Our Lady of Guadalupe Abbey

Room, board, materials, instruction

Date: Sunday, August 25 (check in/no class) through September 1 (check out/no class). Class begins Monday, August 26 at 9am - Saturday, August 31
Where: Our Lady of Guadalupe Monestary in Pecos, NM
Cost: $1100 and includes all materials, instruction, lodging for 7 nights and 3 meals a day.
Deposit: $300. Non-refundable. Due 30 days prior to the beginning of class. All reservations, deposits, and fees are made directly to me.
Description: Prayerfully journey with us as we explore the Russian Byzantine style of iconography. Discover the theology and spirituality behind this ancient tradition. In this 6 day intensive workshop students will complete an 11"x14" icon of St. Francis of Assisi using the egg tempera and gold leaf method. The 22 step process combines line work and multiple layers of opaque highlights and transparent floats in order to achieve depth and brilliance of color. Students will also have opportunities for prayer and meditation in the serene beauty of the monastery.
Note: This workshop is open to students of all levels but may be challenging for beginners.

About the Instructor - Karen Smart

Karen Smart was born in El Paso, Texas in 1960. Searching for spiritual knowledge and a personal relationship with Jesus, she converted to the Roman Catholic faith in 2005 and graduated from the Denver Catholic Biblical School in 2007. A pilgrimage to the Holy Land in 2006 inspired her to study iconography under the direction of Dmitry Andrejev of the Prosopon School in New York.
Karen has worked in a variety of mediums throughout her life but after only one workshop in Denver all other art forms were abandoned, and she devoted herself solely to iconography. "It was a perfect match of spiritually and my particular skill set."
Preserving the integrity of the ancient method, Karen is committed to using only natural materials and pigments. Egg tempera and gold leaf enable a richness, depth, vibrancy of color, texture and multi-layer transparency achievable by no other means.
Believing the Holy Spirit to be the true Author /Artist of the icon, Karen refers to herself as "an inspired tool" merely holding the brush while prayerfully connecting to the subject.
Karen currently lives in Santa Fe, New Mexico with her two pugs where she writes icons for churches, private chapels and individuals. She also offers individual instruction, lectures, workshops and studio tours.
Visit Karen's Site Here

To register for the workshop call the monastery at (505) 757-6415 ext. 112, or e-mail: manager@pecosmonastery.org