„If you feel you have painted a specific angel, then you can give it a name …”

Uma tells her story:

I thoroughly planned both of my last two stays in Prague. That is to say, I wanted to make use of my time there, in order to take lessons with an icon painter who has extensive experience in classical Byzantine painting techniques.

One never stops learning, and this technique in particular, the secrets of which I so much wanted to discover, can only be acquired at specific places, for example a Greek monastery, but I have never been offered that opportunity.

It was a wonderful experience to apply this technique in an atmosphere of tranquility and concentration and to let appear, step by step, an angel on a carefully prepared piece of wood, looking at me with peaceful eyes, while its head is aglow in a golden halo.

It has always been my wish to be able to gold-plate this area competently and to establish the incarnate parts (areas of skin) with egg tempera according to traditional instructions, and this is how that wish was fulfilled.

It is always exciting to take part in further education and thereby enrich one’s own skills. And it is a gift to be able to receive this ancient knowledge that has been well preserved and handed down to this day and age.

From my photo documentation, I would like to present some stages of my work.

I would like to thank Mrs Eleonora Vlkova for her willingness to share her knowledge with me. When I asked her, if the angel has a name, I received this answer:

This angel is just an angel, so it does not have a name. But if you feel you have painted a specific angel, then you can give it a name …