence, to making constant assessments and comparisons of the quality of other people’s work, whereas one of the principles of icon writing is to enjoy the icon of your neighbour, and thus, instead of comparing, allowing space for an individual spiritual experience.
The process of icon making is long and slow, nothing comes easy. The workshop participants use previously prepared boards (and at the same time slowly fashioning next one if they wish to create another icon), and making of an icon goes through several stages. Firstly, you cover a board with 12 layers of glue and ground it, then another layer of glue is applied. The icon is written by tracing, using a special pattern. The process starts from applying dark to light, from dark colours first to brighter colours later. Layer by layer, consecutive colours are applied using yolk to secure the results. Then comes the time to apply gold leaf, so thin and delicate that mere walking past it makes it float into the air. Gradually, you work on the face, hair, robes, with a lot of time and heart applied to the creation of each of these elements. You take care of every small detail - of the eyes to make them look, and of hair, to make it look natural.
Everything is done in great concentration. Initially, the meetings took place every week and lasted three to four hours, now, at the end of the workshop, one can come more often to work and spend more time with their icon. Participants agree that it is a deeply spiritual, and often purifying experience for them. Very important is the fact that they will be able to take their self-made icons with them, give them to the loved ones or display them in their own homes. So they write them for various intentions: for their children, grandchildren or deceased relatives Renata Gniady says that each of the icons is a reflection of the person who has been writing it.
Bożena Szroeder adds that these workshops have originated in earlier lessons on the Sejny's neighbourhoods, and thanks to them, in addition to the theoretical knowledge of the Old Believers, participants could experience the spiritual process of icon making.
Listened to by Marta Kowerko-Urbańczyk