WORKSHOPS AND ICON DIPLOMA
ICON PAINTING WORKSHOP MAY AND SEPTEMBER 2021
Two five-day icon workshops are now offered for 2021, in May 10-14 and September 13-17. These will be held as usual at beautiful Walcot Hall, Lydbury North, Shropshire. Click the links below for information about them and for the registration forms. In May we shall be painting a bust (waist up) and in September a full figure. Places book up quickly, so please email me as soon as possible with your completed registration form if you would like to book a place and I will send a proforma invoice for the deposit. Although deposits are not usually refundable if you cancel, in this case it will be refunded if you have to withdraw due to Covid or the course itself is cancelled due to Covid.
Course information
September 14-18, 2021, download PDF
St Catherine’s, Sinai trip, 1-8 October 2021
The cancelled 2020 trip to St Catherine’s, Mount Sinai has been rescheduled for 1-8 October 2021. Book soon! I shall be the speaking guide for this trip to one of the great icon centres of the world. For details see Icons at St Catherine - Wind Sand & Stars Icons at St Catherine’
CERTIFICATE IN ICON PAINTING FROM THE PRINCE’S FOUNDATION SCHOOL OF TRADITIONAL ARTS
This is a three year part-time course, consisting of three days a month for seven months
of the year. It is run by the Prince’s Foundation School of Traditional Arts, and taught by
Aidan Hart in Shrewsbury, Shropshire, U.K. If you wish to be notified when applications
are being accepted for the 2022/2025 programme, please email Aidan
at mail@aidanharticons.com.
Twelve students are enrolled for the programme, with new intakes every three years.
The applications for the 2022/2025 programme open around March in 2022, with the first
session due to be held in October 2022.
Instruction will cover all the processes required to create traditional icons in egg
tempera, including panel preparation, gessoing, gilding, pigment making, design
principles and painting techniques. The practical work of the students will be placed in
context through studies of masterpieces of icon painting, talks on theology and the
relationship of iconography to church architecture and worship. Students will also be
guided in ways of developing their skills in the contemporary business environment.
Students are required to do at least a further four hours icon work a week at home.( If
you have any questions about the Certificate please contact Aidan
at mail@aidanharticons.com.
For further information, and how you can prepare for the application, download this
pdf.
NEW BOOK: ‘BEAUTY MATTER SPIRIT: Icons in the Modern World’ by Aidan Hart
A long awaited collection of essays on contemporary issues as seen through the theology of the icon, covering subjects such as ecology, the role of the material world in the spiritual life, beauty, the revival of liturgical art, the nature of the human person, and abstract art. 240mm x 170mm 256pp + 32pp colour plates. Soft cover, £14.99. ORDER YOUR COPY NOW Click here for more information.
ALSO: “Techniques of Icon and Wall-painting” by Aidan Hart
The most comprehensive book to date on the techniques of icon and wall painting. 460 pages, with over 450 colour illustrations and 160 drawings. 227mm x 278mm. Hard cover, £40. BUY YOUR COPY NOW For more information and to preview book.
FIVE-DAY SUMMER COURSES AT THE PRINCES SCHOOL OF TRADITIONAL ARTS
PSTA is also running a range of five-day courses in London and elsewhere which include various liturgical arts. See the webpage below for details https://www.psta.org.uk/open-programme.
A CERTIFICATE COURSE IN ICON PAINTING, SHROPSHIRE
The Prince’s School of Traditional Arts
The course is run by The Prince’s School of Traditional Arts (which is based in Shoreditch, London). Classes are held at the beautiful Holy Trinity Centre in Meole Brace, Shrewsbury, Shropshire, SY3 9HF. Aidan Hart will be the chief tutor. There may also be the odd visiting tutor. This is perhaps the only course of its type in the English speaking world, where the skills and theology of icon painting are taught systematically with regular tuition over a reasonably long period of time. This gives greater scope to enter more deeply into the tradition than can be provided by attendance at isolated five-day courses.
WHAT THE COURSE OFFERS
The three year part-time course covers the techniques of egg tempera icon panel painting, placing these in the context of the Orthodox Church's theology of the icon. The course will be taught primarily by Aidan Hart, along with some visiting tutors. Areas to be studied include: pigment and panel preparation; techniques of egg tempera icon painting; theology of the icon; studies of icon masterpieces; the relationship of iconography to church architecture and worship; business skills. Included in the course fees are the lunches, Monday and Tuesday evening meals, and morning and afternoon tea refreshments. There will be the same twelve students for the duration of the three year course, so that the tutor can give his time to this one group. Students will be expected to do at least four hours of additional study a week.
WHEN
Practical sessions run from 9 am to 5 pm. A lecture or seminar is given on Mondays and Tuesdays, from 5.30-6.45 pm. Eleven lectures or seminars will be given each year. Teaching will be held seven times a year for three academic years. Each session runs for three consecutive days, on a Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday, in the months of October, November, February, March, May, June, and September. Sessions will usually, but not always, be held during the last week of these months.
WHERE
The classes are held in the beautiful premises of The Holy Trinity Centre, Church Road, Meole Brace, Shrewsbury, Shropshire, SY3 9HF.
COST
The fee per year is £1,650, to be paid in advance of the course starting each academic year in October. The fee includes tuition, lunch, Monday evening meal, and refreshments. Accommodation is the responsibility of the student, but a list of bed and breakfasts will be provided (average price about £35 per person per night). Students are expected to provide their own materials, at an estimated cost of up to £400 per year.
HOW TO APPLY
Applications are now closed for the 2016-2019 programme. For further information and to be kept in touch about the next round of applications please email Aidan Hart at mail@aidanharticons.com.