Bože! A Grace Catholic Project
OC/IC Art And Creativity
Kindle As Research Tool
I recently bought a Kindle. Yes by and large it was peer pressure – from one particular peer – but peer pressure all the same. There was also a practical reason for my purchase. I like to read what I call “fluffy” books before going to bed – after a day of reading nothing but [...]
Are You Offended By Art Collectors?
The other day Menachem Wecker tweeted a fun question: question for my Catholic friends… would u be offended if non-Catholic collected rosaries (as religious art)? First – in playing with this question – lets put it into an Eastern rite Indie setting and replace rosary with chjotki. I think it is a similar swap – [...]
Bread
Bread is a core symbole of the sacramental Christian tradition. We use it in the liturgy, and its symbolic value is freqnently cited in Scripture. This is the same recipie we use for making prosphora (bread for the liturgy) – sans sugar (which is optional anyway). What does your community do? Tweet
Theotokos in Art
I have a soft spot for “Marian Art” largely because I have a fascination with the Theotokos. My last year of my bachelor’s degree focussed on early imagery of Mary, and that interest followed through to my PhD research. So this reflection by Judith Dupre was a rather fun read – oh and the rather [...]
Digital Iconography
Since writing my previous post I’ve sat downa few times to experiment with “painting” an icon using Photoshop. I’ve only been doing sketches – to understand how the process of putting it all together works. In many respects it is easier than using traditional egg tempera paint – you don’t have to wait for it [...]
Art & Spirituality: Does Technique Matter?
I’m working on an icon. On its own this is not “newsworthy” however, I’ve not worked on anything but sketches in some time due to the all-encompassing Thesis From Hell. It’s nice to remember that my creative life once went beyond research and editing. Anyway, what is different about this icon verses others I’ve done [...]
Peer Review & Emerging Indie Scholarship
Over the past two years I’ve enjoyed a number of books researched by, written by, and published by Indie folk. Even those texts that I don’t necessarily agree with bring a smile and a nice dose of pride. One aspect of this (I hope growing) scholarly production of indie history and theological voice – that [...]
Indie Manifesto
Last night I handed my PhD thesis over to my supervisor. In theory this means I have crossed the threshold from darkness into light – I am now exiting the cave. What comes next? I’m not sure, I know at some point in the not too distant future there is somethign called “the submission” followed [...]
Illuminated Conservation
The Guardian reported yesterday that a major conservation project has been recently completed. The Gerima Gospels are perhaps one of the earliest surviving illuminated Gospel manuscripts thought to have been completed sometime before AD 650. Combined with the remaining fragments of the Cotton Genesis dated to sometime between the fifth and sixth centuries, the fifth [...]
Empty
Last week my office was re-decorated. It was about time too. I’d never changed the colour of the walls which as you can see were a nausiating “Crayola Sunshine Yellow”. Preparing for the arrival of the decorator I had to empty the room in which I spend so much of my time. The bird had [...]
New Indie Book Now Available
Siobhan’s newest book, the product of her Phd work, is of interest to “Indie-philes” as it is a historical exploration of the links between Western esoteric Christianity and the Independent Catholic movement. Priests, Gnostics & Magicians traces two particular streams of esoteric links in the indie movement, first the link with French Gnostic movements, Martinism [...]
One’s Own Little Paradise
For much of yesterday (Sunday) we pottered about in the garden. Thinning the leaf cover on the pond, watering, planting, picking, tidying. I spent the day intermitantly considering the connection between gardening and spirituality/devotion. Early reflections on Mary – for example, relied heavily on the image of the “enclosed garden” or Paradise. This was not [...]
Clothe Your Nakedness!
You may have already noticed that we’ve made some changes to our Kiosk page. As part of our ongoing campaign to highlight creative indie folk we’ve added a few things – including two, yes 2 – lines of T-Shirt designers. First our own. Occasionally we make a graphic for something and really like it (and [...]
Indie Radio – How Cool Is That!
I’m listening to the newest edition of the ISM Network, a project of Mother Cait in Pennsylvania – another example of neat projects by indie folk – very cool. Over the past two weeks I’ve been listening snips of various episodes – the variety of topics and the thoughfulness of the participants has really been [...]
It’s Good to Find the Overlooked . . .
Rummaging around PBS’ Religion & Ethics Newsweekly this morning I fell into this report from this past November exploring religion on-line that I had not previously seen. The report is interesting because it looks at a number of real-time examples of how more than 1 in 4 adults are now using the internet solely or [...]
Ecclesiastical Weaving
This Christmas I got a loom . . . to go with my spinning wheel of course (one has to have a means of doing “something” with all of that spinning. Anyway – I’m still getting the hang of it all – but having spun some flax, died it (using natural dyes), and stared at [...]
Christ Is (Almost) Risen! – Oh Work With Me Jesus!
Huw, another OC/IC Easterner has created this wonderful compilation of Paschal Troparia – sit down, relax, and have a good giggle over it. Tweet
Flash Of Inspiration
This is one of my quick “sketches” in preparation for something more patiently done, or as in this case, exploring a new technique or tool. Sometimes, words are . . . . not quite right – I’m all for images! Tweet
Prayers On A Rope: Making Chotki
The “usefulness” of craft and spirituality is sometimes lost in the appreciation of the end product. We are so used to seeing icons in museums that we marvel at the technique, the creativity, and (in some cases) the survivability of the piece, but because of where it is situated (a museum) the practical, spiritual/devotional “use” [...]
Spread The Love
Last week, I think it was, I posted about encouraging other OC/IC ISM scholars and talented others to publish more – to make our voices available and heard not only within our community, but also within a wider audience. I’d like to take this moment to draw your attention to the work of a close [...]
Ikon Sketching
I’ve been doing some sketches for an ikon I’ve got it narrowed down to two – Ignatius of Antioch (one I’ve always wanted to do and never have), and a Theotokos. Who knows, I might do both. Tweet
Faith & Art In Context – What Context?
Yesterday the Times carried an article stating that Cardinal O’Connor “called for the National Gallery to surrender a Renaissance masterpiece [the baptism of Christ by Piero della Francesca] – because it is a “work of faith” rather than art.” He went on to comment that works such as this 15th century painting ought to be [...]
Faith Art Interplay
Last week I posted on Menachem Wecker’s essay in which he explores how art can be a media for reconsidering faith in a creative, and consumerist society. This week, Mark Lawson writing for the Guardian’s CIF Belief section delves into the interplay of art and faith. There have been a number of instances in the [...]
Art, New Media, And The Case For God
Over the past two years I’ve posted more than once about the interaction between new media, outreach, and sparking creative projects within the community. Here, at Iconia Menachem Wecker has written a post well worth reading. In it he observes that many religious communities using new media are failing to take the opportunity to present [...]