My first study and 'handed down' tradition of Icons is from Ethiopia. My text book is; "Ethiopian Icons", Stanislaw Chojnacki. This excerpt is meant to give an introduction to this rich tradition:
"The Ethiopian Orthodox Church, which belongs to the Eastern branch of Christianity, has been the well spring of the pictorial art of Ethiopia. The art of Ethiopia remains uniquely different from that of any other African art form, because Ethiopian artists expressed themselves exclusively through painting, while sculpture was the primary medium of creative expression of the people of Western, Central and Southern Africa. In Ethiopia, the pervasive spirit of sacred painting is largely derived from interpretations of the art of the Byzantine world; expressing in an Ethiopian context a fervent confirmation of the Christian faith. There is also evidence of Byzantine-Greek, Coptic,Nubian and Armenian connections."
Icons of the Mother of God and Jesus predominate in this Books collection of sacred art. As I never tire of gazing on this theme, my first copying was to isolate the Mother and Child and exaggerate the predominate lines. These are my first drawings that went on to become silkscreens.
The finished piece was silk screened on tinted wood with the addition of the green blade budding.
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