There are actually a number of Western Icon Writers who have studied in the Eastern Tradition that are doing just that. For example: dominicon.com/ and fatherbill.org/gallery.phpWell that’s quite alarming. It also suggests a real need for someone else to step up and start making us some good icons for our newer Western saints… Eastern Catholic artists, I’m looking at you.
DominICON is Fr. Brendan McAnerney, OP a Dominican priest with faculties for the Melkite Church. He’s a marvelous teacher. I’ve taken his week long lecture class twice at DSPT and his week long writing/painting holy icons class there once. I don’t think he offers reproductions of his holy icons. I could be wrong but I’m pretty sure each from DominICON is an original.
He does usually, but not right now as he was just assigned as a pastor recently so he is very busy as one might expect. I have been communicating with him a bit as I was hoping he might commission an Icon of St. Dominic for me.
I suppose it’s hard to say for certain from the web, but they appear to be Serbian Orthodox under the jurisdiction of the Serbian bishop of North America. I’d say that’s pretty legitimate.
Not sure what prompted your question about this specific site, but according to their website, they are a mission of the Serbian Orthodox Church - Dormition of the Theotokos Serbian Orthodox Christian Mission.
The work at Dominicon looks stunning, but hand-painted icons are well beyond the budget of most individuals. They are great for the churches with larger budgets, but I like to have reproduction icons around the house. I really wish they had reproductions for sale on the site.
I hadn’t read too much of their site. I just came across the it and thought they had reasonable prices and so I had saved the link. If it was bogus I wanted to get rid of the link while I was thinking about it. If not, I would dig deeper later on.
Yes, and as he was cutting back his work, preparing for retirement… obedience…
Nice! I love the Festal Series! Although its $336, it has all 12 Great Feast icons. Time to save up
I just picked up the 2012 wall calendar for my Latin parish. We have been given the 2012 Saints of the Americas Calendar from Catholic Extension. In it among other images that borrow* very loosly* from holy icons is for example St. John Neumann, June, shown holding a cross in his hand. In the traditional language of icons this cross in hand says that the saint depicted in the icon is a martyr. According to his biography St. John died of natural causes, not martyrdom.
Yep. He said that the call to serve as a pastor came out of the blue. He did give a name of someone to check out regarding Icons but I have not done so as of yet. As for being a groupie for Dominicans, what can I say? I love 'em also!Yes, and as he was cutting back his work, preparing for retirement… obedience…
In that DominICON Photos section the narthex photo shows his work in the temple where he serves in Sacramento. I’m not sure if that iconostasis he is preaching in front of is his work or not. He’s a wonderful iconographer and priest… I do admit I’m a groupie when it comes to our Dominicans.
5Loaves- According to the artist (Br. Robert Lentz, OFM) this is the reason of including the cross:I just picked up the 2012 wall calendar for my Latin parish. We have been given the 2012 Saints of the Americas Calendar from Catholic Extension. In it among other images that borrow* very loosly* from holy icons is for example St. John Neumann, June, shown holding a cross in his hand. In the traditional language of icons this cross in hand says that the saint depicted in the icon is a martyr. According to his biography St. John died of natural causes, not martyrdom.
We consider our art East and West to be catechesis. I have serious problems with many of these Western paintings which borrow from our Eastern Iconography. I think they can be very confusing, as your post describes also, FrancisB;8754787.
That is very good feedback on the artist’s rendering, indeed. You use the term “artist” correctly in this context. I think our friend 5Loaves would agree that may not be something an iconographer would do if writing [not “painting”] an icon of this blessed soul, despite the connection and individual symbolism.
I don’t wish to appear uncharitable but this explanation does nothing for me except tell me that apparently the artist knowing of the symbolism a hand cross gives then chose none the less to use it out of context. Surely he could find any number of other appropriate ways to incorporate images related to Exaltation of the Cross and St. John’s log chapel.
Yes. Lewis Williams, SFO is the artist of the icon of St. John Neumann shown for the month of June. Since Williams is, according to this calendar, “a student of master iconography Br. Robert Lentz, OFM” it made sense that the teacher, Br. Robert, would be familiar with the work of the student. So your comment made “sense” to me.
I did find it harsh… I’d worry about that as much as Monastery Icons.