Retreat on sacred icons set at Camp Arrowhead April 17-22
A week-long retreat with renowned iconographer Mary Jane Miller is set Sunday, April 17, through Friday, April 22 at Camp Arrowhead on Rehoboth Bay. Sacred Icons: A Window Into Stillness is sponsored by St. Peter’s Church in Lewes. Icons are windows on a world that call people to be still and rest in a place of thankfulness with God. Traditional icon writing is an ancient spiritual practice: an extraordinary prayer.
The retreat will provide a quiet place to be creative and renewed. Attendees will enter into a 2,000-year old tradition connecting the soul to the body, the spirit to the physical. This residential retreat at Camp Arrowhead is for all skill levels - no experience is necessary.
The icon is an organic and dynamic piece of creation that moves through time to speak to people - participants need only to be open to listening. The creation of each icon is a spiritual journey steeped in tradition and culture.
Retreat leader Miller is an experienced iconographer, having worked for 10 years in the traditional medium of egg tempra and 23k gold leaf. The technique that she uses dates back to the Egyptian mummy portraiture, where earth pigments suspended in hot wax were used during the first century and evolved into the use of dry pigments and egg yolk.
A full-time artist for over 30 years, she currently lives in San Miguel de Allende, Mexico, where she paints and teaches the lost art of Icon writing as a prayer form. Her understanding of spiritual symbology and her skill result in an experience that is deeply meditative as well as artistic.
The Episcopal Diocese of Delaware’s Camp Arrowhead is just west of Lewes. Nestled on Rehoboth Bay, there are nature trails and vistas to feed the soul, making it the perfect inspirational location for a spiritual retreat. In addition to time for prayer, reflection and instruction, participants will have ample opportunity to explore nature and to rest.
The retreat begins at 5 p.m., Sunday, April 17 and concludes at 3 p.m., Friday, April 22. The total cost is $700, covering accommodations, meals, instruction and materials. For more information, contact Jeffrey Ross at 302-645-8479.
