images and ikons

The name ‘Image into ikon’ arose out of poem I ‘found’ in my journalling responses to a recent mindful art experiment with the Mindful Creative Muse.

The language of transmutation, transfiguration and transformation is a vital part of the mystery of creativity.  It is a language which is also at the heart of contemplative spirituality.  Only through divine intervention can what I write, see, or paint, become something more than its component parts; only divine intervention can make my creations ‘mean’ something to the reader or viewer; only divine intervention can move through the work and literally cause an in-breath of surprise as the Holy Spirit inspires (in-breathes) it into the one who stands before it.

‘Shot at ten paces’ was very much a blog that was borne out of my explorations in photography, but in the last five years continued ill health in body, mind and spirit has lessened the opportunities for photographic excursions.  Instead ill health caused me to pick up pens and paintbrushes in a way that I have not done for twenty years.  Through the wonderful work of the charity Creative Response, I was also introduced to the joy of print-making.  Soon my explorations of contemplative spirituality became an integral part of discovering a widening personal creativity with visual art forms.  In turn this has led to yet more writing in both prose and poetry.  Along the way, various people have encouraged me to share more of this journey, so I wanted a new blog to reflect all this burgeoning, and the ‘clean slate’ that my recent extended hospital stay has given me seems a perfect time to launch this forum and see where it leads me.

Lastly, what appeals to both my spirituality and creativity is the knowledge that an ikon is an intentionally devotional work of art which is created by writing, not drawing or painting, the venerated image.  Moreover, the ikon writer creates stroke by stroke as she is led by the Spirit, present to the divine being created through her in that moment.  This fusion of inscribing and painting appeals enormously to me, since I long for both my words and images to resonate with, in and of, God.

I will  be writing and reflecting much more on these themes over the coming times; in the meantime, it is my prayer that these writings and images may be the results of my God writing the creation of the world through me, and will be used by the Spirit to breathe the life of the Real and Holy One into each person who reads, gazes, sees and hears.