Course description

The course is suitable for both those who have only recently painted icons (but who have mastered the basics) and more experienced painters. The student chooses and composes their icon subject with the help of a teacher, in accordance with their accumulated painting experience. Icon painting is a living tradition and it lives in time. Through icon painting we can, or rather we should, also address the problems of our time. These include, for example, the pollution of the environment we have caused, the loss of nature, armed conflicts and the loneliness of people. Through icons we can offer people hope for the future in addition to the right models of action. In addition to creating new icon subjects, we can, for example, teach moderation and a proper relationship with nature through icons of saintly mothers and fathers who have been enlightened by asceticism. With icons of Christ – the Prince of Peace – we can call for the resolution of conflicts and the building of lasting peace. Through icons of the Mother of God – our Mother of all – we can bring comfort and meaning to the lives of the lonely. The number of pollinators has dwindled worldwide and their decline is a serious threat to both nature and people. More and more species that pollinate plants were drifting towards extinction. In Valamo, the problem has been tackled with practical measures: the monastery takes care of bees and some of the monastery's large lawns have been converted into meadows. In this course, concerns about the fate of pollinators are addressed through icons and we remind you of the hope that ultimately everything is in the hands of the Creator. The course will paint icons that feature bees. These include, for example, the icon of the Mother of God of the Bees and the icons of Saints Zosima and Savvati of Solovetsky, Saint Ambrose of Milan and Saint Gobnait of Ireland. You can purchase the icon base and other tools and materials needed for the course from the institute. Please note that people under 35 years of age receive a 40 percent discount on the price of icon painting courses. The teacher is icon conservator and painter Antti Narmala.

This course uses the Epass mobile application as a payment method.