Still working on the annual “re-decorating” finding the options and possibilities slightly over-whelming, but aside from that there is the very real issue of the visual “face” of the blog says a great deal about the blog. Over the course of the past few years the feel of the blog has (as you would expect) evolved, I hope for the better. I suspect what’s really happening here is that I’ve not sat down to consider the “what now” factor – where is the coming year of theo-blogging going to take us.

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 in the past is that I’m doing it entirely in digital media, which raises a number of questions about the relationship between a very traditional creative expression of spirituality – like iconography, and modern technology.

I was taught that the process of producing an icon is inexorably interwoven with the spiritual state of, and reflection of the producer. I’m wondering then, how the awareness of, and participation in the spirituality of icon painting is effected by the use of non-traditional media.

Moreover, the traditional media (which, I’m not abandoning by the way) has, over the centuries been infused with symbolism, and thus contributes to the whole experience of painting the icon. New media is devoid of these associations and therefore it is reasonable to assume that the “experience” will be somehow altered.

One thing that I have observed already (and this could simply be my own individual point of reference) is that the sensuality, the tactile nature of the traditional method of preparing a board, laying down the under-drawing, followed by the layers of paint, is gone when working in something like Photoshop. This absence of sensual connection to the work is something that, to me at least, feels aloof, cold, and mechanical.

So while the end result might “look” like an icon – because key features typically associated with the production of an icon are missing or altered – is it really an icon?

Casting a wider net – I wonder with the availability of new media, and new techniques, how our production of, and response to Christian art is changing. Can we point to particular schools, or styles and say this is representative of the contemporary “canon” of 21st century Christian art – in the same way that we can point to iconography and say this is Eastern Christian, and it is of a particular period and region?

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 hope you do to). We thought that it might be fun, that if people enjoyed that particular graphic – they ought to be able to enjoy it in a different context. Thus, we offer you our T-Shirt Factory (which also does bags and buttons). Thus far we’ve experimented with a few items – but we’ve got a few more planned. For American visitors we’re working to keep the prices down because we know that the Pound/Dollar exchnage rate is . . . well . . . a little high – sorry about that. We are looking into some other options for you.

One of those options however, is our friend Huw (another indie creative type) he’s got a neat kiosk of Eastern Rite designs called Doxos Swag (pretty cool name huh?) and we have included a link to his project on our kiosk page.

For the record – the goal of the exercise is not to make money but to highlight, and to encourage the wide spectrum of scholarship and creativity within the indie community. We’ve got the talent – we (all of us) ought to flaunt it (grin)!

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!

Here then, is the link to the “publishing arm” of our friends at the ICCC in Philadelphia – at present they’ve produced a couple of prayerbooks and their own collection of canons.