Nynet Nynet Nynet.....

...that's what my Russian Icon teacher said today. She didn't like my lines on Mary....not symmetrical, all icons are symmetrical...so I redid parts of it. Then I began laying in the first layer of colors

The paints are pigments mixed with egg tempera. The first layer is very dark. Each subsequent layer is smaller (coming up like a pyramid) and lighter, until the last layer is the whitest.

I know that this doesn't look like much but trust me, that's the way Jesus started out too!

Icons are painted on prepared board. There are many layers of gesso and also a layer of fine linen underneath. We pray before starting any work on an icon. After it is finished they they need to be blessed by a priest on the altar.

So here is what I did today in class. She says do not worry about the drip of color (red) as we will cover it with blue the next time.

Class is every other week. The next one I will be in Italy so I won't go back for a month! :( Be patient all good things take time.