The Recovery of Symbolism

“Symbolism” is a term that has become quite diluted in the past 500 years. Since the middle ages, the notion of the symbol has undergone a deep mutation due to the immeasurable changes in our experience of knowledge and meaning.  Symbolism has been progressively reduced from underlying our very cosmological world view, to now being a…

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Branislav Đerković : Surgical Miniature

  A few weeks ago, I introduced you to a Serbian miniaturist named George Bilak.  Here is yet another Serbian miniaturist who has recently grabbed my attention.  His name is Branislav Derkovic and he lives in Northern Kosovo, in a town called Leposavić. What struck me most of his carvings is the astounding perfection in detail, the…

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Christabel Anderson: Authenticity in Sacred Art

Christabel Anderson is one of our collaborators on the Orthodox Art Journal.  She is a British Iconographer and Manuscript Illuminator to whom was recently attributed the prestigious QEST (Queen Elizabeth Scholarship Trust) Craft award.   That someone who considers herself first and foremost an Iconographer could be recognized in this manner is already a tribute…

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Teaching Art in a Catholic School

Some of you might be interested in reading a short article I wrote for the New Liturgical Movement.  I teach art once a week in a small Traditionalist Catholic school.  It has been a great joy to teach in a context so friendly to liturgical art.  On my first day, as I was explaining what…

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The Carved Miniatures of George Bilak

George Bilak is a Serbian carver who now lives in the United States.  He carves miniature icons, pectoral crosses, blessing crosses and eggs that will take your breath away.  I can say without hesitating that he has been one of the biggest influences in how I carve miniatures.  My very first miniature commission, of which…

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St-John Chrysostom on Liturgical Art

As a liturgical artist, as someone who makes expensive objects to furnish the Church or to be worn by its clergy, there is a homily of St-John Chrysostom I like to keep in the back of my mind.  It is a homily on the Gospel of St-Mathew in which he warns us:   “Do you want…

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Roman Frescoes of the 8th Century

John Sanidopoulos of the quality Mystagogy blog has posted a nice little article on the restoration being done of 8th century Byzantine style frescoes in the Santa Maria Antiqua church of Rome. On Monday October 1st Italy’s Culture Ministry allowed a rare peak at a (EURO)3 million ($3.8 million) restoration of medieval frescoes in the…

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Short Interview With Dr.Vladimir Morosan

    Some of you might be interested in listening to the latest installment of “Ancient Faith Presents” on Ancient Faith Radio where Bobby Maddex interviews one of our collaborators, Dr. Vladimir Morosan, the founder and president of Musica Russica.  As we have mentioned in another post, Musica Russica is celebrating its 25th anniversary this year.  In this interview, Dr.…

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Wooden Vessels

Recently I had the chance of making a wooden chalice and diskos set for a priest.  It was quite an interesting undertaking as it required a woodturner, a silversmith and myself to bring the whole thing together.   Interestingly enough, the order for this set came as I was working on another wooden chalice, making stone roundels…

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