Commission an icon
(or a different style of sacred art - please read on; the process is the same)
An icon is more than a religious painting.
It is a window into the heavenly realms, a bridge between ourselves and the lives of the saints, and most importantly, Christ. When we pray with an icon, we invite the Divine Spirit to open the eyes of our heart, that we might be drawn into the presence of the individual saint whose icon it is, or drawn into a new understanding of the deeper truths of the festival depicted, and welcomed into the presence of Christ Himself.
To pray with an icon is to see God’s world differently.
Where do I start?
To have an icon in your home or place of prayer is to invite the presence of the person depicted to be with you. Consequently, our icons can be an intensely personal choice. Perhaps you have a saint or icon of Christ in mind. It could be that you have a sense that the story of a Biblical character is particularly speaking to your own journey. The first step is simply to get in touch with me and we can start the conversation about what you are looking for. This can be in person depending on your location (I work best with a good coffee!), or by Zoom. We will talk generally so I can get a deeper understanding of what it is you are hoping for, as well as covering the more detailed aspects of the commission, like the size of the icon, gilding styles, cost and likely timescales.
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It may be that you don't necessarily want a traditional icon and a different piece of sacred art fits better. The process is the same: we talk, I offer a design, and we journey together towards agreeing what it is you are hoping for.
What next?
Once we have talked through your hopes for your new icon or artwork, I will set about researching icons and images of a similar subject and prepare a drawing of the planned design. I will send this to you for your approval before I begin on the final piece. Any adjustments to the design can be agreed at this stage. I ask for a 10% deposit, with the balance being due once the commission is completed. For larger projects, we may agree payment in instalments.
Then I get to work.
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It is my usual practice to share photographs of work in progress on my social media. This means that you can follow my progress with the various stages of your commissioned work as it is completed. Of course, if the commission is a gift for someone, we can agree that I will not share images until it is finished.
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Once your commission is complete, I will send you the invoice for the outstanding balance, including postage and packing. I will hand deliver icons if reasonably practicable (depending on location). Otherwise, I use tracked, insured Special Delivery services to ensure (as best I can that your new icon or artwork reaches you safely.