Traditional Icons

All icons by Angela Manno are executed in the ancient floating technique of egg tempera involving a painstaking process of multiple layering of pigments according to the liturgical practice of traditional Byzantine-Russian iconography.  Only the highest quality and natural materials are used including pigments from ground up stones and 22 karat gold leaf on warp-resistant wood.  The board is sealed with linseed oil, making it resistant to changes in humidity and temperature.

The method of iconography in the icons of Angela Manno stems from the tradition originating in the monasteries of 14th-16th century Russia.  She was trained by master iconographer Vladislav Andrejev in an ascetic process which he developed specifically for the modern mind.

Though the icon is at the very foundation of western art, it is distinct from the religious and secular art that grew in the west both in terms of its function and development.  The icon itself is an expression in symbolic form of the teachings of the saints, ascetics and leaders in the Church throughout the centuries.  The imagery and process are thus not attributed to the individual genius of the artist, as is the case in western art, but to this ancient lineage.  When done according to the canon, (a special set of rules governing spiritual practice and icon painting technique), each stage, from gessoing the board to applying the final olifa (oil sealant) has a precise liturgical meaning.

Each personnage or scene depicted in an icon, (literally meaning "image"), has principles and virtues associated with it.  The icon itself is used by individuals as an aid in prayer and meditation and is an integral part of the Eastern Orthodox liturgy.