St. Elias - base coat of robe

Pictured is the first layer of the base coat of the outer robe. The base coat is pure Pompeii Red, which is course and requires grinding with a pestle. The base coat will have about four or five layers in all.

St. Elias - completed background

The red background in the icon of St. Elias is rare. It is far more common for an icon to have a gilded background or an ochre background or even detailed scenery than to have a red background. Red is used in the icon of St. Elias to represent the fire of fiery chariot in which he was taken to heaven, body and soul. It also refers to the Holy Spirit, Who spoke through him as a prophet.

St. Elias - painting the background

I have painted this background with cinnabar - an extraordinarily brilliant pigment - made translucent with pumice. The cinnabar, which contains mercury, must be handled carefully. Cinnabar is course and must be ground smooth with a pestle. Due to its unusual properties, it must be mixed with denatured alcohol before it is mixed with the egg.

The background requires about six layers, applied in opposing directions: vertically, horizontally, diagonally, and so on. Note that I painted the color right over the gilding, from which it is easily removed later with egg and water.

St. Joseph - cartoon

Working from prototypes of St. Joseph the Betrothed, Katie Russell is here preparing the initial cartoon for an icon using the grid technique.