I love following you on your journey this week.

I’m working on Our Lady of Perpetual Help right now (not that I’m worthy, but, let’s just say I think Our Lady herself “commissioned” me else I wouldn’t have the LARGE board, the colors, the trace that was already available before I left my retreat…etc.). I realized today I had painted over the area where the falling sandal should be, thankfully not too late to fix it, wondering if I should use the “wash” brush for the large areas on Our Lady’s cloak and on Jesus’s garb, wondering which colors to use.

Perhaps you can help. On the image of OLPH, Jesus APPEARS to be wearing green, as do the angels, and there is green on the inside of Our Lady’s cloak. My teacher insists that the color CANNOT be green, for in iconography, Jesus NEVER wears green. I have looked through my colors, and am thinking of using teal as it would look green in comparison to the dark blue of the cloak, but isn’t’ actually green. I do place teal in the blue category!

As a research note, a publication by the Redemptorists cites the color Jesus is wearing as….green.

While my teacher did an image of OLPH (the same trace I am using), she used white for his shirt and avoided the whole “green problem”.

What say you? Any ideas? She suggested Kazan Blue, which is the shade we used for the head covering, and in lighter coats that might work, but once it fills in properly it’s too close to the shade of her cloak.

I’m really leaning towards teal or maybe mixing teal and Kazan blue.

*sigh*

I should be supervised! I don’t think I’m ready for this icon, but I can’t NOT write it…..

I’m sure there’s a serious spiritual lesson here that I’ll figure out in about 5-10 years or so…

I’m using matte acrylics but recently had a discussion with a co-worker (before I began this endeavor) on the agony and ecstasy of various types of paints in iconography. She made me a little afraid of temperas!

Of course I didn’t have a choice in how I began, but I am happy with these acrylics so far, but look forward to trying other things in the future! (one step at a time from this kindergärtner….)

I DID have to try a new mix as I started on OLPH, though; I see that on the original icon, it appears the background is painted. She had told me which colors to use, but I wasn’t sure so I began to experiment, but luckily (or by grace?) found the proper golden hue. I also see that Jesus is wearing the same color with real gold over it.

This should be fun, although it’s a bit daunting to have only done one icon, with major supervision, and to be working on this one WITHOUT someone to check my work as I go! There will be much, much praying involved!

Oh, and just out of curiosity, what paint are you using?