Iconography retreat set March 28-April 1 in Lewes
Mary Jane Miller will return to lead a Windows into Stillness iconography retreat Tuesday, March 28, to Saturday, April 1, at St. Peter's Episcopal Church in Lewes. The retreat will include painting, praying and fostering a connection with the divine. Miller says the retreat is a great time out for art students, religious people and any local iconographers who want focused attention. No previous experience or knowledge of iconography is needed to make this art an enriching experience. The cost to attend is $380 and includes all materials and lunch each day.
Byzantine iconography dates back to 300-400 AD as the orthodox churches’ visual interpretations of the Christ story. It was perfected by the Greeks and the Russians over the course of 1,500 years. Iconographers are comparable to scribes; they depict the Bible story while remaining as true as possible to the text.
A native of Nyack, N.Y., Miller had hardly considered the art. An art student and self-described "closet Christian," she studied abroad in Mexico in her early 20s, and met her husband of 40 years, Valentín. While living between Mexico and the United States, Miller made a living painting "anything that was printable." When she opted to take an iconography course in Tennessee 20 years ago, she had no idea it would change her life completely. The couple now live full-time in San Miguel, Mexico, where Miller teaches iconography every week.
When Miller's friend proposed that they paint icons in a church basement one Wednesday afternoon, she thought he was crazy. "We don't know a thing about icons!" she said. The pair had no formal training, save a one-week iconography class in acrylic, and Miller had no experience with egg tempera. Still, her friend persisted. The two had their hands blessed by an Orthodox priest and they purchased dry pigments to begin their journey. Miller painted icons that day in the church basement just under the altar, and she hasn't stopped since. After the class, she slowly began devoting more time to icons. First, she vowed to devote one whole day to icons per week. Next, she dedicated one whole week working with them per month. And then she realized that even that wasn't enough time. When she proposed to take six months off to paint only icons, her husband laughed. He claimed that, if she took six months to paint only icons, she would never go back to being a regular artist. She took the time anyway. And she's now a full-time iconographer.
For more information about Miller, go to sanmiguelicons.com. To see Miller’s books available for purchase, go to www.lulu.com. To register for the retreat, call 302-645-8479.
