Painting Icons at Bhakti Marga

For many years icon painting comprised part of our artistic activities. We have been inspired by the classic icon painting methods which have given rise to the various religious styles found throughout many churches and monasteries.

We use the original icon drawing as a template to produce a copy. We create new aspects in the icons because our artists integrate their individual painting styles in the process of icon painting. As a result, new forms of icon painting arise and this old, almost forgotten form of religious church art is being revived. We would love to share this artistic and spiritual experience with other people and offer different courses and seminars in our art atelier. We work in silence, through this atmosphere of contemplation and silence this work becomes creative prayer and meditation.

 To learn the basics of the classic icon painting technique - we offer this course 

“The blessing hand” 

with Mataji Uma on April 20 & 21

In the images of many saints we often find a specific posture of the right hand, which is generally perceived as a blessing or a silent, encoded message. We know already the connecting of the tips of the thumb and the ring finger, as we use it when offering into the yagna fire. This mudra protects, grounds and motivates the mind to lean more towards spirituality

In the Christian icons it signifies a blessing gesture of Christ, whereby the fingering corresponds to predefined symbolic forms.

The Blessing Hand Icon painting course covers the importance and the symbolism of this mudra. Mataji Uma helps one to understand the language portrayed in the icons and to adapt it in one’s own work in drawing and painting. The basic icon painting techniques will be taught in this course enabling one to get a good understanding on how to paint ones own icon. 

"Painting is Meditation"

Bhakti Marga Art: „Painting is meditation" (Sri Swami Vishwananda) 

„Bhakti Marga Art“ as a project came into being and was formed through the teachings of Sri Swami Vishwananda. Our beloved Guruji gave us the blessing to go the path of devotion through painting of holy pictures and expressing ourselves through them. When we paint and are concentrated we come into a peaceful inner state where there are no more thoughts. To be in this stillness and to merge with the Divine while painting a picture activates our creative forces. This Bhakti Marga Art-Project took birth ten years ago in a small group in our first Ashram in Steffenshof. At that time we painted our first icons for a chapel directly next to the ashram. 

Under the guidance of our guru Sri Swami Vishwananda and in collaboration with Him, the foundation stone was laid for Bhakti Marga Art. Since then we are teaching this kind of art in various seminars. Today we are a group of dedicated artists who continue this work since then. In the course of the years a great number of icons and spiritual paintings were created. Many of them can be seen in our main centre in Shree Peetha Nilaya in the temple area where also our art studio is. Here we work creatively; pictures are painted, things are restored and the art of painting is taught. Some of our artists live abroad where they have their own studio for „Bhakti Marga Art“. But they come regularly to us to paint pictures or do wall painting. Many of our pictures can also be seen in different Bhakti Marga centres abroad. In this blog we will inform you from now on about our art-projects and seminars. 

We would like to introduce our art-team, talk about interesting themes and make reports about religious art. We are very happy to have this possibility to make this wonderful and pioneering project of Sri Swami Vishwananda more and more known to the world. Shree Peetha Nilaya is a very special place where spiritual art is made and presented in many ways. 
Jai Guru Dev 
Bhakti Marga Art Team 
Mataji Jaahnvi