„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 …

An amazing lecture about painting

I would like to share a little event in the chapel, which was 

happening some years ago.

While I was meditating in the chapel, Swamiji entered the room 

with a group of italien people. He introduced them into the icons

 hanging in the secret space behind the curtain .

Suddenly he pointed on the icon above – one of the icons I painted 

for him - and said in an exciting mood: „Look ! I have painted this 

icon!“ and then, like an actor he was pointing on all the other icons 

of mine, hanging in the chapel – repeating: “Look I also painted 

this and this and that icon!“

First I was somehow irritated, but quickly I realized in my next 

thought :Yes- it is true! It is HIM who is painting through me! I am 

HIS instrument!“

Immediately he came to me and caressed my face tenderly, 

showing to me that I have got it.

It was an expression – going hand in hand with my feelings while 

painting and falling into deep concentration – through HIM.

Sita

A cloud of rose fragrance

Uma writes:

                                

One day, shortly before the chapel in Steffenshof was inaugurated, I was there painting when Guruji stepped in. I was a bit under time pressure because I had to drive home soon. Therefore I asked Swamiji if I could continue with my work, despite the fact that in some minutes the evening prayer would begin in the temple. “It is up to you whether you go to the temple, you would prefer to do so, no?”

 “No Swamiji”, I replied, I would rather continue painting, because this also is a meditation and it is for You…”

 “It’s ok” he said and left the room cheerfully.

 Soon after that I heard him coming down the staircase, passing through the door and stepping out on the courtyard. I was aware that he would now go to the temple. I began to concentrate fully on my work in order to avoid that any sadness or regret would take hold of me because of my choice….. Suddenly – by now Swamiji must have been at the temple already for quite a while - a hauntingly beautiful fragrance of roses filled the whole chapel.

I walked back and forth in the empty chapel. It was not an illusion, the scent which filled the whole room almost took my breath away. Astonished and deeply touched I started to cry.

At times, His unlimited Love smells like roses…..

A short story with Guruji

Mataji Gitanjali has sent the following short story is about an icon.

Mataji Gitanjali is a well know spiritual painter in Portugal, she paints since some years for projects for Guruji and our centre SPN.

 In Portugal she has her own atelier, where she teaches painting and has is a group of devotees, who paint icons for Bhakti Marga Art.

"One day I was in the Church and Guruji passed by and called me. He asked me to paint St. Andrew Apostle. I had with me a painting that I had brought the day before from Portugal.

Guruji looked at me and said „You painted St. Andre Apostle“?

I answered "Yes". He asked me again and again. I said "Yes".

Then he asked me to go to get the painting. I brought the Icon and gave it to Guruji. He looked at the painting and said - "What a coincidence."