St.Clement, Post 10: The initial sketch

"...Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, And before you were born I consecrated you; I have appointed you a prophet to the nations..." - Jeremiah 1:5 (New American Standard Bible)

Work on the Icon entered a new phase today.

I completed the 10th layer of gesso yesterday, and sanded down the board with several different grade sandpapers. And starting at about 10:30 this morning, I began the process of actually putting to paper the design elements I had rattling around in my brain.

About seven posts or so back, I mentioned many of the 'ideas' I had for the icon: beard length, anchors, roman mosaics, scrolls, water springing from a quarry, anchors, pallium, bishops crozier, etc. During the process of preparing the board, these elements were constantly on my mind. But today, the time came to incorporate those elements into an actual sketch. Eight hours later, I have something I am almost happy with.

I drew together elements from a number of different icons to create the sketch. In spite of using three different existing icons of St. Clement to create his head, I found myself still making my own alterations to his eyes and mouth to create what I feel is a 'kinder, gentler' Clement than I have seen in many icons. I drew from a well-known icon of the Baptism of Christ as a prototype for the stones and water in the quarry...and was inspired, sort of spur-of-the-moment, to divide the background to make it appear as if Clement was rising out of the ocean. All in all, I found myself with at least six separate drawings (each of different elements), with which I then played cut-and-tape to assemble a composite picture. I taped a piece of tracing paper over the composite, and using a pencil, traced it all into a single sketch on the tracing paper. That product is pictured above...and, subject to whim and inspiration, that will be the image I transfer onto the gesso-covered board.

The scroll is blank...because I still haven't settled on the precise quote to use. And I'm not sure if I like the business of the quarry in the background as a contrast against the relative simplicity of the figure of Clement himself.

But then again, once I begin to paint, perhaps things will develop differently.

I've thought about this icon so much...and prayed daily...and now I need to sit back and look at this sketch for a few days. It doesn't seem to me as if "I" drew it...it incorporates the elements I wanted, in a design arrangement that was uniquely mine...but somehow it still doesn't strike me as "my" drawing, from "my" hand.

And perhaps that's precisely as it ought to be...

St. Clement, Post 9: Layers of Gesso...and dreams

It’s 5 pm, the sun has set, and a Gregorian Chant - Hymnus ad vesperas (Hymn at Vespers) is appropriately playing. The incense is lit. I sit down, and begin the process of overlaying the veiled board with the gesso.

“Now the earth was formless and empty..." – Genesis 1:2a (NIV)

In the container, the gesso *looked* right. I cut the first block out, and pushed it down upon the Icon Board. Using a putty “knife,” I began spreading it across the face of the Icon.

It spread – in a beautiful, thin, even coat.

It adhered. And it dried.

Smoothly.

The First Coat.

Eight or Nine more to go…...

* * * * *

A day later....we're up to 7 coats. 3 more to go. Lots of questions: Will I use real gold leaf? Should I just paint a golden halo? (I'm leaning towards gold leaf...because I just don't want to cut corners on this.) Will I use black India ink to make the necessary lines of the figures, or just etched lines in the gesso with a stylus, or dark grey ink, or carbon transfer patterns ? ? ?

And the most troubling question: I noticed that my Icon board dimensions are one inch or so narrower than the first Icon I painted. As I envision a border of a half-inch, or three-quarters inch all around, it looks like the space I have remaining makes for difficult proportions if I want to include St. Clement holding a scroll, his pallium, and the quarry rocks gushing water...how to do this? I went to sleep without answering my question, hoping it would somehow 'come to me.'

And it did. In a dream.

I actually dreamed that St. Clement spoke to me. He was holding his unfurled scroll, and it was hanging outside of (on top of) the icon's border, as if it was coming out of the Icon towards me.

How perfect: St. Clement served in Rome, was exiled in the Crimea at the hands of the Romans, was imprisoned in a quarry at the hands of the Romans, and was bound to an anchor in the Black Sea at the hands of the Romans. His movements were circumscribed by the Roman powers around him...and yet, his words made it not only to Corinth (where they were intended), but to Christians in Egypt who read his letter as Scripture, and across continents and time to inform Christians today.

St. Clement confined within the border. His words spilling beyond. How incredibly Perfect!!!



And, just to blow me away: When I woke up this morning, my partner turned and said to me, "I had the craziest dream last night. I dreamt that St. James spoke to me about how to proceed with an icon of him . . ."

I was told these kind of things would happen....

St. Clement, Post 8: Making Gesso

"Gesso," according to wikipedia, ".... is a white paint mixture consisting of a binder mixed with chalk, gypsum, pigment, or any combination of these. It is used in artwork as a preparation for any number of substrates such as wood panels, canvas and sculpture as a base for paint and other materials that are applied over it..." A chalky-looking, plaster-like surface, it is precisely what the great Italian frescoes were painted on. And in Iconography, the veiled board is prepared with 8-10 thin layers to provide the painting surface: a blank slate, a blank white canvas, imitating the beginning of Creation itself:

"In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. Now the earth was formless and empty..."
- Genesis 1:1-2a, New International Version

It would have been easy to use commercially prepared "Gesso." But then, creating an Icon is not about shortcuts and conveniences.

The commercially prepared gesso we found sold in stores wasn't real gesso at all, but a liquid, acrylic-and-latex-based paint for brushing on a surface, which many admit will crack as it ages.

Icons traditionally use natural materials, and real gesso is a mixture of rabbit skin glue, honey, chalk (gypsum) dust, and marble dust. Made correctly, it has the texture of tofu, and is 'rubbed,' rather than 'painted,' on the surface of the board.

So, I collected my natural materials and decided to make my own gesso. the effort was complicated, of course, by the fact that no two web recipes suggest the same process. Some suggest a 3:1 chalk to marble dust ratio; others suggest a 50/50 mix. Many require that once everything is mushed together, that it be strained through cheesecloth to eliminate lumps (with little help figuring out what to do once the cooling rabbit skin glue begins to gel and harden and clog up the holes in the cheesecloth!) And through it all, the rabbit skin glue needs to remain warm...AND one must avoid actions that introduce air into the mixture.

So, I followed the same philosophy I use when I cook: check out all the recipes, and then come up with something of my own based on what 'feels' right.

The same day I veiled the board, I made extra rabbit skin glue for the gesso. I figured the easiest way to avoid getting air in the final mixture was to make it directly in the container in which I hoped to store the finished product. I used a square tupperware container, and placed it in the middle of a larger glass baking dish filled half-way with near-boiling water. I placed this contraption on the top of the stove, with the burner on very low. I poured the prepared rabbit skin glue from the pot where I had 'cooked' it

into the square container (filling it 1/3 of the way), added a tablespoon of honey, and let it dissolve. This kept the rabbit skin glue warm and highly liquid, without boiling it.

Then I needed to add my "Whiting" mixture (the chalk and marble dust - I went with the 50/50 mix), without any stirring that would introduce air to the mix. So, i went with an old-fashioned contraption: a small, one-cup size flour sifter with a little crank handle. Slowly turning the handle, I sprinkled the whiting mix over the surface of the glue as if I was spreading confectionery sugar on a cake.
As it hit the surface, it became saturated with glue and sank to the bottom. I continued this for about 45 minutes, until the whiting actually reached the top of the glue. I placed plastic wrap directly on the surface of the glue-whiting mix, attached the tupperware cover, lifted it from the baking dish of water, and placed in the refrigerator to cool overnight.

So for an entire night, I worried.

Was a 50/50 mix the right mix to use? Were there air bubbles trapped beneath the whiting? Was my glue too gloppy to begin with? Should I have pressed it all through cheesecloth anyway...after all, how do I know whether or not the whiting 'clumped' beneath the surface of the glue?!

the next morning I approached the refrigerator with fear and excitement. i popped off the cover, and peeled off the plastic wrap..and gingerly touched the surface of the substance.

Tofu-like to the feel. We made gesso! REAL gesso.

The next step? Applying layer upon layer of gesso to the veiled board...hopefully, this weekend.....

St Clement, Post 7: Affixing the Veil

The snow is piling up outside here on the mountainside…another six inches has fallen on the existing two feet. Against this white backdrop, a single red cardinal is sitting in the rhododendron in front of our picture window. It’s absolutely beautiful…and I’m not going outside today for anything. What a perfect day to begin the physical work on an Icon.

My first step will take all day. I need to make rabbit-skin glue for two purposes: first, to attach cheesecloth to my board; and second, to use as an ingredient in the gesso I’ve decided to make from scratch. I’ve added 8 Tablespoons of dried “pelletized” rabbit skin glue to four cups of water in a square, see-through plastic container, where it needs to soak for about 2 hours before I can proceed. And so, this is a good time to write another installment of my Journey.

The theological concept of a ‘veil’ permeates Christian theology. In our Judaic roots, a veil separated the Ark of the Covenant in the “Holy of Holies” from the rest of the priests and people in the Temple, the same veil that Matthew records as ripping from top to bottom at the crucifixion of Christ.

All Eastern Orthodox churches use an “Iconostasis,” a form of veil between the altar area and the congregation. It is usually wooden, and painted with Icons of Christ, Mary, John the Baptist, and other saints. But its purpose is not really to “separate” these parts of the church, as much as it is to bring them together; it actually serves as a link between heaven and earth. The Iconostasis represents Christ, who is the connection, the door, between both realms.

“Having therefore, brethren, boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way, which he hath consecrated for us, through the veil, that is to say , his flesh..." Hebrews 10:19-20, King James Version

I admit to preferring the more traditional western “Rood Screen.” Many medieval western churches – particularly Anglican churches – installed some type of ‘veil’ before the altar area; like a window screen, one could always see ‘through’ it to the altar area. The word “rood” comes from the Saxon, “rood” or “rode,” meaning "cross." That is because at the top of the rood screen was the “rood” itself, a large cross or figure of the Crucified Christ. As a child, my home church of St. Clement’s used a fisherman’s net; from the ceiling hung a Ships lantern (which we used instead of an ‘eternal flame’ or ‘sanctuary lamp’.)

And in Celtic lore, there is often reference to the very thin ‘veil’ that exists between the world of the ‘temporal’ and the world of the ‘spiritual,’ with spiritual locations called ‘thin places’ and All Hallows Eve (Samhain) being described as a time when the ‘veil between the worlds’ is very thin.

(Rood Screen at Calvary Episcopal Church in Pittsburgh, PA)


An Icon is itself a veil between the worlds, a ‘window into heaven,’ a way to represent heavenly truths and invite the prayerful into those truths. Every step I take with this Icon will reflect the order of creation itself; how important, then, to begin by affixing a cheesecloth 'veil' to the Board. As the veil, it represents Christ himself – He whom was swaddled in linens at the incarnation, and wrapped in linens again after His crucifixion – and who has become the Veil through which we enter heaven, according to the author of Hebrews. And as the Eternally Existent One, affixing the Veil to the Board before any other activity reminds us not only of His pre-existence, but of His Presence in each subsequent act of creation.

* * * *

Two and half hours later, the rabbit glue pellets seem saturated with water. I poured the mixture into a small pot, placed it in a colander, and lowered the colander into a larger pot of near-boiling water. In no time at all, the rabbit mixture turned into a smooth, thin glue (a little thinner than I expected, actually...and making me a little nervous that this wouldn't work). As it heated, I cut a piece of unbleached, natural cheesecloth large enough to fold over once and cover the board I had chosen. Putting a small amount of glue in a small plastic dish, I soaked the cheesecloth in the glue (alternating between using my burning fingertips and a wooden spoon), and then stretched the glue-laden cheesecloth over the icon board. To insure that the cloth remains affixed evenly across the board, I poured some extra glue across the surface, and, using the spoon and my hands, worked the glue and the cheesecloth out to each edge to remove wrinkles and cover the surface.

An hour later, it was still wet, but I can tell from how some of the spilled glue is setting that it appears it's going to work just fine.

St. Clement, Post 6: More Ingredients...

Yesterday, 22 inches of snow fell on our mountain....and I spent much of the evening attempting to clear out the driveway, walks, and decks so we could move about today. My back is sore, and my frost-bitten fingers were in agony....but all was forgotten when I drove up the driveway today and found that UPS - which had been unable to make deliveries yesterday...had left me a present in the garage today!

French Orange Ochre, French Yellow Ochre. Pelleted Rabbit Skin Glue. Italian Marble Dust (Italian - how perfect for St. Clement!). Chalk Dust. Titanium White. Ultramarine Violet. Venetian Red.

I'm actually just about ready to stop thinking/musing/preparing, and to start the physical work of the Icon...something I will begin next week. Just as I incorporated water from St. Columba's well into the Icon of St. Columba, so have I hoped to incorporate materials dedicated by the Church to St. Clement into this Icon, although this is becoming more difficult than I originally thought.

A gentleman from an Anglican Church in Rome (All Saints Church) wrote to inform me that there is a spring in the scavi (archaeological dig) under St. Clement's Basilica in Rome. It is believed that the basilica may in fact be built on top of Clement's home...and this would certainly be an interesting source of water for the icon...but so far, no one has stepped forward to climb down into the scavi and ship some to me...and I know I'm not getting to Rome any time soon.

On this continent, the Dean of the Episcopal Cathedral of the Incarnation (Diocese of Long Island) has been searching for me in vain for any artifacts that might have remained from St. Clement's Church in Baldwin, especially those that may have been salvaged from a fire that destroyed the building on Oct 14, 1966...at 6:21 pm....it was the year that my dad was the Captain of Baldwin Fire Department Hose Co. #1. Unfortunately, the diocese has nothing...but I will continue to pursue a few more channels.

I've gotten back into the habit of praying (well, actually singing) through Morning Prayer each day on the way to work...and feeling that I am as sufficiently prepared to start the physical work of the Icon as I ever will be...

O Clement and Peter, You are worthy of all praise!
Holy and unassailable strongholds of the Church,
Inspired models of true faith and devotion:
Guard us all through your intercessions!
- Kontakion for St. Clement,
Orthodox Church in America

St. Clement, Post 5: Gathering the Materials

The first Icon I painted was in the context of an Iconography class, and all materials were graciously provided to me. But for this Icon, I am on my own to gather everything...

..well, not quite alone. On Christmas morning, package after package contained another 'tool' for use in this process. And so, here's my current inventory:

Bottle for egg tempera/wine mix
Carbon Paper
Cheesecloth.
Dry Pigments
Buff Titanium 46280
Burgundy Red 11577
Chrome Oxide Green 44200
Copper Blue 45364
English Red 40542
English Red Deep 40545
Gold Ochre 11530
Iron Oxide Red 48200
Manganese Brown 40623
Slate Green 11354
Ultramarine Blue Light 45080
Verdigris 44450
Honey
Natural sponges
Needlepoint Tool
Paintbrushes (about 40 different shapes, widths & styles)
Palettes
Paper towels
Pine Board.
Putty knives & spatulas (about 6)
Razor Blades
Sandpaper
Tracing Paper
Water bottle w/ eye-dropper

Then, there's my wish list...ranging from must-haves to "well, it would be great IF..."

Dry Pigments
Bohemian Green 40810
Burnt Umber 40710
Caput Mortuum 48720
Davis Grey Dark 40940
Davis Grey Light 40910
Green Earth Light German 40800
Green Umber 40630
Natural Umber 40610
Ochre Avana 40200
Orange Ochre 40080
Pompei Red 40440
Red Ochre 40500
Satin Ochre 40250
Titanium white
Venetian Red 40510
Verona Green 11010
Yellow Ochre Light 40220
Linseed Oil
Phenol
Powdered Chalk
Powdered Marble
Powdered Rabbit Skin Glue
Sieve

I hadn't given much thought to Clement's halo. My Icon of St. Columba simply used a light golden ochre to signify his holiness...but many halos in iconography are actually gold leaf, rather than golden pigments...and I honestly don't know what to do. If I go for the traditional gold leaf, then I will also need:

Red clay
Gold leaf

Time to put in an order to Kremer Pigments in New York City!

St. Clement, Post 4: Prototypes east & west, ancient and modern

Of these eight icons...

7 give Clement short hair;
5 show long beards;
6 use red, white, or a combination on his robes;
5 show him holding a Book; and
5 portray a halo.

These would appear to be "default elements" for my icon, although I am leaning towards a scroll rather than a book.

Other observations of interest:

In one he holds a bishop's crozier; in the western painting he wears a Pope's hat; and in two icons he offers a bishop's blessing (though with different finger configurations: one uses the IC XC blessing, one uses the Trinity/Dual Nature blessing).

Background Elements: One uses a tile mosaic bakground; one uses a complex bakground combining what apperas to be a quarry (possibly a catacomb?) with the Roman skyline; and two use a blue background.

In two of the Icons he is clearly looking to "his left" (the observer's right), which I interpret as his looking to the East from Rome (which is consistent with his entreaty to Corinth).

All elements to pray on....

St. Clement, Post 3: the Context

As I re-read my last few posts, it almost appears as if I am bubbling over with "my" ideas to be incorporated into "my" painting. That is unfortunate, because this entire process is unfolding within the ever-present and weighty precepts of Iconography. I am ever-mindful that I do not venture far beyond those accepted precepts.

The metaphor that works for me is likening the painting of an Icon to translating Scripture.

Back in the First Century, St. Paul, in his rendition of a verse from Isaiah, writes,

"“What no eye has seen,
what no ear has heard,
and what no human mind has conceived” —
the things God has prepared for those who love him
(1 Cor 2:9, New International Version)

Of course, Paul wrote that in Greek, and the NIV is a translation of the Greek words. Throughout the centuries, Biblical translators have wrestled with precisely how to go about creating these translations: Does one simply do a word-for-word translation? Does one use a phrase by phrase translation, or simply convey the 'thoughts?' Should the translators have used "brain" or "mind" in the verse above? Is it appropriate to a choose a more modern word, or to change the word order to convey meaning more accurately to a 21st century audience?

Below are some other renditions of this same verse:

King James Version:

Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him.

Contemporary English Version:

What God has planned for people who love him is more than eyes have seen or ears have heard. It has never even entered our minds!"


American Standard Version:

Things which eye saw not, and ear heard not, And which entered not into the heart of man, Whatsoever things God prepared for them that love him.


One can readily see that all translations seek to convey the same meaning...but they each use language and grammatical structure and words consistent with their translation philosophy. Even Clement himself chooses yet a different wording when repeating this verse at 1 Clement 34:8:

"Eye has not seen and ear has not heard and man's heart has not conceived what he has prepared for those who patiently wait for him."

Interestingly, this precise translation is Clement's alone, and not present, in this exact form, in any specific Bible translation.

But again, Even taking into account the stylistic differences between these translations, it is clear that the intent and the message is the same in each. While Church Fathers often 'stray' from precise quotations, and a plethora of Bible translations has resulted in giving many different 'faces' to specific Bible verses, there is still, for the most part, a significant similarity between them.

On the other hand, suppose someone chose to "translate" this verse as follows:

"Their eyes are blind, and their ears are deaf. Mankind is ignorant. God's plans will never be enjoyed by these haters."

While such a verse has tenuous connections to some of the context of the original, its intent, emphasis, and character is terribly skewed from the other translations above. It would not be a faithful rendering of the Scripture verse.

Now....consider Icons as the tradition of the Church as portrayed in symbolic pictures, rather than letters.

I can not, must not, will not simply come up with 'my idea' and put it on canvas. The symbolism, the stories, the Person of Clement must be a faithful rendition of the Saint, not simply a creative, artistic expression.

That requires a great deal of prayer, and of consideration for the icons painted in the past (as they related to St. Clement), and with respect to basic iconographic symbolism...and this is a discipline that weighs heavily on me each time I consider the development of this icon.


"Almighty God, you chose your servant Clement of Rome to recall the Church in Corinth to obedience and stability; Grant that your church may be grounded and settled in your truth by the indwelling of the Holy Spirit; reveal to it what is not yet known; fill up what is lacking; confirm what has already been revealed; and keep it blameless in your service; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God for ever and ever. Amen."
- Collect for the Feast of St. Clement, Episcopal Church in the USA.

St. Clement, Post 2: The Letter

In studying the existing icons of St. Clement, I was struck by the differences between them. In some, he appears angry; others, kind. In some, his hair and beard are long, and in others cropped very short. At least one shows his personality largely obscured, being tossed out of a boat at his martyrdom.

It has been important to me to gain insight into the man, his perspective, and his personality, and to try and reflect these attributes in the Icon. And nowhere is there a greater degree of 'source material' than in the Letter Clement wrote to the Corinthian Church.

Even though his Letter was widely read in antiquity and considered part of the New Testament by churches in Alexandria and Antioch, it was actually unknown in the western churches for most of the last two millenia. Then, in 1628, a 5th Century manuscript (the Codex Alexandrinus) was presented to English King Charles I by the Patriarch of Constantinople. Appended to the end of this Biblical manuscript was a copy of the Letter we have come to know as "1st Clement."

In preparation for the Icon, I read through 1st Clement. And then I read it again. And then I read it a third time, underlining phrases that seemed to sum up his intent and character. A few personal opinions formed from these readings:

1) The purpose of the Letter is to convince the Church in Corinth to restore order, as some younger members of the church had ousted long-serving church elders, with the resultant controversy and enmity. Throughout the letter, Clement calls the church to a semblance of order. He borrows on the orderliness of nature, the flow of one season to another, of the orderly appointment of apostles and bishops, and of Moses creating administrative units in the Old Testament. He implores the members at Corinth to humility and stability and peace. All in all, it is impossible to read 1st Clement without being impressed with his concern for order and peace within the Church.

2) The sense I got was that of a kindly grandfather, speaking gently, yet with authority, to the younger ones. Clement generally did not 'order' the Church to do anything, but instead constantly calls them to join him in appropriate behavior. Throughout the Letter, he begins his sentences with the phrase, "Let us...," such as "Let us give up strife...Let us be kind to one another...Let us cling to His blessing...Let us honor our elders..." Not a harsh master, but a loving elder imploring warring children to put aside their egos and swords.

I am even more convinced that a frame consisting of a predictable, orderly mosaic pattern would best represent Clement's message. I also lean towards a figure with a lengthy beard (a symbol of the wisdom of age), a prominent forehead (symbolic of knowledge - the man endlessly quotes Scripture and other contemporary writings), and an inviting (rather than a condemning) visage.

I can not escape the fact that one of Clements' most important contributions to the early Church was the authorship of this Letter. Hence, I will paint him holding an open scroll, with his own words inscribed on it.

But which words?

These are the candidates I underlined during the 3rd reading. The bold-faced phrases are the ones I am currently leaning towards putting on the scroll:

"...devote yourselves to justice..." (8:4)
"...Let us...give up...strife, and rivalry..." (9:1)
"...Let us be kind to one another..." (14:3)
"...It is to the humble that Christ belongs..." (16:1)
"...The seasons...peacefully give way to each other..." (20:9)
"...Let us honor our elders..." (21:6)
"...keep your tongue from evil..." (22:36)
"...Seek peace and follow after it..." (22:5)
"...Day and Night demonstrate Resurrection..." (24:3)
"...night passes and day comes..." (24:36)
"...We are a holy portion..." (30:1)
"...Let us cling to His blessing..." (31:1)
"...Be eager to do good..." (34:2)
"...All are linked together..." (37:4)
"...do [all] in an orderly fashion..." (40:1)
"...Follow the Innocent..." (46:4)
"...Be pure in conduct..." (48:5)
"...Let Christs' flock live in peace..." (54:2)
"...You must humble your hearts..." (57:1)
"...Live in harmony, bearing no grudges..." (62:2)
"...Rid yourselves of ...rivalry..." (63:2)

Precisely which phrase I use will be a matter of great prayer...and, perhaps, be the last element I add to the Icon. For now, I can pray and ask for guidance, and little more.

Order. Pattern. Roman mosaic. Pallium. Anchors. An elder's wisdom. Perhaps, water from a rock ...an orderly flow of water, of course :-) .

These are the Icon elements rattling around my brain today.

St. Clement, Post 1: The Decision

My first Icon, St. Columba, sat on a shelf in the living room unfinished for several months. No matter how I tried to bring closure to this icon, I never felt, down deep, that it was complete. Then, in one burst of inspiration, I added a number of features I thought necessary and finally sensed I was finished on November 23, 2010.

I had already given some thought to my next icon, and had begun to research and ruminate about St. Thomas - after all, I was named after the Apostle, and was born on his traditional feast day. It was a logical choice for me...but it was "my" logical choice...and not meant to be.

As so often happened to me during this process, I was not at peace with that decision. Then, out of the blue, I was struck with an urgency to paint St. Clement of Rome instead. This thought occurred to me constantly in the week I was finishing the St. Columba icon. Once I realized that November 23, the day on which I completed that icon, was the western Church's traditional Feast Day for St. Clement...well, there was no further question in my mind: St. Clement will be my next effort.

Ironically - or perhaps not - St. Clement's Episcopal Church in Baldwin Harbor, NY, is the church I was raised in. The picture above is how it looks today (as currently owned by another denomination.) But since its construction, St. Clement's was known locally as "The Fisherman's Church," as it was located on a canal off of Milburn Creek. As a child, I can remember the interior very vividly: varnished marine wood was used in the sanctuary. A Ship's Lantern hung from the ceiling. Like a traditional medieval rood screen, a fisherman's net separated the sanctuary from the pews. And in the rear of the church hung an anchor rather than a standard cross. I served as altar boy in that church, the same place where my parents were married.

The church survived a devastating fire and regular flooding. At least once I arrived at church in a boat, as this area of Baldwin flooded simply becuase there was a full moon. But while the church survived fire and floods, it could not survive Diocesan finances, and it closed when I was about 13 years old.

Doing a quick google search to find pictures of the old St. Clement's, I found many churches named after St. Clement around the country, and many of them located in seaside locations. And for good reason.

St. Clement (or "Clemens Romanus," his Latin name) was one of the first Apostolic Fathers of the Church. A contemporary of both Peter and Paul, he is listed as one of the first Bishops of Rome. He wrote the letter commonly called "First Clement" (though more properly known as "The Letter from the Church of Rome to the Church of Corinth), as early as 96 AD. His letter is an attempt to call for peace and order in the Corinthian Church, which had recently seen controversy when some young members replaced some of that church's elders. His letter was so much a part of the early Christian Church that it was read in many churches and considered by them to be Scripture. The Roman church included him by name in their earliest liturgies.

By the 300s, the most common story about his death was that he was exiled by the Roman Emperor Trajan to hard labor in a stone quarry near the Black Sea. According to the story, Clement saw a vision of a lamb on some rocks. He struck that site with his pick axe and water gushed forth, providing drink to other parched quarry slaves, who were converted as a result. Incensed by his success, he was martyred by the Roman officials by being thrown into the Black Sea with an anchor tied around his neck...hence, the strong connection between Clement and churches near the ocean.

In considering the symbols and elements to include in an icon, it is important to me to include a 'sense of place' for the subject. As a Roman church leader who emphasized 'order and stability' in his letter, I am leaning towards the having the outside 'frame' of the icon resemble an orderly, patterned Roman tile mosaic motif. Because Clement was a Bishop, he will wear a Pallium, or 'stole,' the symbol of a bishop. But instead of simple crosses on that Pallium, I will use Anchors...anchors that bring to mind both the story that has grown out of his exile and death, but also as a symbol of his steadfastness in the early Church undergoing persecution.

Saint Columba of Iona

This is my first attempt at painting a religious Icon. St. Columba (or "Colmcille," in Gaelic) lived from 521-597 AD and founded monestaries at Kells, Ireland, and on the Island of Iona off of the western coast of Scotland. Monestaries in both locations are known for their production and protection of early Christian illustrated manuscripts, including the Book of Kells which is currently housed at Trinity College in Dublin.

This icon was initally fashioned after an original prototype by Maria Elchaninov-Struve. I began it in March of 2010 under the tutelage of Iconographer Kerry Wiederspahn, and finished it Nov. 23, 2010. It is painted using egg tempera on a gesso-covered board, and the water used throughout was water I had collected from St. Columba's well in Kells, Ireland about six years ago.

The entire process was an incredible moving, spiritual experience. The Saint "emerged" as Icon transitioned from a 'blank slate,' to pigments floating on water ("the Spirit of God hovered over the waters...") , to the initial shapes, final colors, and addition of "light" emanating from the rocks and Saint himself. This was only the first Icon of what will now be, I pray, a regular ministry for my remaining earthly days.

I did feel led to make some changes to the initial prototype:

Columba's staff has been made into a rustic crozier, symbolic of his status of Abbot;

He is holding an illustrated manuscript under his arm;

The traditional Greek letters "IX CX" (Jesus Christ) have been replaced with Gaelic "T I C" (Tighearna Iosa Criosd, or "Lord Jesus Christ");

Visible Celtic knots have been 'carved' into the Standing Cross;

I have added the name "Naomh Colmcille" at the top (Gaelic for "Saint Columba");

I have kept 'pock-marks' in the gesso surface to create texture, representative of the rocky ground and rock structures on the Island of Iona; and

The entire icon is framed in green, the traditional iconographic color for nature and growth.

Prayer of Saint Columba

Let me bless almighty God,
whose power extends over sea and land,
whose angels watch over all.

Let me study sacred books to calm my soul:
I pray for peace,
kneeling at heaven's gates.

Let me do my daily work,
gathering seaweed, catching fish,
giving food to the poor.

Let me say my daily prayers,
sometimes chanting, sometimes quiet,
always thanking God.

Delightful it is to live
on a peaceful isle, in a quiet cell,
serving the King of kings.